Dear PostHope friends,
I am STILL back at home and under the medical care of Hospice of Lubbock, supervised by Mom, Jason, and Aidan. (Jason is the ghostwriter, for an unconscious Shannon.) This hospice group is full of truly wonderful people, and they're now also my family. I recommend non-profit hospice services to anyone. It would take far too long to express how extraordinary they have been. Take my word for it. I have a lot of experience and I know what I'm talking about.
Stepping out of character now...
Shannon has been in and out of consciousness for several days, and has not been able to speak more than a word here and there for about a week. She has managed to say "I love you." to her Maid of Honor and dear friend, and to her immediate family a couple times in the past few days. She is expected to pass in the next 2-3 days, but it will probably be even shorter than that. However, Shannon has never met an expectation she couldn't defeat, and I think she is listening to these conversations. Nonetheless, it is clearly time for a final note.
Shannon is as comfortable as she can possibly be, and she is not suffering visibly. She has probably had ...around 120 visitors since this time last year, dozens of which have been here in Lubbock since she began hospice care. Her family is eternally grateful to all of you who have followed this journey, and I know Shannon is eternally grateful to all who followed her entire life's journey and her journey to the end of life with glioblastoma. Going through any traumatic experience is buffered by how much social support we have, and so Shannon has fared very well, with all of your YEARS of help. Her last few months have been more peaceful than many of the prior years, and she has been open to simply accepting love and help.
When I think hard about what Shannon would want to write, or want me to write, it isn't that difficult. She would encourage you to live fearlessly. She would remind the world that she has had a rich and rewarding life, full of great friends and family and amazing experiences and travels, and that she has had absolutely incredible students who are going to make the world better. She would probably also tell some stories that would make you laugh and still show off how smart she is.
We will all miss her endlessly.
