Myrtle Beach Woman Battling Rare Terminal Cancer, Reflects on Life’s Purpose

Terminal Diagnosis casts New Light on Life’s Priorities

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a routine diabetes test unexpectedly transformed into a life-altering terminal cancer diagnosis for Lauri Potridge Doss. Doss describes her current predicament as a paradoxical gift, offering her clarity on the absolute essentials of life.

Shock, Tears and Resilience

“She ordered a CAT scan and a blood transfusion. And before I could ever get the transfusion the doctor told me I had terminal and inoperable cancer,” recounts Doss. The cancer Lauri is fighting against is Neuroendocrine Tumors, an incredibly rare disease, striking a mere six in every 100,000 people.

There was shock and tears, but also remarkable resilience. “My husband was with me and we cried for about 5 minutes, and I said ‘Okay, what’s next,’” Doss shared. Her spirit of confronting life’s adversities head-on is unshakeable: “You can get through more than you think you can. It’s the old saying ‘You do what you have to do.’ So, you know, try to do it in the best humor as possible and go on.”

A Humorous Take on Dark Times

Doss has consistently maintained her sense of humor, an unflinching authentic element of who she is. “My husband will ask me something and I’ll be like ‘No, I have cancer.’ Even at the hospital the nurse asked me to do something and I said no and she goes, ‘Why no?’ and I said, ‘What’s going to happen if I don’t, you going to give me cancer?’” she recounted, laughing.

Even her thoughts about planning her own funeral carry a joke: “At the end, I think I want to play ‘Build Me Up, Buttercup,’ and somebody shoot off a cannon of white feathers,” she said with a laugh. “You think of that song and the beat, you can’t be sad.”

A Grandmother’s Worries

Beyond jokes, there are genuine concerns. Particularly for a shared birthday: “I have a grandson whose birthday is the same day as mine. And I worry about… Future years after I die, how he’s ever going to have a happy birthday.” However, this challenging diagnosis has made Doss realize the critical importance of love and compassion towards the ones close to us.

Her priority is now to stay around long enough for her eight grandkids to remember her. “If there’s any way possible for me to see those babies long enough for them to remember me, that’s what’s going to happen,” she said. “I keep telling myself, well I’ve got two to three years. And the doctor, last time I saw her, she said ‘nuh-uh, that’s best-case scenario.’ But I’m very stubborn.”/p>

Emphasizing the Essentials

“The nicest car, the nicest house, whatever. And let me tell you from where I’m sitting, those things aren’t very important. We all need to plan for our future, but don’t get so hung up on it that you miss what’s in front of you,” she emphasized.

Doss believes in the importance of spreading love and believes it is her obligation to share her faith, “I feel like with the time I have left, I’m obligated to tell as many people as I can about God.”

Despite the darkness that comes with a terminal diagnosis, Doss holds that she has been given a gift: “I can tell people that I love them and I say things to people that I might not have otherwise,” she expressed.

The Real Purpose of Life

“Our purpose here, I feel people lose sight of. Our purpose here is to love each other.” Challenged by a daunting diagnosis, Doss affirms that life’s purpose lies not in acquiring material possessions, but rather, in nurturing love and compassion for one another.

“You get to the end of something and it stops, but then you go somewhere else. Doesn’t mean you can’t take a few little things with you,” Doss concluded. “There are no ends, there are only beginnings.”