About

Hi!  My name is Lori Talbot and this is the story of how my family found Grace and Gratitude as we battled some of the hardest days of our lives.  I hope you will find something that inspires you in our experiences. 

THIS IS THE BEGINNING….

The Friday before Memorial day weekend 2019 was a gorgeous, warm sunny day.  My husband Bob and I had taken a half day from work and were ecstatic to be heading off to spend the weekend “in the country” with our dear friends.  Although spending the weeknd with these friends was not unusual, this weekend seemed special, almost magical, filled with hope and excitement.  Little did we know that it would later mark the end of life as we knew it, the time before our lives changed forever. 

That weekend was unforgettable!  Not only was the weather spectacular but it felt as if the world was our oyster!  Our daughter was about to graduate high school and embark on an exciting new chapter at the University of Scranton.  We were about to become empty nesters and although we would miss our only child tremendously, we looked forward to a new chapter of adventures as a couple nearing retirement with means and a genuine true love for each other.  We couldn’t wait to see where these new roads led.

Unfortunately God had other plans.  Early in June of 2019 Bob began to notice some unusual symptoms that led him to schedule an appointment with his doctor. He had pain in his abdomen and I would later learn, blood in his stool.   I should have realized then that this might be serious since Bob was not one to see a doctor for anything.  It had to be really bad for him to seek help. After a physical the doctor ordered some diagnostic tests which identified lesions in Bob’s liver and the scheduling of more tests.  I’ll never forget getting the phone call from Bob while I was at an end of the school year retirement party.  Over the phone, he shared with me what the doctor had told him and although I had no real idea what it meant at the time, his words paralyzed me.  I left the party immediately as my world began to shift.

That was Thursday, June 13, 2019.  Our daughter was going to her senior prom the next day and we had no intention of worrying her when we really didn’t know what was happening yet.  We put a smile on our faces and despite the physical pain Bob was feeling, we posed for photos and attended a pre-prom party, sending our daughter off for a weekend of sun and fun. 

The weekend was a blur and on Sunday Bob began to prepare for his colonoscopy.  The prep wasn’t horrible but there was a level of fear that had begun to creep in.  Bob’s mom had passed from a rupture caused by a colonoscopy.  Granted, she was elderly when this happened but the fear remained.  Despite our anxiety, I weirdly felt confident as Bob entered the room for his colonoscopy. People have colonoscopies everyday with fine results, I believed that whatever was going on on his liver was an anomaly and that it would be fixed and the love of my life would be healed. 

To say that I was shocked when the doctor called me into the recovery room and then matter of factly told us that he had found a rectal tumor, a liver tumor and that some of the cells were in the lymph nodes is an understatement! I literally said, “f**k!  That means it’s stage 4 right?” aloud to the doctor who once again, matter of factly, confirmed it.

In that split second our lives were changed forever.  This is where our journey into the world of colorectal cancer began and what has inspired this blog.

On the OUR JOURNEY section of the webpage you will find the updates we sent to family and friends as Bob battled fiercely against this horrible disease along with photos of our life during that time.  Though many are filled with perfunctory facts of treatment and schedules, they are also filled with the MANY blessings we encountered along the way. It was an incredible journey filled with ultimate highs and devastating lows. Our days were always filled with an abundance of love, HOPE and Bob’s famous laughter.

However despite all of our prayers for a cure, Bob passed surround by love on Jan 19, 2022.

THE BLOG begins there.  Though we had no idea how we would go on after Bob passed, Kayleigh and I are moving through each day as gratefully as we can.  Some days we do it well, other days we fall on our faces.  It’s a bumpy road, this grief journey! I hope by sharing our experiences, you will find some HOPE..  Bob was a big believer in hope.  He’d really like that!