Sunday, September 18, 2011

Saying Goodbye To A Friend

The act of reading a book is almost always a solitary experience. But, if you're lucky, you'll find a group of people who like to talk about books with. If you're even luckier, who'll find friends in that very same group. A lot of people scoff at book clubs. Some believe they are nothing more than an excuse to drink wine and gossip once a month. Some believe that the people in them take the books much too seriously and don't have any fun at all. I'm sure there are clubs that are like this.

Three years ago a friend invited me to join her book club. I love getting the chance to read books I might not otherwise read; I love having the chance to talk about the books with other people who have read them. Do we drink wine? Oh, yeah, we like our wine! Do we spend a lot of time talking about things other than books? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, we do. Which is how the Omaha Bookworms went from a diverse group of women to a circle of friends. Over the past year or so, we've had to say goodbye to a number of our friends as they have moved away from us. Today, though, five of us joined more than a hundred other people to say a final goodbye to one of our friends.


E was diagnosed four years ago with Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer. At the time she was told that, because she was young and in such great health otherwise, she had six months to two years left. That wasn't good enough for E. She began doing research. Already a healthy eater and advocate of organic foods, E amped it up. She found new methods of treatment, including an alternative to using scans which utilize radiation. E was a fierce competitor in every way so she would have fought Cancer with every ounce of her being no matter what. But E is the mother of three young girls, three girls with whom she was determined to spend more time.

I met E a little more than a year after she was first diagnosed with IBC. Her hair was just growing back from the first rounds of treatment, a beautiful curly steel grey. I didn't know then, though, who E was and what she was going through. Only after that first night did I find out. I couldn't believe it because I have never seen a healthier looking person. This past winter, E was able to join the Omaha Bookworms when we met to discuss her choice of book, Jane Gooddall's Harvest for Hope: A Guide To Mindful Eating and despite what she had been through in the past six months, she remained one of the healthiest looking women I have ever seen.

E was one of the fiercest, most courageous people I have ever met. Her spirit touched so many lives and she was an inspiration to all who knew her. E's favorite quote was "Attitude is Everything" and she had the most amazing attitude. Last year E said of her previous two years:
"Every minute of life is amazing when you didn’t think it was going to be there.    Actually every minute in life is amazing.  Sometimes we just don’t see it that way.  Miracles are everywhere."
In the past year, E has been writing a blog. If you are interested in learning more about what E learned about living with and treating Inflammatory Breast Cancer, I encourage you to visit Rolling On The Edge Of Life.

17 comments:

  1. This is such a sad thing to hear and I was in tears as I was reading. Lisa, I'm so sorry that you all lost a person that was dear to you and who seemed to be a light in your group. I know you will miss her. The hardest thing for a mother is to read about a woman who had to leave her children behind. I hope that her daughters will take comfort in knowing that somehow she is watching over them.

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  2. A beautiful post Lisa, brought tears to my eyes. She was a fighter with a strong spirit. I remember when she told me how frustrating it is to stand in line at the grocery store, she was thinking about all the minutes she lost (explaining it as only E could).

    We were blessed weren't we? I think we are going to video skype tomorrow night. I'm SO excited!

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  3. She sounds like she was a very brave and wonderful woman. So sorry for your loss.

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  4. Lisa, I am so sorry to read of th loss of your friend. E sounds as though she was a very brave and courageous woman. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and you as well.

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  5. That is such a sad story. E sounds like a really strong woman who lived her life to the fullest. I lost a former boss to breast cancer when she was just 33, and it still haunts me to this day.

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  6. Sounds like she knew how to live, even right up until the end. Such a brave woman. I will be thinking of her family.

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  7. My heart goes out to you. What an amazing woman. Thanks for sharing part of her story with us. Hugs.

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  8. I am so sorry to hear this about your friend..... you've written a great tribute to her......

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  9. What a beautiful post and tribute to E, thank you for sharing some of her with us. I'm so sorry for all of your loss in losing her.

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  10. I was reading the last blog post on her blog and I am so amazed at her adventurous spirit despite her illness. This humbles me.

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  11. I'm so sorry for your loss, Lisa. I imagine E felt loved and comfortable with your group of Omaha Bookworms ... thanks for sharing the spirit of your friend with us.

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  12. Lisa, E is an amazing, courageous woman. I'm so sorry for her, her children and her family. She'll forever be an inspiration to all who knew her and an example of how to celebrate and optomize our lives.
    Thank you for sharing her story :o)

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  13. I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend to cancer in 2004. She also fought for many years past what the doctors predicted. Thank you for sharing E's website and her wonderful outlook on life.

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  14. One of my book club members has just finished a six month round of chemo for colon cancer... so this post seems a bit too close to home. We're all optimistic that she has years and years ahead of her (only 37 years old with four very young kids.)

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  15. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. It is always a tragedy when someone falls ill and dies but especially someone with young children.

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  16. Aww, Lisa, I'm so sorry about your friend. This is a really sweet tribute. It sounds like she was an amazing person.

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  17. Oh Lisa--this post brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful sentiment. Hugs to you.

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