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the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

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People are weird.

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In after Baud. Damn.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

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You are here: Home / Absent Friends / Sad News to Share about commenter evap

Sad News to Share about commenter evap

by | 80 Comments

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Medium Cool – Equilibrium!

I am sad to say that we have lost another member of our Balloon Juice community.

Her husband, Colm, wrote to let me know that we have lost evap.  She died in February, one year after being diagnosed.  My hat is off to her.  She was so brave as she faced what she called “this fucking disease”.

Like all the beloved BJ peeps we have lost, evap was smart and interesting and kind.   She was also quite accomplished, beloved, and successful in her life out in the world, as you’ll see if you click any of the links below.

evap had written to us in August to let us know that she had been diagnosed with ALS.

This is Vicki, evap on balloon juice.   I have been contributing monthly for quite a while and I just canceled that and will be making a larger one time donation to the blog.  In February, I was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).  It’s a horrible disease with no treatment or cure and my disease is progressing quite rapidly. I’m hoping to stay alive Long enough to vote for Harris.   Luckily, I have a wonderful family who are taking good care of me.

I just wanted to say how much balloon juice has meant to me over the years.  I think I started reading in 2004 and I check in every day although I don’t post much. I would not have survived the 2016 election without you guys.

I don’t want to out myself on the blog, but I would be curious to know if anyone reading it has any experience with ALS. If you could think of way to ask that question I would be curious to see what people say. But no big deal if you don’t want to do that.

Thanks for everything you do to keep people sane, for targeted fundraising,  and for the animals.

So I put up this post, and many of you responded with helpful information, which she very much appreciated.

Balloon Juice Hive Mind Needed

Meet evap, aka Vicki Powers.

evap was clearly a light in the world, not just here with us.

The Loss of a Dear Friend and Colleague, Vicki Powers

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Obituary

Comments for the family may be left here.

*****

If you like, you can make a donation in evap’s name, to these charities of her choice:

Doctors Without Borders

World Central Kitchen

With love to evap,  WaterGirl

Reader Interactions

80Comments

  3. 3.

    trollhattan

    So sorry to read this. Lovely human saddled with a horrid disease. May she and her family both go on in peace.

  4. 4.

    eclare

    The first link didn’t work for me.

    She looks so vivacious in that photo, what a wretched disease.

    Eta>  Got the article, I put her name in the search bar.

  5. 5.

    TaMara

    Well, fuck. I hope she knew how valued she was here and her family knows how much we loved her.

    rest in peace

    May her memory be a blessing.

  6. 6.

    Anyway

    RIP and condolences to her family. Math profs have a special place in my heart.

    Thanks for letting us know, WG.

  8. 8.

    stinger

    Thank you to Colm and to WaterGirl for sharing this sad news. Condolences to her family and friends.

  9. 9.

    Dlwchico

    I got my diagnosis of ALS a week ago but I think we all knew what it was when the nerve conduction test showed the nerves in my torso and arms was being affected.

    It is definitely a terrible disease made worse by my not having a wheelchair customized for me.

  15. 15.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Horrible fucking disease. My condolences to all her family and friends. May her momory be a blessing.

  20. 20.

    Steve in the ATL

    @FastEdD: on the internet,  no one knows you’re a math professor

    I’m tired of all this death.  Condolences to her family and friends, and we jackals are included in friends.

  21. 21.

    JPL

    @John Cole: 2026 for me.   Ossoff is running and I expect Musk to dump in millions.   Ossoff polls are good but the assholes will go full anti trans hate.

  25. 25.

    Melancholy Jaques

    @John Cole:

    none of you motherfuckers is allowed to die until after the 2028 election

    I will do my best, but these bones is gettin’ old.

  28. 28.

    Jackie

    Thank you Colm, for notifying WaterGirl so we could know. ALS is such a horrible disease, and still no cure after all these years.

    Condolences to you Colm, your children, and family members. May evap rest forever in painless peace.

  29. 29.

    Van Buren

    How humbling to read of her accomplishments. My condolences to her family and friends.

  32. 32.

    Gloria DryGarden

    ALS IS So hard.
    i have a special place in my heart for math teachers; math saved my life, and I credit all math teachers.
    She looks like she was a wonderful person. RIP, go in peace. I hope it is spring where you go next…

  34. 34.

    Another Scott

    Another Maroon who did very, very well, and who is gone too soon.  Lots of good people came out of Chicago, and too many monsters.  :-(

    Godspeed, Prof. Vicki.  Thanks for being part of the community here.  Condolences to Colm, her students and colleagues, and all who knew and loved her.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  35. 35.

    dc

    I am so sorry to hear of this loss and really hope an effective treatment and eventually cure for ALS.

