Dear, dear Heather! I had absolutely no idea! I tried to coemmnt on this last night, but was too teary-eyed to do it! Today, I'm coemmnting anyway. There's no way in the world I could read this and NOT cry! Thank you so much for your courage and you openness! I have a lot of health issues these days, but that's neither here not there. What really TOUCHES me is to be reminded of how many extraordinarily brave women there are out there going through exactly what you describe! I had the privilege of escorting a woman in my extended family down a long and difficult path. Went to M.D. Anderson with her twice, and offered her as much support as I possibly could, even though I didn't really know what to do or say! Not for sure, anyway... She was in her early 40s, had twin boys about to enter high school, had finally found the love of her life, and wham! Here's the point, though. Very much like the woman you described, she continued every single day to live her life to the fullest! Never once did I hear her complain, never did I see her decide to live on a pity pot. It was astounding! Of course she cried sometimes, and she didn't climb into the denial cocoon. She was just determined to make the very best of every single minute left to her. She always did her best to surround herself with her closest friends... we'd hang out on the patio, her husband cooked all her faves, we would open a bottle of wine or two and wind up toasting life and toasting Lori! She even threw a Ya Ya Sisters party one weekend! Did I mind driving to Florida to participate? I wouldn't have missed it for the world!I must have asked myself a thousand times what I would have done in her situation! I can only hope that I would have been half as brave and optimistic. Thanks, Heather, from the bottom of my heart! I hope you'll feel free to keep in touch with me and that we can become very good friends. ((((hugs)))) and <3