My Husband – Richard

Hello to All – This is my first time posting on the site. I have been reading and learning for quite some time. My husband Richard was diagnosed with Cholagiocarcinoma September 2008. His journey ended on September 30, 2011. Ric fought an amazing battle with the disease. He started feeling ill and jaundice, had bloodwork and then they took his gallbladder. Prior to that surgery, we both felt it was more. At the end of the surgery, the doctor told me they removed the bladder, but there was a tumor wrapped around his bile duct, and he could not remove it. The put in a port and a drainage sten. He started with an enormous amount of radiation, that made him quite ill an loose weight. They were giving him experimental treatments. He then began chemo. Gemzar, Cilsplatan and others. There were many hospital visits, for blood transfusions and regular stent changes. Also, many non-scheduled visits. Ric was a fighter, he was determined to beat this thing. In March of 2010 his tumor was in remission. Dr. Dasanu had did it – this was amazing. But Ric still had his stent and drainage bag on. He also was always in constant pain. They would’nt let him work due to anemia. But, he lead a pretty normal life. We did some traveling and he was social with friends – at his level. Ric was able to meet some of the milestones he set, seeing christmas 2008, watching our son graduate high school, see our daughter turn 12. There were many great and wonderful times. There were also difficult ones, which I won’t dwell on. This year was an unusual one – he was still in remission, but his counts were always off and tranfusions didnt help. Basically, some of his organs were starting to shut down. He was not a candidate for an liver transplant. On September 29 he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He was in a liver coma – he never regained consciousness (which I still am having a difficult time with). At the hospital, he was kept pain free and comfortable, there was no more suffering to him. Our family was present and it was the most peaceful thing I have ever seen. I know now that he is no longer going to suffer any more pain and that he is finally at peace. My children and I miss him more than words can ever say, but now that he survived three amazing years, when they gave him only three months. I never thought I would post on this website, but believe that Ric would want me to share his journey with others.

Thank you, Debbie