Please Feel Free To Leave A Comment Or A Memory You Had With Our Inspirational Jodi~
Jodi Sue Hamp Fisher
Jodi Sue Fisher, 44, wife, mother, daughter, twin, and dear friend to all, passed away peacefully Saturday morning, March 17, 2012. Jodi, along with her twin brother, Jeff was born in February 1968 to Pam and Doug Hamp. She grew up in Arroyo Grande and played volleyball, enjoyed the outdoors and was involved with mentoring children through the recreation department. Jodi and her husband of 17 years, Shawn, experienced many treasured memories hiking, skiing and camping, since they met while working at Dagwood''s Restaurant in Pismo. She attended Cal Poly and graduated with a bachelor''s degree in Recreation. She then worked at Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School as a Naturalist. She taught her children, Callie and Jonah, the best lessons of all: "Be Kind, Be Generous, Be Wonderful." By sharing her life''s lessons, Jodi inspired thousands of people world-wide to embrace life, commit to family, friends and community, and believe that dreams do come true. She taught others to live in the moment with her mantra, "Why Wait?!" Her bright smile and the twinkle in her eye will be greatly missed. Jodi is survived by her husband, Shawn Fisher; children Callie and Jonah; parents, Pam and Doug Hamp; brother, Jeff Hamp; nephew, Jack; grandmother Coral Mudgett; as well as many loved relatives and friends. Jodi''s memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Cayucos Cemetery. We will celebrate Jodi and her life at Rancho El Chorro following the service.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Jodi Fisher of Cayucos, Calif. , who has inoperable cancer, reacts to her daughter Callie, 11, after meeting President Barack Obama
~~~~~~~~~~~
What Jodi Fisher taught us: To savor every day
Jodi Fisher taught me how to die. She pursued her last dreams with that mile-wide smile, nearly causing us to overlook the knit cap and telltale gaunt cheeks and arms. She laughed and cavorted as she stood on death’s doormat, knowing full well that she probably wouldn’t see the arrival of spring.
I’m humbled and grateful that she allowed me to share in her journey. Her very public actions let me peek into her window during those poignant few weeks while she continued to reach for the brass ring of life in spite of the hideously ticking clock.
Each of us shares Jodi’s fate.
We may not have received a dire diagnosis. We may have been allotted enough time to raise our children or see wrinkles around our eyes. Yet we’re equally engaged in a pas de deux with our own mortality.
Even though the doctor may have recently declared us in the pink, we can be struck by a car while riding our bicycle, fall from a ladder while cleaning a gutter or suffer a heart attack during a tennis match.
Most of us would prefer to have a colonoscopy than to ponder our upcoming deaths. Still, it’s the acknowledgement of our potentially impending demise that spurs us to embrace each morning with wideopen arms, to behave as if this day was in fact our last.
We’re all facing a literal deadline. The game will be over whether we’re finished or not. Most don’t know when that buzzer will sound. We have to score all our points without seeing a shot clock.
It’s that very insecurity that gives us purpose. If time were infinite, it would have no meaning. We’d be wasteful, cavalier.
As it is, each day is more precious than rubies. As Jodi said in one of her interviews, “all we have is time.”
To that end, we should savor every second, inhaling life’s fumes like a fine Pinot Noir, then swirling it deliciously on our tongues.
Did I say Jodi Fisher taught me how to die? Let me correct that. I was mistaken. Jodi Fisher taught me how to live.
WANT TO EMBRACE EVERY MOMENT? START WITH THESE IDEAS• Identify goals. Decide which directions you’d like life to go. Set a few pie-in-the-sky dreams for yourself as well as some that are easier to reach. Keep in mind that the process is the fun. Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t pan out as planned. The purpose is joy, not disappointment.
• Remove negative factors. Scan through your days to uncover chronic sore spots. Perhaps your garage is a floor-to-ceiling trash heap, or you dislike visiting your parents in Des Moines. Some things you’ll be able to fix, others will require an acute change in your attitude. Either way, take control so that it works best for you.
