My Aunt Babs just died Friday night of this horrible disease

Thank you for your reply Lisa Ann – I didn’t know how to get on the introduction board to introduce myself to you all when I wrote our situation on your thread – it was stress I think and now the stress is over and the stunned feeling starts –

I’ve never seen a disease like this and my brother and my uncle died of AIDS, except fo getting thin and looking ghostlike their physical apprearance was recognizable, but this horrible disease robs one of their own appearance (in a way that was good since it didn’t look like my Aunt lying there but some stranger – swollen with the hospitals attempts at keeping her alive etc. – black and blue arms etc.)

The only place I recognized on her was her eyebrows (beautifule, like the wings of a bird and her toenails – painted beautifully in Red – her favorite color LOL)

She was diagnosed at the first of September – we live near Shands hospitals in Florida – there was a physician who is famous for his surgery of bile duct cancer there – his name is Allan Hemming for your information and use if you need him….he started on the liver transplant team, but ran into this cancer in his transplant work and now is one of the only surgeons in the South that has a lot of success – we were willing to take her anywhere in the world should we have found somewhere else but all roads led back to thim…however as a friend of mine doctor said – “He sees things from a surgeons perspective, so never forget that – that sometimes stimies other ideas at treatments” However, we had no time to do anything or find other treatments since it happened so fast.

Her name is Babs Montpetit, she was the Supervisor of Elections here in our little county and is/was 74 – here is her obituary –

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Barbara “Babs” Montpetit
MONTPETIT, BARBARA “BABS” ROBERTS

Lake Butler – Babs Roberts Montpetit of Lake Butler, Florida passed away Friday, October 5th from complications related to her fight with cancer.

She was born in Lake Butler, Florida June 19ih, 1933 to Gertrude and Clarence Roberts. She was a graduate of Union County High School and attended the University of Florida. Babs held several positions over a twenty year period with the Union County School System before being elected in 1984 as Union County’s Supervisor of Elections. She proudly served over the past 22 years as the County Supervisor of Elections. Babs was a member of the Florida State Associations Supervisors of Elections and former Secretary of the Association. She was also a former member of the Lake Butler Women’s Club. She was a member of the First Christian Church of Lake Butler. Her love and devotion for her community was ever present and evident in her care and concern which she gave to others.

She was a devoted wife, wonderful mother, and beloved grandmother. She is survived by her husband, John R. “Jack” Montpetit; daughter, Robin Pritchett Wilson; son-in-law, Bill Wilson; grandchildren Erika Kemp and Preston Wilson, all of Lake Butler. Her son, Jon W. Pritchett; daughter-in-law, Kelly Streicher Pritchett; granddaughters Alexandra Rose and Christina Rose Pritchett of Gainesville. She is also survived by her sister Ann Roberts Fortner and her brother-in-law, Sidney Fortner of Lake Butler; brother, Avery C. Roberts and her sister-in-law, Twyla Roberts; nieces, Ginger Robertson and Amber Roberts Crawford; nephew, Austin Roberts all of Lake Butler; her nephew, Christopher Fortner of Gainesville. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, William “Sonny” Roberts; nephew, Michael Sidney Fortner; great nephew, Chesley “Ley” Hines Robertson Ill.

I am the Ginger Robertson named as one of the neices – I lost my son five years ago, he is her great nephew mentioned and my brother and uncle died before him of AIDS – so we have had our share of gried – especially me and my own mother (who lost her son and grandson)

I just wanted to share with you the news of an extraordinary woman – she was one of the most giving people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing – and always in my corner –

This is an awful disease and I thought I knew about cancer having lost my two best friends to breast cancer, but we had never heard of this silent and deadly cancer, never knew it existed and that there was anything worse than pancreatic cancer as far as it’s swift onset and it’s silent symtoms –

I pray for you all who have relatives that have this – and I pray for you who have been diagnosed – remember this in hope, my Aunt didn’t die of this cancer because she didn’t have time for any treatment – after an original pump being put in that became septic and then two pic lines she died of septic infections – so normally she would have had to have had surgery or been able to try chemo etc.

Can’t believe that I’m a professor of design and literature as I look back at this writing which is not in the least creative or eloquent, but I know you can sympathize on my spelling and my syntax as my brain is in overload shock –

It was a month of hell I can tell you and the only relief we had when the doctor said there was nothing else he could do becuase her liver ‘shut down’ last Saturday a week ago – seems paradoxical to even write that but as soon as he gave us his condolances we moved her to a wonderful Hospice house and had 4 days of special time with her when the took away all the tubes and were able to handle her pain – she never spoke after last Saurday but she could hear use and we got to tell her how much we loved her and will miss her =

Thank you all for letting me read of our triumphs and griefs about this disease on this wonderful forum – God bless you all and I shall keep up with your family members and all of you on this board periodically –

Ginger