Update

Duke,

It was so wonderful to wake up this morning and read your post.

Love to you and your wonderful family,

Catherine

Please send Duke our love and best wishes from the UK. He has always responded to my posts and helped so much in trying to get some answers to this disease. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time and I am so grateful to him for taking so much time out for others,. Thank you Duke and hope you are ok x

I havent checked in to these forums in a while. I really try to limit my exposure to the depressing nature of this disease as much as possible (a little selfish, I know). I specifically decided to log in to see how Duke was doing actually. Something just told me it was time. When I was diagnosed 1 year ago Duke was one of the first to reply to me and he is someone in a similar situation to mine (non operable, etc) he let me know that there is no “expiration date” stamped on my foot. He even contacted me by e-mail recently just to check in. Duke, if you read this I hope you are at peace with your decisions and I hope you make it through this to fight another day (if that is your wish) Cillie

Dear Chuck’s daughter,

Your Dad and you family have been forefront in my thoughts. My first impression of Duke was that he was a lot like me and liked numbers. Then I found out he was REALLY smart with numbers. I was drawn to that we both wanted to see the curve move right- it was the bell curve that showed the normal survival for CC patient.s. Please tell Duke he helped move the curve. So many people when diagnosed see the statistics and have no hope; your Dad gave hope to many.

I hope your family knows how many people your Dad helped with the information, humor, spirit and love he has shared.

There are so many who read these posts but do not join the conversations, so please know that the few of us responding are only a very small portion of those your Dad has touched,

I went back and looked at earlier posts and found this within the first thread:

Hi Duke,
Thanks for your response to my post. I read your post to my husband, Norbert yesterday. It made him feel so much better than he has felt in quite a while. He had me look up your info and read him your posts about yourself. For the first time, since he was diagnosed, I saw him brighten up. I saw the old Norbert, the one who will not give up so easily without a fight. I felt I owed you a huge THANK YOU!!!!
Best of luck to you with your treatment!!!

This was just one post- there are so many Duke has touched. Please pass along thoughts,prayers,love and hugs,. And thank you so much for keeping us updated.

Catherine

Chucksdaughter…….not sure I am able to express in words my feelings, but I want you to know that your Dad lives forever on this site and in our hearts. Those newly joining our discussion board will encounter a most wonderful welcome from Chuck. Take a look:
http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewforum.php?id=18
That is in addition to the additional 570 postings signed by him.
My thoughts and love are with you in this most precious of times.

Forever grateful with tons of love,
Hugs
Marion

Wonderful Daughter of Chuck’s, even though these are words that we did not want to read we thank you for keep us updated.
Dad and I had several emails back and forth on facing the end and this was a few months ago but I felt he knew and he has taken this journey with so much dignity and grace.
He will understand this, I am not being crazy but I think he will smile. Tell him that his Cuz has talked to Teddy and when ever he is ready, there is a chair waiting for him at Teddy’s Sicilian Restaurant. I am glad I am not writing on paper or it would be all wet now.
Sending Prayer after prayer and I hope he is maintaining comfort. Please give him a big hug for me! You are an amazing daughter to do this at a time that makes it even harder to do. Bless you.