I still think about Lisa every day, much like a lot of you, I’m sure. Just yesterday, I got a friend recommendation from Facebook, based on some mutual friends that Lisa and I share. It’s kind of an odd sensation seeing Lisa pop up on Facebook, like sad and sweet all at the same time. Of course, there’s no way in hell I’ll ever remove her from Facebook or Twitter.
Got an email from Dude (John) and wanted to share it with all of you.
Karl
Sorry it took so long to get back to you but I’ve been going nuts with phone calls from bill collectors, lawyers, social security, banks, etc. The girls both received their First Communion on May 9th. They were both so beautiful. I know Lisa was proud of them because I definitely felt her presence. We also had a nice Easter, even though there was an empty feeling inside.
The Devry University Alumni Association (Lisa graduated from there) held a Cancer awareness and Magic show event on April 3rd to benefit our family. I received a nice check from them and we are all so grateful for their thoughtfulness. Lisa definitely made an impact on them, too.
They have also decided to make it an annual Cancer Awareness and magic show event with the proceeds going to set up a scholarship in Lisa’s memory. Talk about being moved to tears. It took me all weekend to come up with just the right words to say thank you.
Christine ended up adopting Lisa’s iPhone and uses it all the time (actually, we’ve been both using it). She knows more about that phone than I do. Cameron is going to be testing for her Black Belt in September and I should be going for mine in December.
Christine has also joined the ATA Leadership program and has been selected by the owner of the school to join the SWAT team (Special Winning Attitude Team). I am so proud of both of them and I know Lisa is, too.
We also attended our first Relay for Life event at Daniel Boone High school back on June 12th. The kids lost a teacher last summer to Cancer, and she must have meant a lot to them, because they put this all together themselves and did a fantastic job. This all took place with Lisa’s grave overlooking the entire event. She attended that same high school and performed in the high school marching band on that same field. That made it even more special.
The local Berks County Cancer Society wanted me to be the key speaker, but was having an extremely difficult time coming up with the right words (I’m not a very good public speaker), and then it hit me. Everything I needed to say was right there on Lisa website, right there in front of me. The problem was, every time I went back to Clusterfook, I started reading, but was moved to tears each time. I had to tell them that it was just too soon for me to speak, and maybe I could do it next year, since this is going to be an annual event.
It was a very special night, Cameron, Christine, and I all did about 5 laps, but when they turned down the lights when it was time to light the luminaries, it really made us realize that all of these people there with us were going through, or had been going through, the same things as we did. It was a very moving experience.
Thanks to everyone for remembering Lisa and for all their love and concern for us, as well.
John (Dude)
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Thanks for sharing this Karl.
Dude and the girls: still thinking of you and Lisa all the time. I know it must be hard moving on, but it’s so good to see that you are doing that with Lisa close to your hearts. Then again, i wouldn’t have expected otherwise
Big Smooch from Dutchyland!
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Thank you so much for the update.
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Thanks for updating us. Very moving.
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I’m so glad that the kids continue to flourish. This was a wonderful update.
Thanks for sharing Karl. (and you too Dude)
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I am glad to see her in those beautiful little girls. Still thinking of you all.
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Thanks for updating us! I’m saying a prayer for you all!
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Thanks so much for the update! I think about them often.
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Thank you for updating!
That was a beautiful email from a beautiful man who has two beautiful girls and THE MOST beautiful wife.
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What a lovely update to pop up in Google Reader. Thanks Dude and Karl for the update. Much love to the girls and Dude…I still think about Lisa and miss her so very much.
xo
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I loved seeing this pop up in the reader just as I am always comforted by seeing Lisa’s beautiful face so often.
Thank you so much for continuing to share her.
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Thanks for the update Karl and John. I will never remove this feed and I am glad to hear you’re all adjusting at what seems to be a normal pace to me. My thoughts will always be with each of you and while we never met in person, I still miss her. Much love. M
usedtobemes last blog post..The Waiting Is the Hardest Part
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Thanks for the update. It’s nice to see everyone in their community coming together to help them through this very rough emotional and I’m sure financial time.
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Miss you Lisa.
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Lovely, thanks to Karl and Dude. Great pic, too!
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Every once in awhile Lisa’s face pops up on my facebook account and about two months ago, my email burped and I got old emails from her. I chuckled and looked around the room thinking she is still performing her magic! LOL
Thanks for the update and I am glad to see you all are doing well. You are all in my thoughts all the time. <3
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x o x o o x o x
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I was just thinking last week that I wondered how things are going with Dude and the girls. Glad to see an update.