• Find joy in everyday activities. You may not be able to vacation on the Riviera. Still there’s plenty on a small scale for you to savor. Fill vases in your house with sprigs of jasmine. Take time to chat with your neighbor. Hike to the top of San Luis Mountain. Your world is full of wonderment that is waiting to be discovered.
• Express your love for family and friends. Friends and family mean so very much. Yet we too often let positive emotions slip by unannounced. Make it a habit to say “I love you” to your dear ones. Send funny cards to your friends and siblings. They’ll appreciate hearing your kind words. You’ll feel wonderful saying them.
• Don’t put things off. Have fun now! Tomorrow you may not be able to do it. Plan that driving trip with your girlfriend. Buy the sports car you’ve been eying at the dealership. While it’s never wise to go into debt, it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself to something special.
• Forgive completely. Stop dwelling on past hurts. You can’t do anything to undo them, and they only make you sad and angry. Instead, erase them from your psychic hard drive and replace them with positive, joyful thoughts about today. You’ll immediately feel lighter. Your relationships with the purported transgressors will dramatically improve.
• Celebrate every day. There is so much beauty and joy in your life. Find ways to rejoice in your bounty. Open a lovely bottle of wine. Watch the sun set near Morro Rock. Open your arms wide and exclaim, “Thank you, lovely world!” Jodi Fisher would agree.
~~~
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/03/23/2001401/jodi-fisher-cayucos.html#storylink=misearch
What Jodi Fisher taught us: To savor every day
Jodi Fisher taught me how to die. She pursued her last dreams with that mile-wide smile, nearly causing us to overlook the knit cap and telltale gaunt cheeks and arms. She laughed and cavorted as she stood on death’s doormat, knowing full well that she probably wouldn’t see the arrival of spring.
I’m humbled and grateful that she allowed me to share in her journey. Her very public actions let me peek into her window during those poignant few weeks while she continued to reach for the brass ring of life in spite of the hideously ticking clock.
Each of us shares Jodi’s fate.
We may not have received a dire diagnosis. We may have been allotted enough time to raise our children or see wrinkles around our eyes. Yet we’re equally engaged in a pas de deux with our own mortality.
Even though the doctor may have recently declared us in the pink, we can be struck by a car while riding our bicycle, fall from a ladder while cleaning a gutter or suffer a heart attack during a tennis match.
Most of us would prefer to have a colonoscopy than to ponder our upcoming deaths. Still, it’s the acknowledgement of our potentially impending demise that spurs us to embrace each morning with wideopen arms, to behave as if this day was in fact our last.
We’re all facing a literal deadline. The game will be over whether we’re finished or not. Most don’t know when that buzzer will sound. We have to score all our points without seeing a shot clock.
It’s that very insecurity that gives us purpose. If time were infinite, it would have no meaning. We’d be wasteful, cavalier.
As it is, each day is more precious than rubies. As Jodi said in one of her interviews, “all we have is time.”
To that end, we should savor every second, inhaling life’s fumes like a fine Pinot Noir, then swirling it deliciously on our tongues.
Did I say Jodi Fisher taught me how to die? Let me correct that. I was mistaken. Jodi Fisher taught me how to live.
WANT TO EMBRACE EVERY MOMENT? START WITH THESE IDEAS• Identify goals. Decide which directions you’d like life to go. Set a few pie-in-the-sky dreams for yourself as well as some that are easier to reach. Keep in mind that the process is the fun. Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t pan out as planned. The purpose is joy, not disappointment.
• Remove negative factors. Scan through your days to uncover chronic sore spots. Perhaps your garage is a floor-to-ceiling trash heap, or you dislike visiting your parents in Des Moines. Some things you’ll be able to fix, others will require an acute change in your attitude. Either way, take control so that it works best for you.
