Cancer for the Third and Last Time

This is not exactly my Bio.  It is the end of a biography for a dear friend.

 (Update in second module)

Trish, (Patricia Lynn Adams) moved here to S.E. Missouri from  Washington state just over four years ago, after the sudden death of her husband.  They had been married for 22 years.  He had a brain annurism.

Trish was a 2x cancer surviver herself.   Her first bout with the disease was ovarian cancer.  A year and a half later they found a tumor on her spine.

Both discoveries led to surgery and chemo.  She had been cancer free for almost five years when she moved to S.E. Missouri where her sister and brother lived.

Just over a year ago, Trish began having trouble with her hips, her right arm and shoulder as well as her feet.  We were afraid that she had developed diabetes as she is rather overweight.  We could not have been more wrong.

The Doctor thought it was rheumatoid arthritis and bursitis.  Trish was sent to a pain management center and an arthritis specialist where she was treated for four months.  During one of her pain management sessions, the therapist who was standing behind my friend noticed something that did not seem to fit.

There was a knot at the joint of Trish's elbow that seemed to change color before her eyes and grow.  Then the young woman heard a familiar crack.  Trish's elbow had literally split apart leaving her lower arm hanging in a sickening way.

We learned two weeks later that Trish had cancer yet again.  It had invaded her bones and her blood this time.

That was six months ago.  Trish is awake now only when the pain dulls enough for her to be able to tolerate it.  I guess we should be thankful that her mind shuts off when it is at it's worse.  This awake time amounts to about two hours total each day, in five and ten minute intervals.

I have only known this dear woman for four years.  It was one of those times when you meet someone and feel like you just found family.  I guess in a way we had.  I am adopting her 14 and 15 year old daughters.

My friend's sister and her husband are allowing Trish to die in their home.  Her disabled brother cares for her when I or the nurse can not be there.  This sister intends to allow the state to bury her only sister when she is gone.  We believe that will be in the next couple of weeks, or a month or two at most.  She stopped eating more than a large jar of baby food a day about two months ago.

The purpose of this lens is that my new daughters have asked me to try to raise the money to abide by their mother's wishes.

Trish wanted to be cremated.  The girls want a small memorial service.  I have arranged with a friend, the owner of a local funeral home, a service and cremation that will cost us just over $2,000.  At the present time, we have raised $350 by hosting barbecue and chili cook-offs.  I and the girls are making and selling purses like you will see on this page.  I also have an e book for sale on www.lulu.com.  The proceeds from both will go toward Trish's last needs.  Anything over that amount will be used for the education and care of the two girls.

Won't you help us honor this woman's final requests?  Purchase the book or one of our purses.

Donations are welcome and we thank you for even a dollar.  We can accept donations through paypal.com.  The user name would be scootersgram@yahoo.com

(This is not a scam and we would be willing to prove that if you simply ask us.) 

 Thank you for your prayers as well as your donations.

Janet M. Atwell

Coral Adams

Heather Adams

and of course Trish.