Laura has certainly been through a lot in her life... soon after graduating from New Paltz, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. Years later, after successfully beating the Hodgkin's, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and, further down the road, she battled and beat breast cancer. She lost her last husband, David Cobb, to pancreatic cancer and lost her mother to breast cancer. Her wonderful current husband, Tom Dudek, suffered from Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but was extremely fortunate to have had a successful stem cell transplant four years ago that saved his life. Two previous stem cell transplants didn't work, but the third time was a charm! In early 2017 Laura had open heart surgery (see April 3, 2017 posting) for issues that were a result of radiation treatment 50 years earlier. This past December, Laura's sister, Louise, had a medical crisis of her own (see February blog posting) and today awaits surgery to reconnect her esophagus and stomach. As if Laura hasn't dealt with enough serious health problems through her life, she now faces yet another. She was just diagnosed with mesothelioma, thought to be a result of all the radiation she had received for previous cancer treatments. The good news is that it appears to be a small tumor that is operable. But, there may be lymph node involvement that would require additional treatment. She is set for additional tests over the next few weeks to determine her course of treatment.
Laura was my first roommate at New Paltz and remains my dear and special friend. To me and to all who know her, she is a true hero. In 2002, Laura was recognized as Vermont Survivor of the Year. In my eyes, she is Survivor of a Lifetime. She has always faced the challenges of life with tremendous courage and inner strength, and I know she will face this latest challenge with the same. She has given me the okay to share her status with all of you and, in doing so, I ask you to keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she and her amazing team at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston move forward to beat this.
Love, hugs, prayers, and positive vibes being sent your way, old friend! Wishing you a renewal of body and spirit... Mi Shebeirach
-Pook
