Support Lori Phelps Tripi

Hi. My name is Michelle, and I am fundraising for Lori Tripi.

Lori’s Journey.

In June 2021, Lori was diagnosed with throat cancer. Her doctor gave her several options, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Her first choice was surgery. In August 2021, Lori underwent her first surgery to remove cancer in her

throat. In addition to removing cancer, the epiglottis and a portion of the base of her tongue were also removed. Lori spent the next three weeks in the hospital recovering from surgery. During that time, she had two drains in her throat, a tracheotomy, underwent a blood transfusion after she bled out due to torn artery, and flatlined at one point. The swelling in her throat was so bad she was on steroid therapy for two weeks to bring it under control. This was highly stressful and emotional for Lori and her loved ones.

Before her discharge from the hospital, the trach was removed, and a feeding tube was inserted. In October 2021, she commenced 35 rounds of radiation treatments and seven full chemo treatments, ending November 30th! Remarkably, once home from the hospital and even during her radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Lori continued to work remotely, focusing on her demanding career in the lending industry during an unstable real estate market. She began consuming small portions of liquids and gradually increased her food intake by mouth. On June 1, 2022, a pet scan revealed that Lori was cancer free!

Unfortunately, Lori has undergone six post-treatment surgeries to remove repeated scar tissue build-up that continues to develop as a side-effect of the radiation. The scar tissue obstructs her airway, hindering her ability to breathe. In June 2022, Lori was having breathing issues and was admitted to the hospital, where she had another surgery and was released a few days later. Only 3 hours after she arrived home, she began having difficulty breathing and was again immediately admitted to the hospital, where she was in ICU for three days. During this admission, another trach was inserted to open her airway. She developed severe gastric reflux and underwent multiple gastric procedures to determine the cause. Three weeks later, on July 12, 2022, Lori was discharged from the hospital with the trach in place and orders to begin another series of gastric treatments to determine the cause of her GI disorders. Lori had her sixth surgery this week, August 16, 2022, to remove more scar tissue. Her doctor has advised her that her body keeps regenerating the scar tissue until it stops; she is pretty much in this place.

Recovery is critical for Lori at this point. Given the ongoing complications she has and continues to encounter due to the chemotherapy and radiation therapy to eliminate cancer, she has been unable to work for the past several months. She has used her vacation time, sick pay and savings to pay bills and stay afloat. She currently has no source of income and does not anticipate being released to return to work until the end of the year, depending on her healing progress. Many of us are not aware of the long-term side effects of cancer and its various treatments. The complications may last months or years after treatments end. She continues to pray, stay positive and push forward every day.

Lori is facing medical and daily living expenses with no source of income in the foreseeable future. We are asking for any assistance you can provide to help defray her out-of-pocket medical and general living expenses, a difficult ask at any time, especially now. Please donate any amount you feel is appropriate through the link provided. We are deeply grateful for your support, thoughts, generosity and understanding during this unimaginable time. Thank you for reading Lori’s story, and we ask that you please share it on your social media and help spread the word and hopefully bring her some relief from the financial burden so she can focus on healing.

Given the circumstances, we have set a reasonable goal for her needs, and I ask that you please help with anything you can (no amount is, as they say, too small). All funds will go directly to Lori. Thank you so much for your generosity, and please keep Lori in your prayers and continue to send her positive and healing vibes, thoughts and prayers.

We will be updating this page periodically as Lori continues to fight.