None of us ever expected
a simple gall bladder removal to result in a cancer diagnosis,
but that’s what we received. Susan never had any serious
health problems and felt fine at the time. August and September
of 2001 was a blur of tests and doctor consultations to
find the cause of the tiny cancers spotted on her abdominal
wall. We learned that Susan had stage III ovarian cancer.
For the next four years, Susan went through surgery, treatments,
recurrences, endless blood tests, and all of the other aspects
of life with the same smile she wore when I first met her.
Throughout the subsequent four-year battle,
Susan made certain to stay involved with our kids and to
do everything she normally would with her family. Susan
was a stay-at-home mom and was totally immersed in the job.
Chemotherapy treatments could slow her down, but they never
stopped her. Susan was a lady of unshakeable faith in God.
She sought out others suffering from cancer or other problems
life serves up. She wrote to people she didn’t know
in an effort to offer a word of encouragement as they went
through tough times. She made several new friends and was
an inspiration to many.
We lost Susan in September of 2005. We
all miss her smile, her laugh, and her determination. We’ll
always have her love.
