Karen has moved on

[v-ness]

this news is a punch in the stomach. i actually returned here today to ask her advice about something because last summer we had PM'd each other after my boyfriend was diagnosed stage 4. she was so kind and wise and caring and generous with her knowledge. i couldn't believe all that she'd been through and i am so sorry that she is gone. she went on her own terms, i guess, which is not surprising. i am so sorry, andi, that you lost a dear friend. i felt like she was my only friend here. tears for karen. - valerie

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

You're very thoughtful, Valerie. Karen has spoken of you to me. Her loss to us all is great and I will never ever forget her.

She was in her 6th yr of fighting and it was hard. I know everyone here understands what hard is. There is just nothing like it. All these yrs after being on chemo, I still suffer from of the nasty side effects and vividly recall in amazement how I got through it.

We do what we must. I saw it as a process. I would struggle through it somehow, sometimes literally one hour at a time, then I got back to one day at a time. I saw myself far, far into the future.

I imagined myself at my 1 yr old granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah (which occurs at age 13). I would be there! I vowed it and envisioned it in detail. I was standing at a round table surrounded by family and friends. I looked radiant. Aglow. Music was playing and we were all clapping, waiting for the Bat Mitzvah girl to come on to the dance floor. Make her entrance. I felt such love and pride and joy!

Well, I lived to see that day!! I lived my dream. Now I have new dreams. That granddaughter is now finishing her 1st yr in college. She is 19.

I was 50 at orig dx. I am now 71.

I wish success to all my Sisters.

Valerie, I am here for you! Absolutely. Any time. My email is within my info. Please feel free to email me any time. We can chat.

Put HER2 SISTER in the subject line so I will not delete the email. I will respond. It is my honor to help in any way I can.

That goes for anyone on this board. I am here for you. I want to be. It brings me a sense of worth, using all the knowledge I've accrued through this thing called cancer.

Put my name in the search and see my articles through the yrs. I bet some will be helpful, inspirational, maybe even interesting.

I do send love to you all. You are always in my thoughts. In past yrs, when Joe was our webmaster, there were times the site would go down. As a regular, one who checked in at least once a day, every day, I would be aghast. I had no access to my support group !!!!!!!!!!

Then finally, the site would get back on line and so many others were out there, hanging on, waiting just like me.

We're here to support one another. I most definitely am! Any time!

XOXOXO, Andi