Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Sadly, ODB (a regular and long-term contributor here who was diagnosed with terminal cancer a number of years ago) passed away recently.

She was witty, sharp, intelligent, extremely learned and articulate. I got to know her a tiny bit through private messaging and she was also kind, compassionate and warm. She spoke here about her illness - sometimes angrily, sometimes with dry humour, always honestly and heartbreakingly. I'm glad her suffering is over but it's just sickeningly unfair that she's gone so young (only 37) and that she had to endure that many years of physical and emotional pain and fear. What a waste...

An unimaginably terrible, enormous loss to her family and friends... she will be greatly missed online too, particularly on Twitter where she built up a large community. She was a big part of this community too and I know many of you enjoyed her posts and admired her.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

I don't even know what to say.

I remember the username since I came back to Boards a couple of years ago.

Gremlinertia

Oh hell, just thought she'd given up on the site.. Rest easy ODB

Immortal Starlight

I’m really sorry to hear this. I actually looked up ODB account the other day because I noticed she hadn’t posted in awhile. I knew she was sick but I didn’t expect to hear this sad news. Lovely lady gone much too soon. May she Rest In Peace.

seenitall

Yes, I thought of her recently as well, especially in view of the Sarah Harding news (the same disease took them).

A decent and intelligent poster, may her memory live on.

I have very strong and negative feelings around cancer; we are well into the 21st century and none of the predictions I kept reading a long time ago, about the advanced cancer treatment eventually transforming it into a mere chronic ailment, ever seem to come to pass. When will this happen?? All the huge money being thrown into it and still nothing. I may begin to get suspicious, I am that frustrated. Too many people are being lost to this awfulness.

DBB

Oh no 😔... my heart sank when I saw the thread title. I was also only thinking about her in the past few days, a little concerned that I hadn't seen her posting in a while, and fearing that she might be too ill.

Always enjoyed her posts and the odd PM chats we had, she was interesting, she was opinionated, she was funny, she was fiery, she was brave. Braver than I could ever be.

I'll really miss her. Very sad and sorry to hear this news.

So long ODB 😞

PmMeUrDogs

Heartbreaking news. She seemed like a fantastic person. May she rest in peace

archfi

This is terrible though inevitable news.

Last week or so, I went looking on Twitter to see if she was about as I hadn't seen her post here for a while.

Her last treatment hadn't gone well at all and she had a decision to make.

37 years old, misdiagnosed. That's so sad and avoidable it has really affected me.

She was a great poster, a very strong willed woman and I will miss her contributions to this site.

Condolences to her partner, family and friends. Rest in peace.

She will be missed.

What terrible news. She was a fantastic woman.

I hope she sleeps well and all my love is going out to her close friends and family.

She will be missed.

Xx

Princess Calla

Like others I had missed her posting here.

She had taken a step back from posting after getting a torrent of abuse from a poster.

That combined with the new boards format I had hoped she was just taking a breather.

May she rest in peace. Xxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879299#Comment_117879299

Yes, the treatment was just debilitating - it's so messed up that someone has to make that kind of a decision. Horrific.

Autosport

I like many here had thought of her recently when the news of Sarah Harding at died and noticed she hadn’t posted in a while.

Gone too soon

May she rest in peace xxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879228#Comment_117879228

It's very frustrating all right. Such pledges should not be made until it's definite. Too cruel for the patients and loved ones to set hopes so high.

cj maxx

I am so sorry to hear this. I remember she said she had a terminal illness, and though several posters here have made me laugh, she was the only one to make me cry. Rip ODB

banie01

I am so sorry to hear this. ODB faced her illness with grace and bravery that shined through. A witty and opinionated poster who always added to any thread I found her in. No doubt a sad and immense loss to her family and friends. A life cut all too short by illness.

A loss to boards and those of us that knew her here too. I hope that at the very least her loved ones gain some solace in knowing that she is missed by so many who may never have never even met her but were touched by her posts and irreverence here.

May her memory be a blessing.

Sgt Hartman

Dreadful news, especially at such a young age. Condolences to her family.

JupiterKid

Very sorry to hear this very sad news, 37 is tragically young to pass away. 😥

I well remember ODB’s posts about her terminal cancer on here over the past few years, and I just could not believe her sheer courage and optimism in the face of her prospects. Her posts were witty, often very funny, engaging and she certainly was very articulate and sharp in the many online debates she was involved in.

Very saddened by this news. Sincere condolences to her partner, family and friends.

Rest well, ODB 💕🌈

I'm so sad to read this. I had a lot of respect for ODB. She always stood up for what she believed in, she wasn't afraid to put her voice out there regardless of what others might think and she was always friendly and appreciative to me in our PM's. An incredibly brave woman.

ghoulfinger

This is very sad news, condolences to family, friends & online friends. I noticed she hadn’t been posting here, and had hoped it was more to do with the new site than her illness. May she rest in peace.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879194#Comment_117879194

Yeah she was able to post regularly - I remember thinking happily that it seemed like she'd be around a good while more thankfully. Don't know why I thought that - wishful thinking I suppose. She just seemed to have so much drive and vitality - I guess I was naively thinking she was getting the better of the fu*ker, an outlook from me that she would have hated! 😁

Seriously though, she was all about dismantling those albeit well meaning phrases like "battling", "losing the fight" - there's no battling, the patient just has cancer and would do anything not to but they've no choice. The often gruelling treatment is just a means to buy time.

The end was gonna come, and it came quickly after her final decision. A brutal, unforgiving situation. 🙁

volchitsa

Gosh I’m so so sorry to hear that. I haven’t been around as much myself since the update so I assumed (hoped) she was doing the same.

A lovely poster and a lovely person from what I knew of her.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

ghoulfinger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117880703#Comment_117880703

I think the “battling” is giving as much meaning to an impossible turn of life in a no-choice situation; she did that much with aplomb.