• Find joy in everyday activities. You may not be able to vacation on the Riviera. Still there’s plenty on a small scale for you to savor. Fill vases in your house with sprigs of jasmine. Take time to chat with your neighbor. Hike to the top of San Luis Mountain. Your world is full of wonderment that is waiting to be discovered.
• Express your love for family and friends. Friends and family mean so very much. Yet we too often let positive emotions slip by unannounced. Make it a habit to say “I love you” to your dear ones. Send funny cards to your friends and siblings. They’ll appreciate hearing your kind words. You’ll feel wonderful saying them.
• Don’t put things off. Have fun now! Tomorrow you may not be able to do it. Plan that driving trip with your girlfriend. Buy the sports car you’ve been eying at the dealership. While it’s never wise to go into debt, it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself to something special.
• Forgive completely. Stop dwelling on past hurts. You can’t do anything to undo them, and they only make you sad and angry. Instead, erase them from your psychic hard drive and replace them with positive, joyful thoughts about today. You’ll immediately feel lighter. Your relationships with the purported transgressors will dramatically improve.
• Celebrate every day. There is so much beauty and joy in your life. Find ways to rejoice in your bounty. Open a lovely bottle of wine. Watch the sun set near Morro Rock. Open your arms wide and exclaim, “Thank you, lovely world!” Jodi Fisher would agree.
~~~
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/03/23/2001401/jodi-fisher-cayucos.html#storylink=misearch
How to live your last days: Cayucos woman fulfills her dreams
Inside Jodi Fisher’s fragile body, cancer cells are aligned like stars speckled in the sky. Surgery is futile. Chemotherapy, not a cure.
Fisher, 44, is dying. But you wouldn’t know it. The Cayucos woman is a vivacious mother of two young children, a wife, a sister, a daughter. And, now, she is a fighter who has transformed having a terminal illness into a reason to embrace living.
She laughs often and has a knack for finding humor in even the most exhausting and challenging of circumstances.
Fisher’s first battle with cancer began seven years ago when a malignant cyst was discovered in her cervix. After two surgeries, doctors called her recovery a success.
Two years ago, the cancer returned. This time it spread to her stomach. It was inoperable.
“I felt lucky that I was well for so long, but I knew that this time it was going to be a longer road,” Fisher said.
She’s been in ongoing chemotherapy treatments since the cancer returned, losing her hair three times. Most days she wears knit hats; on other days, stylish wigs of chic cuts she always wanted to try.
The treatments make her nauseous and miserable. Some days it is difficult to get out of bed. But Fisher always does — especially since she learned that doctors only gave her two years to live when the cancer returned.
“I don’t feel like I have an expiration date on me,” Fisher said.
Making a bucket list was her daughter Callie’s idea. At first, Fisher and her husband, Shawn, called it a “fun list” so it wouldn’t seem so tragic for Callie, 11, and their son, Jonah, 9.
“I was always trying to protect people from the reality of it,” Fisher said. “But now, it’s like, ‘Screw it, let’s have fun.’ ”
With the generosity of friends, family and even strangers, the family has since traveled to Disneyland, Yosemite and San Francisco. They rented a limousine to drive up the coast to Cambria to eat french fries.
Some desires might take more coordination. One day, Fisher would like to see the northern lights and visit the Ellen DeGeneres show. She’d like to shake President Barack Obama’s hand.
Other items on the list might seem simple to those who aren’t dying: letting the kids ditch school one day to go to the movies, eating more lobster, delivering cookies to friends at Christmas.
But for Fisher and her family, each and every moment has become a blessing, and it’s the simplest of things that bring joy.
Handing out free ice cream in her hometown of Cayucos from an ice cream truck to celebrate her 44th birthday — which she did Saturday — was a way of giving back. But it was also a way to just have fun. Tears filled her eyes when she talked about her children. Once, a woman with cancer who had two young children confided in Fisher that she just wanted her children to remember her.
“I am so grateful that mine will remember me,” Fisher said, her eyes glassy with emotion. “It can always be worse. I’m still here, and that is a gift.”
