TOMBALL, Texas – For Lori Newman, making it back to Houston this week wasn’t just another trip it was a matter of life and death.
The 55-year-old, who has metastatic terminal breast cancer, feared she wouldn’t make it to her brain MRI and scans at MD Anderson Cancer Center because of nationwide travel disruptions caused by the ongoing government shutdown.
“I can’t drive a 14-hour, 12-hour drive. And it was scary,” Newman said.
Newman, who moved from Tomball to Tennessee earlier this year to spend her final days surrounded by family, relies on flights to return to Houston for her treatments. Her cancer, which spread to her spine, prevents her from sitting or standing for long periods.
“It’s not curable, it is terminal eventually,” she said. “And just missing one appointment and then having to reschedule, it could be a few weeks out, and that could change my world.”
Last week, Newman told KPRC 2 News Rilwan Balogun she worried that the FAA’s decision to reduce flights nationwide, including in Houston, would keep her from getting the care she needs. Seeing long lines at airports in both Houston and Nashville only added to her anxiety.
But this week, she made it.
“Everything was easy, so somebody was looking out for me,” Newman said after arriving in Houston. “And I think a lot of it is for you, for you taking my story and making sure that other people know.”
Newman said her travel experience was unexpectedly smooth, and she documented her trip, showing a much quieter Nashville airport than she anticipated.
While she admits she’s still nervous about her upcoming scans, Newman says she’s determined to keep fighting.
“When it’s time, it’s my time, I guess you would say,” she said. “But I’m going to fight till the very, very end.”
Diagnosed in 2018, Newman initially went into remission before the cancer returned and spread to her spine. The disease has left her unable to stand for long and in constant pain, but she continues traveling hundreds of miles to stay under the care of her doctors at MD Anderson, whom she credits with giving her more time.
“I’m 55 years old, and I thought I had still a lot of time,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can to stay alive by getting to my appointments.”
Despite the uncertainty of travel and the toll her illness takes each day, Newman says she feels grateful and hopeful.
“I do feel very lucky,” she said. “There are days I feel sorry for myself too, I won’t lie. You saw me on my worst day, I think. It’s OK. It really is. I don’t want to die, though.”
And after making it to Houston safely, she says she feels renewed determination.
“You guys brought me so much hope,” Newman said. “I felt like I was going to get there after I talked to you and I really did.”