That's a lovely idea, Allyson, and thank you, Ginger, for making it happen.

Shrift, I have a 3.5" USB drive if that could be of use.

I've been at work since 10am and am waiting in the train to go home now. I'd like to think ita would appreciate the effort I've put into not crying at work.

DXM!!! I am so happy to see you.

Ginger, you are truly the best. Let me know if you would like help, I have the time and would be so very happy to contribute.

Allyson, you are truly incredible and I know we all love you for bearing this.

Fuck

I don't know how long it's been since I've been here, but John just told me the news. That's absolutely fucking devastating; ita was one of the best people on the internet. One doesn't meet many actual superheros in life.

Hi, all. (X-posted with Natter)

I'm skipping to the end of the thread (but will go back and read every damn word of it. Your posts mean so much) to let you know that I'm awake because it's daytime in Israel, and if anyone wants to talk by email or here or by phone then I am here and please, please, please, reach out. I love you and I don't want you to be alone in this.

Profile addy is good.

Q. ita? ITA!? Where the hell are you, ita?

A. Shh. Calm down! Jeez. ITA is 'I totally agree.' ita, at whom you should not shout, is this unspeakably cool chick who likes knives and built the Phoenix Board by willpower alone. She is a 'charming Jamaican/Canadian/British thang' and we all want her and want to be her.

Yeah.

Something I remember thinking when I was in the hospital that I mean to share here and didn't get around to because the wifi was spotty and my consciousness sporadic: when I found out that i'm allergic to oxycodone and all the related pain meds i was prescribed dilaudid for post-surgery pain management. My one and only reference for dilaudid was ita! and her miserable experiences. I expected everything related to it to be a struggle in self-advocacy and was utterly shocked when it totally wasn't. They gave me that stuff like it was pudding or jello-cups (albeit in carefully measured and timed doses) and sent me home with a full bottle. Refills were irritating in the way that anything requiring a paper scrip is irritating, but the only hassle i ever got was from the pharmacy, never from the drs or nurses. I know that my situation was vastly different (post-surgical temporary usage for a middle class white lady) and oral dosage is regulated differently than iv dosage but it also pissed me off a little it was so damned easy for me to get every granule of pain meds i needed while she had to fight so damned hard and it still wasn't enough. Not even close to enough. And it's not like she wasn't a fighter, not like she didn't know every rule and jump through every hoop and make every phone call and appointment...so why wasn't all of that enough? Why couldn't all those doctors find what was wrong and FIX IT??

And sorry for the anger venting but seriously, that shit is fucked up. I don't know how she made it through so many days with so much pain. I don't know she managed to write, or draw, or think, or move, or sit upright. And I'm pissed off at how much she didn't get to do and enjoy because of it.

I just really want to be able to do something that will put some substance into this sense of loss.

I woke up this morning and just was incredibly sad for the thought of a world without ita. I do not want a world without her. Not at all.

Edited: God, erin_o. Now I'm angry too.

At Krav, K told one of the instructors who knew her. His response was "fucking glitter!" Remember her full on glee of using a sparkly Lush bathbomb before Krav and then getting glitter everywhere. She was always stoked to get her partners all glittery before sending them home.

I love this so much.

Thank you, Allyson for everything you've done and for that wonderful idea and thank you Ginger for offering to coordinate.

I've skipped (and will go back to read every word, of course), in order to post this:

Ginger, I realize I can't help in talking to people and stuff like that, due to being available on different timezones and a possible language barrier, but if there's anything I can do in order to help you, anything at all, I'm completely there for the task, and task you may find relevant.