THE JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
Pancreas Cancer Web

CAROLE


Hi everyone. I posted some of this on the bereavement board already. Anyway, my mother was 58 when she was diagnosed. She had had gallbladder surgery the previous November of 2001. The following April in 2002, she started experiencing severe abdominal pain. The doctors said they found spots on her liver and pancreas. After a biopsy it was revealed that she had stage 4 cancer adenocarcinoma. Originally the doctors said there was nothing they could do. However, we found out about an experimental program at Duke which combined a new drug gemcitabine with the regular chemo. It worked for a few months. The cancer began to shrink and she felt really good. Then with no warning the cancer began to grow back and spread some more. They tried chemo pills, but those didn't work. Finally in November 2002 the doctor told her there was no need for her to come back. We got hospice to come in and hse had a morphine pump. She went downhill swiftly and died four days after Christmas. My mother was a very loving and vivacious woman. I still can hear her laugh so clearly. I was her only child and she always liked to tell me how I was so attached to her from day one. We had a very deep and special bond. We loved to travel together and we were members of the same sorority. She was extremely supportive of me in all that I did. She was a French and English teacher for over 33 years. When she was diagnosed she started keeping a journal in which she wrote all of her daily thoughts and feelings, as well as her feelings about me and special times we had together. Her intention was for me to keep the journal to have and read after she was gone. That has been one of the most wonderful things to have. When she died I was in my first year of law school and luckily I had a great support network of friends and professors who really helped me through the rough times.

Posted 12/05/2004 10:26 pm by Jamie
E-mail Address:

Return to Main Message List
Responses

No replies on file.

*DISCLAIMER: This page is an unmoderated forum, and the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Patients are advised to consult their personal physicians before making any medical decisions.
FULL DISCLAIMER
Pancreas Home | Surgical | Medical | Basic Sci | Docs | Registry | FAQ | Appts | Chat
Feedback | Pathology Home | Oncology Center Home
Copyright © 2021 The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
Last Modified: 11/11/2002 10:50 am