She’s started to put things together for her kids — knowing that at some point they will be without her. Greeting cards are tucked away, photo albums of their childhood, a DVD full of memories.
“It’s not like an ‘I died’ DVD,” Fisher said. “It’s the fact that I am dying that makes it sad — otherwise it wouldn’t be.”
It’s with her humor, acceptance and grace that Fisher has tried to prepare her family for a future that she likely won’t be a part of.
“The hardest part is there is no control in cancer,” Fisher said. “I tell my kids that the way you look at things is where you have the power.”
~~~
Inside Jodi Fisher’s fragile body, cancer cells are aligned like stars speckled in the sky. Surgery is futile. Chemotherapy, not a cure.
Fisher, 44, is dying. But you wouldn’t know it. The Cayucos woman is a vivacious mother of two young children, a wife, a sister, a daughter. And, now, she is a fighter who has transformed having a terminal illness into a reason to embrace living.
She laughs often and has a knack for finding humor in even the most exhausting and challenging of circumstances.
Fisher’s first battle with cancer began seven years ago when a malignant cyst was discovered in her cervix. After two surgeries, doctors called her recovery a success.
Two years ago, the cancer returned. This time it spread to her stomach. It was inoperable.
“I felt lucky that I was well for so long, but I knew that this time it was going to be a longer road,” Fisher said.
She’s been in ongoing chemotherapy treatments since the cancer returned, losing her hair three times. Most days she wears knit hats; on other days, stylish wigs of chic cuts she always wanted to try.
The treatments make her nauseous and miserable. Some days it is difficult to get out of bed. But Fisher always does — especially since she learned that doctors only gave her two years to live when the cancer returned.
“I don’t feel like I have an expiration date on me,” Fisher said.
Making a bucket list was her daughter Callie’s idea. At first, Fisher and her husband, Shawn, called it a “fun list” so it wouldn’t seem so tragic for Callie, 11, and their son, Jonah, 9.
“I was always trying to protect people from the reality of it,” Fisher said. “But now, it’s like, ‘Screw it, let’s have fun.’ ”
With the generosity of friends, family and even strangers, the family has since traveled to Disneyland, Yosemite and San Francisco. They rented a limousine to drive up the coast to Cambria to eat french fries.
Some desires might take more coordination. One day, Fisher would like to see the northern lights and visit the Ellen DeGeneres show. She’d like to shake President Barack Obama’s hand.
Other items on the list might seem simple to those who aren’t dying: letting the kids ditch school one day to go to the movies, eating more lobster, delivering cookies to friends at Christmas.
But for Fisher and her family, each and every moment has become a blessing, and it’s the simplest of things that bring joy.
Handing out free ice cream in her hometown of Cayucos from an ice cream truck to celebrate her 44th birthday — which she did Saturday — was a way of giving back. But it was also a way to just have fun. Tears filled her eyes when she talked about her children. Once, a woman with cancer who had two young children confided in Fisher that she just wanted her children to remember her.
“I am so grateful that mine will remember me,” Fisher said, her eyes glassy with emotion. “It can always be worse. I’m still here, and that is a gift.”
She’s started to put things together for her kids — knowing that at some point they will be without her. Greeting cards are tucked away, photo albums of their childhood, a DVD full of memories.
“It’s not like an ‘I died’ DVD,” Fisher said. “It’s the fact that I am dying that makes it sad — otherwise it wouldn’t be.”
It’s with her humor, acceptance and grace that Fisher has tried to prepare her family for a future that she likely won’t be a part of.
“The hardest part is there is no control in cancer,” Fisher said. “I tell my kids that the way you look at things is where you have the power.”
~~~
Farewell to a Friend Monday, March 19, 2012
On Saturday, March 17th, 2012, the Ellen Show lost a friend. Jodi Fisher was here earlier this year to share her inspiring story and outlook on battling cancer. She may have lost that battle, but her courage and her spirit have touched us all. We're sending love to her family and to everyone who was inspired by her strength. She will be missed.
