[Believe51]

I am so sorry for the loss of your Dear Maria. I loved her so and the gap in my daily life will be enormously empty without our frequent talks. I know that she called my husband a "Monster" and maybe you did not understand her logic about that. A "Monster" as Lily said, "Was a person in combat, fighting back this disease with fortitude and determination. All while setting goals and dreams of NED. Along the way receiving blessings and reaching NED. Achieving a plateau which with to rest as the 'cure' catches up! A person whom 'Believes' and never gives up, who fights for the very last second of life. A being that knows no limits and sets examples of courage, faith and bavery. A person who inspires hope and love to flourish."

Funny, this appears to reflect how I always viewed her. She never considered herself a "Monster", she felt that she had not achieved NED (for long anyway) and that was part of the so talked about 'Monstership'. She was my Monster, she was my hero, she was my very sweet friend. Although she touched my life with such power, she just considered herself as average. My world is a little sad right now for me, for Ed, for her family at Her2 and I pray for us all to move on with a smile. Lily prayed for us all, especially those that had journey left in God's hands.

I pray for you Michael, I pray for those gorgeous children and her family who moved to the United States to be by her side. The road has been tough for you all for so long. May God walk besides you all as you move forward through this loss.

And Lily, maybe you never achieved NED (for long).....but you shall always remain My Special Monster. I shall hear that accent ring true in my ears and mind whenever I think of you. You will always be alive in my heart and soul.

Forever and Ever,
Marie (Believe51)
&
Ed (The Mighty Oak)
__________________
9/7/06Husband 50yrs=Stage IV IBC/HER2+ w/BoneMets 10/06Taxotere(10),Herceptin(1x wk), Zometa,Tamoxifen 4/12/07Last Taxotere; (Her,Zom,Tam) 5/18/07Pet=rapid cell activity, no organ mets, many Lytic Lesions(L4,Humeral Head,C2,DiscSpace)-Degenerative Changes, some bone repair 5/07Chemo fail 6/01/07Pleural Thoracentisis=Effusions, no malignant cells 6/19/07+7/2/07DFCI 6/25/07Brain MRI=Brain Mets, many-(5-9mm) 7/10/07WBR/Pelvis rads(37.5G x15) & Nutritionist 8/19/07Tykerb/Xeloda9/20/07BrainMRI=2 mets(2 mm)10/6/07Pet=Bone Progression10/24/07Chemo fail11/9/07A/C(10), end Tamoxifen 12/7/07Faslodex 12/10/07Muga 75 12/13/07Blastic Lesions 1/7/08Brain MRI=Clear 4/1/08Petscan=Bone Improvement, no progression, stable! 4/7/08Brain PERFECT 5/16/08Last A/C(10)8/26/08Brain Mets Again=10(all under 9mm) 9/10/08GAMMA KNIFE~take that!~10/30/08 One New Met=5mm! Uggh!~10 Others Are Gone!