This weekend was supposed to be a good weekend. Evan is away trying to hook up our little family with a better life. Stinky and I have a shopping date at Petsmart. It was thisclose to being friday and then I get a terrible phone call.
Jennifer called to tell me that Lori has been placed in hospice care and that they think she will probably die on friday. Here is some background: Lori was a co-worker/friend at my last job, which i left in february. She had a masectomy and chemo after being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early thirties. I saw her in may because she had a conference at the U of M, where I work now. She looked as good as ever and told me she fell when she went dancing the week before and hurt her back...little did any of us know that inside of her, cancer was ravaging her body. Two weeks later we found out she had metastatic disease that encompassed her whole spine, lung, kidney and brain. They gave her 2 months to 2 years to live. She wanted to go back to work and back to living her life. Before she found out it was terminal she told me she simply wanted to know if she was going to die so she could get out of the hospital and finish living her life so her kids would remember her that way. She was in and out of the hospital in june, when i saw her last. in july she was in and out a few times again. In august she got pneumonia and was placed in the hospital again for the last time. She never had a chance to go out and live her last days. She never did go back to work.
I don't know what has happened since yesterday. I assume Lori has passed because they didn't think she would make it through last night. I couldn't bring myself to visit her last night because mostly I was afraid and also because she isn't the same person I would like to remember her as. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the way and I don't think she would have wanted to die in a hospital, let alone with people watching. This will be my first funeral.
Lori Martin was a wonderful person. She had a contagious laugh and she loved to make others laugh too. She was the hardest damn worker our company ever had. She was extremely intelligent and well-read and always wanted to learn more; she never had never gone to college. She was a single mom of 3 kids, 2 of which are still in grade/middle school. Lori was a genuine, unique, outspoken, colorful and bold. She made me cry and made me laugh and never held any grudges. I can't believe she was out dancing just 3 months ago.
It is entirely unfair that someone who is not even 40 years old yet could have their life snuffed out so quickly. Out of all of the people in the entire world to be taken away she should have been one of the last. My only consolation is that she did not have to suffer long.
Jennifer called to tell me that Lori has been placed in hospice care and that they think she will probably die on friday. Here is some background: Lori was a co-worker/friend at my last job, which i left in february. She had a masectomy and chemo after being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early thirties. I saw her in may because she had a conference at the U of M, where I work now. She looked as good as ever and told me she fell when she went dancing the week before and hurt her back...little did any of us know that inside of her, cancer was ravaging her body. Two weeks later we found out she had metastatic disease that encompassed her whole spine, lung, kidney and brain. They gave her 2 months to 2 years to live. She wanted to go back to work and back to living her life. Before she found out it was terminal she told me she simply wanted to know if she was going to die so she could get out of the hospital and finish living her life so her kids would remember her that way. She was in and out of the hospital in june, when i saw her last. in july she was in and out a few times again. In august she got pneumonia and was placed in the hospital again for the last time. She never had a chance to go out and live her last days. She never did go back to work.
I don't know what has happened since yesterday. I assume Lori has passed because they didn't think she would make it through last night. I couldn't bring myself to visit her last night because mostly I was afraid and also because she isn't the same person I would like to remember her as. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the way and I don't think she would have wanted to die in a hospital, let alone with people watching. This will be my first funeral.
Lori Martin was a wonderful person. She had a contagious laugh and she loved to make others laugh too. She was the hardest damn worker our company ever had. She was extremely intelligent and well-read and always wanted to learn more; she never had never gone to college. She was a single mom of 3 kids, 2 of which are still in grade/middle school. Lori was a genuine, unique, outspoken, colorful and bold. She made me cry and made me laugh and never held any grudges. I can't believe she was out dancing just 3 months ago.
It is entirely unfair that someone who is not even 40 years old yet could have their life snuffed out so quickly. Out of all of the people in the entire world to be taken away she should have been one of the last. My only consolation is that she did not have to suffer long.