  38. 38.

    No One of Consequence

    Sorrowful news, and I feel for her family and loved ones. I have not researched the origins of this, but I ran across it first on here, or perhaps I first noticed it here:

    “May her memory be a blessing.”

    Fewer days lie ahead of us than behind, for a good number of jackals, one would presume. Sometimes, I believe, that our memories being blessings is the best we can hope for. Perhaps just the best I can hope for.

    Peace, rest, and too-much sorrow,
    -NOoC

  39. 39.

    dc

    @Dlwchico: ​
    I’m very sorry to hear of this diagnosis. I wish you strength to face this terrible challenge and hope you are surrounded by joy, love and support. And is there anything the blog can do about the wheelchair situation?

  44. 44.

    Another Scott

    @Dlwchico: I’m very sorry.  :-(

    It’s such a horrible disease.

    I hope for rapid progress in understanding and treatments and a cure, for you and everyone else affected.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  46. 46.

    Ruckus

    @Baud:

    Unfortunately, that is how humanity is. We all have a shutoff date, the vast majority of the time we just don’t know when it is. Could be six months – a cousin, could be over 100 yrs. It’s one of those bits and pieces of living that have no consistency and often no rationality. The only thing we control – and that also has little to no consistency is how we live, how we respect others, how we attempt or actually fit in. I often say life is a crap shoot, except that a crap shoot has a limited level of possibilities. Life has far, far more of them. I say, make the best of life you can, for you and for those around you. Live through the bullshit (because there is plenty of that) but don’t create it. At least attempt to be a good, decent person. Some will actually appreciate it. Live and enjoy the good times, because there may not be as many as a person deserves. And when all is said and done, at least know you did your best. You won’t always be successful, but at least try.

  49. 49.

    zhena gogolia

    I am so, so sorry. I remember that thread. I often think about her (without knowing who it was).

  51. 51.

    Dlwchico

    @dc: thanks but it just takes months and at first we thought it was something else and that I would be ok with a custom manual wheelchair but now I will need a power chair.

    and every thing is slow with medical stuff and dealing with insurance.

  58. 58.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @Dlwchico: this is a shot in the dark but there are lending closets for medical equipment run by non profits all over the country. People donate equipment they no longer need and these places lend them out.  You might luck out and find a power chair that works for you. I know somebody who needed it temporarily while his was being repaired  who found o one. It wasn’t as a perfect fit as his but it served its purpose.  I think he had to pay five or seven dollars a month.

  59. 59.

    scribbler

    So very sorry to hear this sad news.  Sending condolences to Colm and his family, and many thanks to him for taking the time and effort during this difficult time to let us know.

  61. 61.

    Soprano2

    I’m so sorry, it is a terrible disease. My chiropractor died from it in February 2020. It was so strange, he just retired with no warning. In a couple of months I found out he had ALS. I go to his son now, he’s not as good as his dad was.

  62. 62.

    mayim

    @Another Scott:

    Looking at her photo, I’m sorry I didn’t overlap in Hyde Park with her ~ she looks like she was fun to be around.

    Colm and others who loved her: may your memories be a blessing and comfort for you!

  63. 63.

    Ruckus

    @John Cole:

    I’m 3/4 of a century old and hope to make it a hell of a lot farther than that. I’d like to at least set the family record for oldest old fart. Wouldn’t mind making that entire century. Just to say I did.

  65. 65.

    Betty

    @Dlwchico: So sorry to hear this. May you get as much support from those around you as is possible. Wishing you strength as face the challenges ahead.

    For evap and her loved ones, may she rest in peace and may her memory be a blessing for family and friends.

  66. 66.

    Noskilz

    So sorry to learn of her passsing – hopefully things will go as well as they possibly can for her family and friends.

  68. 68.

    Old School

    Awww.  My sympathies to evap’s real-life friends and relatives.

    She will be missed.

  75. 75.

    WaterGirl

    @Dlwchico: evap’s husband wrote to say that evap’s chair could be shipped to you if it would be close-ish to the right size for you.

    She was fairly petite, so if you think it’s worth pursuing a discussion, please send an email message to my nym at balloon-juice.com

    You can let me know in the comments here if that’s a no go.

  77. 77.

    Yutsano

    Oh no. I hope she is enjoying the next existence with Steeplejack, General Stuck, E.F. Goldman, & the other Jackals who have passed on.

  78. 78.

    Juju

    I’m so sorry to hear about evap’s passing. I must have missed the post about her illness. It’s so nice to see a picture of her. She had a wonderful smile.

  80. 80.

    Elizabelle

    Rest in power, evap.  We miss you, and you are too soon gone.  My condolences to your family and loved ones.

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