Update from Rich
Hello everyone,
This is Rich, Lorie's husband, writing for Lorie.
I'm sorry it's been so long since we've updated. Lorie hasn't been feeling very strong, and I'm pretty much LJ illiterate. I'm more of a Facebook guy. (Go ahead, let out all the scorn and mocking contempt, I can take it!) :-)
The news is not great. We signed up for home hospice care yesterday. The intake nurse came out within an hour of our call. After getting the requisite paperwork signed, she immediately checked out Lorie and changed up our pain meds. Lorie has been in a lot of discomfort and the nurse said that this was not necessary. The new meds have not completely kicked in yet, but she is feeling better already. Our regular nurse is due out in an hour or so, and she will probably tweak what we are doing even more.
This means that we are no longer fighting the cancer with chemo. This does NOT mean that I've stopped hoping and praying for a complete recovery, but it does mean that the turnaround will require that miracle I know you have all been praying for. If you think about it, this is a perfect time for divine intervention. With no "modern medicine" clouding the picture, He will surely get the recognition when Lorie pulls through, right? That's what I'm praying for, and I suspect many of you will be too.
This has been an ordeal, not only for Lorie, but for all of us who love and cherish her. Please know that she thinks of all of you often, and wants you to not be disheartened or discouraged. Keep the faith, and we will all get through this.
SPECIAL TO LJ: Most of this has been from an email I sent to a distribution list that Lorie keeps to update RL friends and family. However, I need to add something for all her LJ friends. Your friendship and support has been worth more to her than I can express. Whether you've been friends since her early forays into Highlander fandom, or joined her (and me!) in our magical trip through the worlds of LotR, or somewhere else along the way, she has treasured you. I have seen first-hand how positively therapeutic your kind words, gifts, gestures, etc. have been for her. She's never felt that she was deserving of so much kindness, but hey, we all know better, right? :-)
I will never be able to speak or write to all of you personally, but you have my undying gratitude for everything you've given to my Lorie in these tough times. Now let's not end this on a downer. Let's keep a stiff upper lip, keep those prayers and good wishes flowing, and we'll beat this thing yet. Heck, if Gandalf can come back from a battle with a Balrog, anything is possible, right? (Please excuse the semi-gratuitous LotR reference. I'm just not the writer that Lorie is! lol)
Rich
This is Rich, Lorie's husband, writing for Lorie.
I'm sorry it's been so long since we've updated. Lorie hasn't been feeling very strong, and I'm pretty much LJ illiterate. I'm more of a Facebook guy. (Go ahead, let out all the scorn and mocking contempt, I can take it!) :-)
The news is not great. We signed up for home hospice care yesterday. The intake nurse came out within an hour of our call. After getting the requisite paperwork signed, she immediately checked out Lorie and changed up our pain meds. Lorie has been in a lot of discomfort and the nurse said that this was not necessary. The new meds have not completely kicked in yet, but she is feeling better already. Our regular nurse is due out in an hour or so, and she will probably tweak what we are doing even more.
This means that we are no longer fighting the cancer with chemo. This does NOT mean that I've stopped hoping and praying for a complete recovery, but it does mean that the turnaround will require that miracle I know you have all been praying for. If you think about it, this is a perfect time for divine intervention. With no "modern medicine" clouding the picture, He will surely get the recognition when Lorie pulls through, right? That's what I'm praying for, and I suspect many of you will be too.
This has been an ordeal, not only for Lorie, but for all of us who love and cherish her. Please know that she thinks of all of you often, and wants you to not be disheartened or discouraged. Keep the faith, and we will all get through this.
SPECIAL TO LJ: Most of this has been from an email I sent to a distribution list that Lorie keeps to update RL friends and family. However, I need to add something for all her LJ friends. Your friendship and support has been worth more to her than I can express. Whether you've been friends since her early forays into Highlander fandom, or joined her (and me!) in our magical trip through the worlds of LotR, or somewhere else along the way, she has treasured you. I have seen first-hand how positively therapeutic your kind words, gifts, gestures, etc. have been for her. She's never felt that she was deserving of so much kindness, but hey, we all know better, right? :-)
I will never be able to speak or write to all of you personally, but you have my undying gratitude for everything you've given to my Lorie in these tough times. Now let's not end this on a downer. Let's keep a stiff upper lip, keep those prayers and good wishes flowing, and we'll beat this thing yet. Heck, if Gandalf can come back from a battle with a Balrog, anything is possible, right? (Please excuse the semi-gratuitous LotR reference. I'm just not the writer that Lorie is! lol)
Rich