On Saturday, March 17th, 2012, the Ellen Show lost a friend. Jodi Fisher was here earlier this year to share her inspiring story and outlook on battling cancer. She may have lost that battle, but her courage and her spirit have touched us all. We're sending love to her family and to everyone who was inspired by her strength. She will be missed.
Live Interview After the Ellen Show
http://www.ksby.com/videoplayer/?video_id=17045&categories=581%2C635
http://www.ksby.com/videoplayer/?video_id=17045&categories=581%2C635
Woman with cancer gives out free ice cream in Cayucos as part of bucket list...
It's safe to say that on Saturday afternoon, Jodi Fisher was the most popular person in Caycuos.
"It's free ice cream because it's my birthday!" she yelled out of an ice cream truck she was borrowing for the day.
There were 1,200 Klondike bars, ice cream sandwiches, and Popsicles, ready for the taking as Fisher traveled up and down the numbered streets of Cayucos.
"I think it's great," said Kevin Blaine, who was visiting from Tulare County and got ice cream for his family. "We were just walking by, and they invited us to come over and get some ice cream. It's wonderful."
The best part: there was no price tag for anyone.
"I really didn't know what was going on," said Cayucos resident Cheyenne Fitzwater, whose two daughters excitedly greeted the truck. "We heard the ice cream truck and ran outside. I was happy I had cash on me. Turned out we didn't need it."
Giving out ice cream has been on Fisher's bucket list for a while, and she decided to do it Saturday, her 44th birthday. It also marks a year and a half of battling a rare form of recurring, inoperable cancer that's spreading.
"It's tricky to find a chemo that works for it," she said. "So we've been working with a lot of different kinds the last year and a half, hoping to find one and kind of keep it away."
To help cope, Fisher, her husband Shawn and their two children decided to put together a bucket list, which they renamed a "fun list."
Its items are simple.
"Just going to the pound and playing with the animals," she said. "Or ditching school--whoops! Shh. Or going to the movies."
The focus is mostly on spending time with 11-year-old Callie and 9-year-old Jonah.
"Just went to Disneyland," Fisher said. "We rented a limo and got french fries up in Cambria. Just for fun."
The Fishers try to fit activities in between Jodi's weekly chemo sessions, which often leave her exhausted and thankful for her friends.
"We get meals delivered to us," she said. "I get money in my mailbox from people I don't even know."
And that's why Fisher wanted to pay it forward with an ice cream truck.
"We can never repay everything, but it means a lot to be able to do that and just see the kids smiling and having fun," she said. "And I'm just really grateful for everyone's that's stuck by us."
So on this past Saturday, Fisher crossed another thing off the "fun" list, but she says that's missing the point.
"It's not so much doing the things on the list because sometimes those feel bittersweet," she said. "You know, we're doing them because my health is a little risky. But I think it's more important the meaning behind it--that none of us are going to live forever."
Fisher says she wants to go all out on her family's bucket list, but it can be hard because she can't fly anymore and gets tired easily. Still, she has two big goals left: go to the Ellen DeGeneres show and shake President Barack Obama's hand.
Still, there was no talk about cancer on this day as Fisher gathered with her family--including her twin brother--and her friends.
"Nobody knows when their time is, and by doing these things, I'm not giving up hope," she said. "I'm always optimistic and hopeful."
To donate money to the Fishers, send checks to this address:
Jodi Fisher
P.O. Box 753
Cayucos, CA 93430
It's safe to say that on Saturday afternoon, Jodi Fisher was the most popular person in Caycuos.
"It's free ice cream because it's my birthday!" she yelled out of an ice cream truck she was borrowing for the day.
There were 1,200 Klondike bars, ice cream sandwiches, and Popsicles, ready for the taking as Fisher traveled up and down the numbered streets of Cayucos.
