Lori Longstreth regaining her strength

Lori Longstreth regaining her strength - A man and a woman smiling for the camera - Blond

Recovering from brain surgery since April

With a headache and runny sinuses, Lori Longstreth came home early from her property management job at Key Colony Beach Realty the morning of April 22 to take a nap to help relieve the pain she was feeling. She just received her real estate license a few months earlier. Around lunch time her husband of 27 years, Randy, came home to grab a quick bite to eat and found her unconscious on the floor. From there, the ambulance was called, she was life-flighted by Trauma Star to Miami and Lori was immediately operated on to drain the fluids around her brain.

A large colloid cyst the size of a lemon had grown, possibly over the past six years, and was blocking her third ventricle. There were no previous symptoms.

“Her being able to hold coffee is a sign that her grip is coming back,” said her daughter Morgan who was sitting beside Lori working on in-room therapy. “She will need to re-learn just about everything.”

Lori has had a couple setbacks along the way, topping her brain surgery count at four. “As long as there are no more complications, then we should be done with the surgeries,” she said. “As long as everything goes smoothly from here, she will be in rehab by next week for at least six weeks. She will need as much rehab as possible the next three months because it’s the crucial period.”

The top priorities are for Lori to regain her strength to walk again and be able to hold her balance. Her voice is weak to none. Her speech and motor skills are very delayed.

“We will work on these things daily so she can gain the strength to feed herself and eat solid foods, walk, use the restroom, and be able to do normal daily activities,” Morgan said, adding that she and her grandmother are staying in a nearby hospital to help with her mom’s recovery. Randy has been working, and traveling back and forth during the week to visit and help. 

There is a Go Fund Me account (gofundme.com/25df2es) set up by friend Lisa Joseph to help with the expenses the family is accruing. More than $11,000 was raised in four days.

“We miss her like crazy and can’t wait for her to feel better and come home,” said friend of 20 years Joseph, who was visiting Lori in Miami last week. “Marathon really steps up to help one of our own when they are in need.”

The Longstreths have lived in Marathon for the past 22 years. They are hoping Lori will be recovered enough by summer to enjoy college football season; she’s a huge Ohio State fan.

Lori Longstreth is recovering from brain surgery in Miami, with a coffee and thumbs up. “I just cut her hair,” said her daughter, Morgan, with a giggle. “Hopefully, she won’t hate me.”
Lori Longstreth is recovering from brain surgery in Miami, with a coffee and thumbs up. “I just cut her hair,” said her daughter, Morgan, with a giggle. “Hopefully, she won’t hate me.”
Kristen Livengood is a Marathon High School and University of South Florida grad, mom of two beautiful little girls, and wife to some cute guy she met in a bar. She enjoys red wine, Tito's, Jameson, running (very, very slowly), and spearfishing.