When Lori Troutt, 59, moved to Camden, Tennessee from Colorado in October, 2019, she wasn’t expecting anything special. “I moved to Benton County to help take care of my dad, the late Bill Henson, who had been diagnosed with bladder cancer,” Lori explained. “I wanted the chance to spend some quality time with him during his final months.”
After settling in to a new community, Lori took a job working with a local electronics company, and prepared to spend more time with her dad. Then, COVID arrived, and those plans
hit a big snag. “Once the COVID quarantine set in, I was concerned to spend too much time with my dad because of the risk for infection posed by the pandemic to someone with such a serious illness,” Lori said. “We talked on the phone a lot, and I saw him some, but it was not what I had hoped. He passed away last August (2020).” In July, about a month before her dad died, Lori lost her job due to being laid off. Shortly after Henson’s death, Lori herself began feeling ill, experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort. She went in for some tests.
“On Sept. 2, 2020, about two weeks after my dad passed, I learned that I had triple negative metastatic breast cancer, with both my lungs and lymph nodes involved,” Lori related. “At first they thought it was stage II, but further testing revealed it already had progressed to stage IV. First I lose my job, then my dad dies, then I learn I have incurable cancer. That was a rough three months, let me tell you!”
Although Lori learned that she did not have an inherited type of cancer, cancer had plagued her family for some time. Her mother died of lung cancer. An aunt died of breast cancer. Her sister had been treated for skin cancer. Her father and her late husband Ricky, both lost to cancer. “I can admit that I did not perform the regular self- checks like I should have, and moving, not having good health insurance, and COVID all played a role in not being diagnosed as soon as I might have,” Lori stated. “But, once it was there on the table, I was ready to move forward, to take whatever next steps needed to be taken.” Lori chose oncologist Dr. Arun R. Rao in Paris as her partner in the fight for her life. Her tumor was large, and as it had already metastasized, surgery was not the first choice for treatment. “Dr. Rao told me that he did not see the point in surgery, because there are a lot of great medications out there now, so we chose that approach,” Lori said. “I started chemotherapy and immunotherapy in November, 2020. Dr. Rao has been great to work with.” Lori took chemo treatments for three weeks straight, with immuno treatments every other week. She began to lose her hair immediately, and experienced weight gain, some mild neuropathy, fatigue, and confusion. With a laugh, Lori confided, “Chemo fog is a real thing, by the way.”
The good news came within a few months. The treatments were working, and her tumor had shrunk significantly. As great as this news was, it was not the only good thing happening in Lori’s life. In the midst of the many challenges and losses Lori had faced in her first year in Camden, she had also found true love. “In June of last year, I met Danny Troutt, and he is simply the best man I know,” Lori shared. “We connected very quickly, after seeing each other for only a short while. He was there with me when my father died, helping settle the estate and deal with all the arrangements. At my dad’s funeral, I told my sisters, ‘this man is my future,’ and I was right.” Danny also was there when Lori received her diagnosis, and later when her treatment began. At Thanksgiving, he was the one to shave her head. On Christmas day, 2020, Danny proposed. “I was thrilled, honestly, and of course I said yes!” Lori said. “When I was first diagnosed, I told him, you didn’t sign up
for all of this. I would have understood if he wanted to step away. But, that is not who Danny is. He is a calming influence, he is my strength.
We know I am not going to be completely cured, it is too late for that, but we agreed that we would grab hold of whatever life we can have together, for however long it lasts. I love that man!” On Saturday, Feb. 20, Danny Troutt and Lori Downs, surrounded by their closest friends and family, took vows to become husband and wife at the First United Methodist Church in Camden, in a ceremony officiated by Justin Ramer. Lori was escorted down the aisle by her son James Hanson, who travelled from Souix Falls, S.D., to give her away. Best man was Danny’s brother Charles Garza, matron of honor was Priscilla Johnson, Garza’s wife, and their granddaughter Iris served as the flower girl. Danny’s close friend Steve Taylor was a groomsman, and his daughter Teena Troutt, who lives with the couple, was a bridesmaid.
Lori and Danny now live in a home he put together for her on Flatwoods Road, in a location that Lori calls “Troutt Haven.” He built a screened-in porch for her, and even built a wheelchair
ramp to the front door, just in case she may need it someday. “We laugh a lot, and find that humor and communication are the keys to our great marriage,” Lori said. “I am at a stage of life where I am ready to be content and happy, and I hope for as much time as I can get with Danny and Teena. This is my spot, my haven, and I am settled in to enjoy my family.”
Lori’s doctor recommended that she stop chemotherapy treatment last May, given that the neuropathy in her hands and feet had grown worse, and that the combined treatments had been so effective in shrinking her tumors. Her immunotherapy continues every other week. She has scans done about every three months to assess the status of her tumors. “I don’t know how long I have, but then, none of us do. All in all, I feel pretty lucky,” Lori said. “My take away from all of this is that whatever life throws at you, just process it and get through it. For all the bad things that may come, great blessings will still come to you as well.”
Lori urges everyone to not let the pandemic or other distracting life events cause you to put off taking care of your health. Do the screenings. Get the exams. If diagnosed, explore your options, pick the right treatment for you, and commit to a treatment plan.
“Cancer is not all doom and gloom. If you have faith and love, and a little laughter too, there is always hope,” Lori affirmed. “There are miracles out there. I know this for sure.”
