This is shocking! Thank you, Sheila and Sandi for letting us know. My heart goes out to her husband.

How awful for her family and loved ones! Please pass along my condolences to her family as they are in my prayers.

How very sad to lose friend and a good Fodorite. Please send condolences from all of us.

Sheila, I echo the heartfelt thoughts of those who've posted. Please convey our condolences to her husband for us all. She will absolutely be missed.

Sheila it's so kind of you to relay the hard news.

I'm sorry for your loss and for that of Lori's family. It would seem she lead a happy life, full of travel. May we all be so lucky!

I did not know her here, but it seems that she was a part of this online community. May Lori rest in peace.

Heart disease is an unexpected killer in women, esp. in their 50s and up. Everyone thinks of cancer, but heart disease is much more of a danger for women- it is the #1 cause of death in women in the U.S., resulting in more deaths than all cancers combined.

To all the women on fodors- please take care of your heart health.

From the San Fransisco Chronicle, 3/5/07:

"Late last month, the American Heart Association released updated guidelines for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease in women. In the guidelines, women are encouraged to ask their doctors about daily aspirin use and aggressively make lifestyle changes that could ease the long-term risk for heart disease and stroke, such as losing weight, exercising regularly and quitting smoking."

Also from that article:

Healthy heart guidelines
-- Women should get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week -- and preferably every day. Women who are trying to lose weight should get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day.

-- Women should eat mostly fruits, vegetables and whole-grain, high-fiber foods, and eat oily fish at least twice a week. Saturated fat should make up less than 10 percent of their calories, and ideally less than 7 percent. Trans fats should make up less than 1 percent of calories.

-- Women should maintain a weight that keeps their body mass index score under 25, and have a waist circumference of 35 inches or less.

-- Women who already have heart disease should consider taking omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil). But other supplements -- including folic acid and antioxidants such as vitamins E, C and beta carotene -- are not useful in fighting heart disease.

-- Women should not use hormone therapy as a tool for preventing heart disease.

-- Women should keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control, using medication if necessary.

-- Women should talk to their doctors about taking aspirin daily. Women who have a high risk of heart disease, and women over the age of 65, should consider daily aspirin, but women under age 65 should not take it as a matter of course. The aspirin use guidelines in particular differ from what's recommended for men -- they typically are advised to start daily aspirin at age 45.

Sources: American Heart Association, 2003 National Center for Health Statistics



Leading causes of U.S. deaths in 2003
Women

Heart disease: 348,994

Cancer: 268,912

Stroke: 96,263

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 65,668

Alzheimer's disease: 45,122

Diabetes: 38,781

Unintentional injuries: 38,745

Influenza and pneumonia: 36,385

Kidney disease: 21,972

Septicemia: 19,082

so sad that she is gone

This is such a sad loss. Would someone in touch with her family please send links to these threads so they can see how much she was loved, and will be missed, by these forums. God bless!

emd, thank you for reminding us of that important information.

Thank you for telling us all, Sheila.

I had not met Lori on the forums, but I sent my respects to her family, and wish that she may rest in peace.

my sympathies, so sorry to hear this.

I wasn't aware of this when kicking it with Kal a couple days ago. I'm sorry.

I'm not familiar with her posts. Was that her screen name too? I would like to go back and read some of what she wrote.

Sounds like she left a good legacy here on Fodors. @};-

b9,
Don't worry about it.
I think from you're prior postings we knew it wasn't meant with bad intent.
:)>-

I am very sorry to learn of this news, and would like to express my sympathy to Lori's friends and family.

Yes, I think it is nice to think we have a new "travel angel" up in heaven now looking at us, and sharing some travel stories with Ed, Miriam, Art, and Wes, our deceased Fodors "alumni". Each of them contributed their unique talents and experiences to Fodors and each is dearly missed.

BC

Well, at least my humor is b9. :(|)

Topping for friends who've been out of town.