"I think it's great," said Kevin Blaine, who was visiting from Tulare County and got ice cream for his family. "We were just walking by, and they invited us to come over and get some ice cream. It's wonderful."
The best part: there was no price tag for anyone.
"I really didn't know what was going on," said Cayucos resident Cheyenne Fitzwater, whose two daughters excitedly greeted the truck. "We heard the ice cream truck and ran outside. I was happy I had cash on me. Turned out we didn't need it."
Giving out ice cream has been on Fisher's bucket list for a while, and she decided to do it Saturday, her 44th birthday. It also marks a year and a half of battling a rare form of recurring, inoperable cancer that's spreading.
"It's tricky to find a chemo that works for it," she said. "So we've been working with a lot of different kinds the last year and a half, hoping to find one and kind of keep it away."
To help cope, Fisher, her husband Shawn and their two children decided to put together a bucket list, which they renamed a "fun list."
Its items are simple.
"Just going to the pound and playing with the animals," she said. "Or ditching school--whoops! Shh. Or going to the movies."
The focus is mostly on spending time with 11-year-old Callie and 9-year-old Jonah.
"Just went to Disneyland," Fisher said. "We rented a limo and got french fries up in Cambria. Just for fun."
The Fishers try to fit activities in between Jodi's weekly chemo sessions, which often leave her exhausted and thankful for her friends.
"We get meals delivered to us," she said. "I get money in my mailbox from people I don't even know."
And that's why Fisher wanted to pay it forward with an ice cream truck.
"We can never repay everything, but it means a lot to be able to do that and just see the kids smiling and having fun," she said. "And I'm just really grateful for everyone's that's stuck by us."
So on this past Saturday, Fisher crossed another thing off the "fun" list, but she says that's missing the point.
"It's not so much doing the things on the list because sometimes those feel bittersweet," she said. "You know, we're doing them because my health is a little risky. But I think it's more important the meaning behind it--that none of us are going to live forever."
Fisher says she wants to go all out on her family's bucket list, but it can be hard because she can't fly anymore and gets tired easily. Still, she has two big goals left: go to the Ellen DeGeneres show and shake President Barack Obama's hand.
Still, there was no talk about cancer on this day as Fisher gathered with her family--including her twin brother--and her friends.
"Nobody knows when their time is, and by doing these things, I'm not giving up hope," she said. "I'm always optimistic and hopeful."
To donate money to the Fishers, send checks to this address:
Jodi Fisher
P.O. Box 753
Cayucos, CA 93430
~~~~~~~~~~
Jodi Fisher, the Cayucos woman who inspired people worldwide when she passed out free ice cream on her 44th birthday last month, died Saturday morning.
She had been fighting an inoperable form of a rare cancer for the past year and a half. Jodi, along with her husband Shawn and two children, 11-year-old Callie and 9-year-old Jonah, put together a bucket--or "fun"--list to help cope.
"Just going to the pound and playing with the animals," she said last month. "Or ditching school. Whoops. Or going to the movies."
Jodi said she called it her "fun" list to make it sound less morose.
"Nobody knows what their time is," she said. "And by doing these things, I'm not giving up hope. I'm always optimistic and hopeful."
Also included in that list were simple items focused on spending time with her family. But when prodded, she revealed her fantasy items.
"I want to go to the Ellen DeGeneres show, and I'd love to shake President Obama's hand--if we're going to go big here," she said, laughing at the unlikelihood she'd able to achieve that.
It seemed to be fate. A San Luis Obispo couple heard about her wish and forwarded the story to their son who worked in the White House. It turned out that President Obama would be visiting San Francisco five days after her birthday and just three days after her story ran on KSBY News.
And that's where Jodi's dream became a reality. President Obama bee lined his way to Jodi as soon as he stepped off Air Force One, shaking hands with her family and exchanging a hug with Jodi.
"I always felt like if you want something, if just doesn't hurt to ask, and it doesn't hurt to go for it," she said afterwards.
