For many of us, being sick is just something to get through, until it is over and we can continue with our lives. But for some, "getting through" is a daily struggle, knowing that it will never be something they will be able to totally overcome, but something that will be a constant part of their reality.
Such is the case of our friend Linda Tuttle, pictured above with her daughter Jessica. Linda and her family are well-known in our community. Her parents lived here for years, as have many of their children. Linda always had love of life, and liked living full tilt, striving to enjoy each day to the fullest. She married, had two children, went to nursing school, and remained an upbeat person, in spite of the struggles associated with raising a family which we all know too well.
As a nurse, she touched the lives of so many people, both the patients she cared for as well as the nurses who had the pleasure of working with her. She was a wealth of information and inspiration to so many. It was just natural that she further her education and became a teacher, bestowing upon her students an education that often came from her own experiences of her many years of work. Many, many students were blessed to have her as an instructor as she laid before them a strong foundation into the wonderful world of caring for others.
But as we all know, no one is immune to the destructive forces of cancer. And it was this which has rocked her world. In December 2008, Linda started having problems with pain and nausea. She had completed her shift in the ER at 7PM. At 2AM, she awoke with chest pain, which was later diagnosed as pancreatitis. In December 2009, she was diagnosed with cancer. In January 2010, she endured the whipple procedure, which removed the cancer and part of the surrounding tissue. But the diagnosis was worse, the cancer had metastasized to the stomach and lymph nodes. And was given a life expectancy of 5 years. 6 years later, multiple surgeries, feeding tubes, implanted ports, weight loss and weight gain, multiple hospitalizations....she still is with us, and still has the faith to believe in living life to the fullest.
Linda has defied all odds in her battle against cancer. She has remained with a positive attitude, a strong faith in God, and the support of her family. The one thing which has constantly thrown up a roadblock is the insurance. Linda requires many difference medicines to be able to get through her day. These medicines allow her to function in her now daily routine of life. They help to control her pain, control her nausea, and enable her to eat the small amounts of food that keeps her body strong. But many of these medicines are expensive and the insurance company ceases to pay for at times. Imagine, being denied that which makes your life easier to survive.
This benefit is aimed to help her pay for some of these expenses. Part of the proceeds of this event will be placed on her account at the pharmacy, to enable her to purchase her medicine when the insurance company doesn't pay. To help her to continue to be able to live her life to the fullest. To be able to continue to be a wife, friend, and mother. To be able to continue to be Grandma to her grandchildren. To be able to do all the things that she can. And to continue to be an inspiration to so many of those around her.
If you would like to read a more detailed account of Linda's medical problem, in her own words, please click this link: Linda's Words
Update: We are very sorry to post that Linda lost her battle in October 2017. She died just as she lived, on her own terms. And through it all, she never lost her love for life, her praise for God, and her words of comfort for others. Her family was her everything, and she had the chance to visit with them all before the end. Her legacy will live on in all that knew her in any fashion. She touched so many lives, and made a huge difference in this world. She will always be a part of our lives, and know that she is without pain, happy, surrounded by family and friends, and waiting for everyone else to join her.
Linda talks about her disease diagnosis, her current treatment, and her hopes for the future. This is why we are doing this fundraiser.
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Linda has been blessed to have loving siblings. She doesn't know what her life would have been without them. |