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So good to have an update. I think of Lisa and her beautiful family often.
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So glad to hear how everyone’s doing. Thanks for keeping us updated Dude and Karl.
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Thanks Karl…That was a great update! The kids looked beautiful!! What a nice surprise, too. I am moving back to NC and took a break to find this…Yay…doing the Snoopy Happy Dance!!
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I am so happy I did not remove her feed from my reader. Thank you, Karl and Dude for the update. And, yes, Lisa would be so proud of all three of you, Dude.
cajunvegans last blog post..Freakin’ in the Rain
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Thanks for the update.
And I just can’t take Clusterfook off my bloglines.
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Thank you for sharing. So glad to hear from you John and the girls. So proud to hear that you have the strength to carry on and with Lisa so close to all of you. Lots of love and prayers,
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Thank you Karl for sharing this. I often think about Lisa and her family. I’m glad to hear they’re doing fine and I’m sure that like Dude says Lisa must be really proud of all of them.
Take care
FERNANDA
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Thank you for the update…my thoughts & prayers continue for John & the girls.
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Thanks for the update, John, and for posting it, Karl. As you can see, we’re all still interested in what’s happening in your lives and how things have been going. I can’t possibly imagine all you’ve gone through and it takes an amazing amount of personal strength to pull through with as much positivity as you three have been doing.
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So sweet and definitely brought tears to my eyes. My heart still hurts for Dude and the girls. It sounds like he is doing an amazing job and his strength is so touching.
Take care and thank you for sharing with us.
Jos last blog post..A Little Bit Of Love
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Thank you Karl and Dude. I’ve been thinking about Lisa and her family a lot, as my daughter is in remission. We still have 4 and a half years until Shelly will be considered cancer free. I have saved Lisa’s emails to read when I feel discouraged. Thank God for her and you two.
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I check in on here every so often and to see an update made my heart race.
Miss her.
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My thanks goes to you as well. Like the others, I have been unable to delete this website from my list and out of habit click on it regularly. How wonderful to have that update.
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Open invitation to you and your readers to participate in the Being Cancer Book Club. This month we are discussing “The Light Within: the Extraordinary Friendship of a Doctor and Patient Brought Together by Cancer”. “When young gynecologic oncology fellow Lois Ramondetta was first summoned to the room of a new ovarian cancer patient, neither she nor the forty-nine-year-old professor of religion she encountered named Deborah Sills thought they had much in common. They certainly had no idea that they were about to embark on a transcendent odyssey that would become a soul-deep friendship. Now their heartfelt story, The Light Within, follows these two women through a decade of friendship and “big lives”—husbands, children, friends, and careers—ultimately crossing the country and traveling to foreign lands, where they spoke and wrote together about the intersection of doctors, patients, and spirituality. Both women searched together and openly for answers with honesty and intimacy until Deborah passed away in the spring of 2006.”
Monday is Book Club day; Wednesday Guest Blog and Friday Cancer News Roundup.
Also check out Cancer Blog Links containing over 350 blog links and Cancer Resources with 250 reference sites, both divided into disease categories.
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Take care, Dennis
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Thank you for the update! I know it must be so difficult for you but it’s much appreciated. I still think of Lisa so often and miss her amazing presence. God bless you and your family
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Thanks, Karl. I missed Lisa when we were at BlogHer last week. We were just surrounded by so many bloggers, and yet missing a special few. I missed her really hard today, when I was at the oncologist’s for a routine checkup. I tweeted. It isn’t much, but I tweeted and I blogged, and I remembered her in the ways I know how.
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Thank you for sharing — so, so much.
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Thanks so much for posting this – I still think of Lisa often. Glad to hear things are going well for Dude & the girls. hugs from Ohio
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I thought of you today…”Wild Horses” came on and I wondered what actually was your favorite Stones song…I know you are getting along fine up there…
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Thinking of you, Lisa. *hugs*
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Still stopping by…Much Love to Lisa’s family.
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My 20 yo daughter went to the oncologist to today. She finished her chemo for ovarian cancer 10 months ago, but did not go at intervals to recheck as she was supposed to. I have been so worried about her. Reading Lisa’s blog has helped me the same way emailing with her did. I miss you Lisa. Thank you.
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Stopping by to say how much I miss Lisa. Love to Dude and the girls.
XO,
Nina
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Thinking of you and the girls, Dude. God bless.
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Thinking of Lisa. Dude, I hope you and the girls are okay.
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