But Jodi wasn't done yet. Less than a week later, she appeared in a surprise visit on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
"I think the experience would be great," she said in a segment about appearing on the show. "I know it would mean a ton to my kids. It could be something that would really just recharge us. Cancer has its ups and downs and so sometimes you just need that little boost or something to look forward to, and so I'd be really grateful to see her. And I think it'd give us that energy that we need to just keep going."
DeGeneres called her and her family down on the show and gave her a $30,000 check from Sara Lee to help cover her children's education costs.
"You're truly inspirational because you've been going through chemo for the last eighteen months," DeGeneres told her. "And you're still smiling, and you just have such a light in your eyes."
Jodi's condition, however, deteriorated in the weeks after her appearance on the "Ellen" show, and she spent most of the time in and out of the hospital.
On Friday afternoon, she said she had made peace with what was happening and was amazed at how strong everyone around her was.
Besides her husband and children, Jodi leaves behind her parents, Doug and Pamela Hamp, along with her twin brother Jeff Hamp.
~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.ksby.com/news/cayucos-mother-jodi-fisher-passes-away-at-44-years-old/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150629622932083_21835099_
10150629872337083&fb_ref=.T2UiWYpLQLE.like&fb_source=timeline#f284ea5e9af32
Jodi Fisher, the Cayucos woman who inspired people worldwide when she passed out free ice cream on her 44th birthday last month, died Saturday morning.
She had been fighting an inoperable form of a rare cancer for the past year and a half. Jodi, along with her husband Shawn and two children, 11-year-old Callie and 9-year-old Jonah, put together a bucket--or "fun"--list to help cope.
"Just going to the pound and playing with the animals," she said last month. "Or ditching school. Whoops. Or going to the movies."
Jodi said she called it her "fun" list to make it sound less morose.
"Nobody knows what their time is," she said. "And by doing these things, I'm not giving up hope. I'm always optimistic and hopeful."
Also included in that list were simple items focused on spending time with her family. But when prodded, she revealed her fantasy items.
"I want to go to the Ellen DeGeneres show, and I'd love to shake President Obama's hand--if we're going to go big here," she said, laughing at the unlikelihood she'd able to achieve that.
It seemed to be fate. A San Luis Obispo couple heard about her wish and forwarded the story to their son who worked in the White House. It turned out that President Obama would be visiting San Francisco five days after her birthday and just three days after her story ran on KSBY News.
And that's where Jodi's dream became a reality. President Obama bee lined his way to Jodi as soon as he stepped off Air Force One, shaking hands with her family and exchanging a hug with Jodi.
"I always felt like if you want something, if just doesn't hurt to ask, and it doesn't hurt to go for it," she said afterwards.
But Jodi wasn't done yet. Less than a week later, she appeared in a surprise visit on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
"I think the experience would be great," she said in a segment about appearing on the show. "I know it would mean a ton to my kids. It could be something that would really just recharge us. Cancer has its ups and downs and so sometimes you just need that little boost or something to look forward to, and so I'd be really grateful to see her. And I think it'd give us that energy that we need to just keep going."
DeGeneres called her and her family down on the show and gave her a $30,000 check from Sara Lee to help cover her children's education costs.
"You're truly inspirational because you've been going through chemo for the last eighteen months," DeGeneres told her. "And you're still smiling, and you just have such a light in your eyes."
Jodi's condition, however, deteriorated in the weeks after her appearance on the "Ellen" show, and she spent most of the time in and out of the hospital.
On Friday afternoon, she said she had made peace with what was happening and was amazed at how strong everyone around her was.
Besides her husband and children, Jodi leaves behind her parents, Doug and Pamela Hamp, along with her twin brother Jeff Hamp.
~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.ksby.com/news/cayucos-mother-jodi-fisher-passes-away-at-44-years-old/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150629622932083_21835099_
10150629872337083&fb_ref=.T2UiWYpLQLE.like&fb_source=timeline#f284ea5e9af32