The Murph Challenge Day 20: Lori Lemke
Day 20 of 31 is dedicated to Lori Lemke. Lori is a wife and mother of two (Liam and Mila). Two years ago she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. The story of that diagnosis is just the beginning of her resilience and fight when her instincts told her something was wrong.
“I would like to express how important it is to be an advocate for your own body, you know it better than anyone else. If you’re having an ongoing issue that gets blown off by doctors, always get another opinion and get some answers. I knew I had some thing wrong with my breast and had a feeling it was cancerous in August 2019 and it took until the end of February 2020 for a doctor to recognize that it was cancer and possibly metastatic,”
– Lori
Lori made multiple trips to the doctor, but since nothing showed up on the mammogram and she was young with no previous health issues they didn’t seem to think it was anything. Instead, she was sent home with blood pressure medication. As much as she wanted to believe that it was nothing, she knew something was not right. Lori decided to get a second opinion and thankfully she did because that doctor identified the cancer right away.
Lori was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) Stage 4. The cancer spread all over her lymph nodes and to her liver. After 5 months of chemo, she was cleared of everything. However, they hadn’t scanned her brain. In January of 2021, she began getting nauseous and vomiting a lot. After an MRI, they found the cancer had spread to her brain and many small metastases were found.
Fellow breast cancer survivor Stephanie nominated Lori, “I am in awe of her determination, attitude, and beauty as she navigates all of this.”
Thankfully, the radiation was working though and the tumors began to shrink. When I asked what kept her so strong during this time she said, “I think some people heard it spread to my brain and just thought I would give up hope and not be able to fight it. This reaction has made me want to fight even harder to prove that I can beat this terrible disease and I will do everything in my power to do so. Like Bob Marley’s quote “you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have“ is so so true. My only choice is to be strong and do whatever I can to be here to watch my children grow up and be there for every moment and milestone. Everybody’s life is terminal. Nobody really knows when their time is up, I could die in a car crash tomorrow, but I’m not going to dwell on any of that. I’m going live each day the best I can and in the most positive way possible.”
Every Day We Fight is thankful to dedicate today’s Murph Challenge to Lori Lemke.
Day 20 Murph Time: 29:04
When I did the Murph Challenge for the first time I became hooked. Not because it was fun but because it was painful, challenging, and meaningful.
These 31 challenges are a dedication to a fighter, a warrior, a person battling that’s an everyday hero.
– Tate Wheeler
“The Murph Challenge is more than just a workout. It is a tradition that helps push us, humble us, and allows us the opportunity to dedicate a bit of pain and sweat to honor, LT. Michael P. Murphy, a man who sacrificed everything he had for our freedom.”
-Murph Website