Wibbs

Shít 😢

Sephiroth_dude

I've stickied this thread, RIP ODB.

Sardonicat

RIP, OBD, I will miss our silly giggles, our serious discussions and our 'debates' on here. I admired and respected your honesty, your courage in facing your prognosis head on, your refusal to not be seen solely as the 'one with terminal cancer' and your ability to express your rage at your lot without caring if it made others uncomfortable.

You were so intelligent, so informed, so articulate and funny as fuk. You had so much to give and so much more to get from life. Your family and friends must be distraught. I hope your light shines in, somehow, somewhere....

Leg End Reject

Ah no, I always admired her posts. A very intelligent and articulate lady who could stand her ground with ease in any debate.

I hope the end was comfortable, sleep well, OBD.

Oh 😢 What a huge loss, to her husband and family, her friends, all who knew her and the Boards community.

Rest In Peace dear girl.

Poochie05

Very sad to hear this.

May she RIP and condolences to her family and friends.

She was the best of us.

May she rest in peace.

Muahahaha

This is really terrible news, Id known about her illness for a few years but just always had that hope upon hope that she could somehow come through it. It feels like a gut punch that someone who was an absolute a ray of light here has been taken from us so young. RIP ODB

I feel so sad reading this news. I haven't come on to Boards once since the new format, I just found it too confusing and the break away did me good. I literally just logged on here tonight and the first post that caught my eye was Obvious Desperate Breakfasts. I don't know what possessed me to come back here today but I'm glad I did. If I had waited another month this thread might no longer feature on the top pages and I wouldn't have know.

As someone who lost a direct family member to cancer I am truly sorry to hear the news that ODB passed away, she always seemed like such a strong and articulate lady. Deep condolences and strength to her family and friends.

andekwarhola

That's terribly sad. We didn't always see eye to eye but she was an intelligent and interesting poster. May she RIP.

Ah god, I'm so sorry to hear this.

I had been wondering about her lately, I remember her posting under an old username few years ago.

too young. Rip

Purple Mountain

I echo everything that has been said about her here. An admirable young lady, taken much too soon.

Sincere condolences to all her loved ones and hopefully she is at peace now.

HildaOgdenx

I'm so sorry to hear this. I knew her diagnosis was terminal but somehow I hoped, in the back of my mind, that she would get a lot more time. A very intelligent, articulate poster.

A truly terrible loss to her family and friends. May she rest in peace.

Mam of 4

Funny , witty , stood her ground in heated debates here , may she RIP .

anewme

Very sorry to hear. RIP.

Tork

Thanks for letting us know, even though this is terrible news. I had a horrible feeling I'd be reading this when I saw the title. ODB was one of my favourite boards posters and somehow I just thought she'd be around forever. I think she was Dara before this? I can only echo what everyone else has been saying. She was interesting, articulate, compassionate and fiery (when necessary). I think I would have liked her in real life.

Yeah she was Dara and a few other names over the years. If I have all of them right, she was around here the guts of ten years.

I used to find the ODB moniker funny - it looks like one of those randomly generated three-word names that are used to mask a closed account here. 😊

It fitted with her absurd sense of humour - one of the other great things about her. ❤

Vita nova

There are certain posters that grab your attention and that you always want to read, ODB was one of them for me. She was articulate and worldly and Boards is a poorer place without her. RIP

OscarMIlde

Such sad news. She would mention her diagnosis and that it was terminal, but I hadn't realised how near to the end it was. Her posts were so bright, fierce and intelligent, she really stood out any time she posted. Best wishes to her family and friends losing such a wonderful person.

afkasurfjunkie

Very sorry to hear this. Rip ODB.

Pherekydes

Like others, when I saw the title I assumed the worst. I had no idea of her age, so young.

A big loss to the boards community. May she RIP.

YellowFeather

So sad to hear this. She was a fierce lady. Well able to hold her own, and really insightful and funny. I would have had a few interactions with her over the years, and, we wouldn’t always see eye to eye, but, life would be boring otherwise.

I really admired her.

I’d say, wherever she is, she’s arguing a point, and probably winning.

The One Doctor

Sad news, she seemed like a great person

Requiescat in pace, OBD.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117882461#Comment_117882461

It was a Breaking Bad reference.

I had many, many great convos with her over the years. We bonded over our mutual disdain of a certain former poster who shall remain nameless lest his extremely high net-worth friends take agin me.

I knew her cancer was terminal but like others, thought or perhaps just hoped she'd have more time.

An honest, funny, acerbic poster who never looked for sympathy, despite the (really horrible, in many cases) accusations of attention-seeking that were thrown at her by a small cohort of dickheads.

I'll raise a glass to you tonight, ODB.

Ah... didn't realise it was a BB reference. She loved TV.

buried

Very sorry to hear about this. Sometimes I didn't always agree with ODB's viewpoints on things but was always interested to hear them. If I saw her name as a latest post on a thread I hadn't been in before I would always go in for a look as it was bound to be interesting, and she would always give the straight honest truth as to how she saw it. Big loss for us and this place, as there is no doubt she will be alright on the other side. Travel well ODB!

Arghus

Sorry to hear that she has passed away. And no age at all.

Agreed with her sometimes, disagreed with her other times, but she was straight up and honest and that's the most important thing.

RIP.

Cancer is a cruel and remorseless beast. And it has taken one of the wittiest and unerringly direct posters from us. She possessed a formidable intellect that commanded respect. We sparred the odd time, however more often than not found myself in complete agreement with her views. How her inimitable presence will be missed, rest in peace ODB.

Surreptitious

37 is no age to go, rest in peace ODB. Glad to have read her posts over the years and hope she passed peacefully.