jclegg

T,
As the others have said, You are already doing enough. Just by loving your Grandma, and being there for her, that is SO important. As a Grandma myself, I can tell you how much difference that makes. In addition, finding this site will be a huge help – for her and for you. Advocacy is SO important – CC patients are the bravest souls, I have found, but – they need an advocate to fight alongside them. Sending hugs your way.

Joyce C.

If it weren’t for this site, I don’t know what I would do. Darla, you describe exactly what I feel like. It was a week yesterday, and the pain is so fresh. I KNOW that Butch is better off, but I miss him so. There is this big void in our lives, as you described it. I haven’t gone back to work yet – that will probably help me, I suspect. Jan- I am praying for you and your family. I hang onto the thought that I did everything that I could do to ease this journey for him, and try to talk myself out of the “guilts” when they hit me – I should have done this, I should have done that, etc. One thing I have noticed is the silence. There was so much hubbub around here – since he was in our home for hospice, all kinds of people were visiting, all the time. The phone was ringing off the hook, and I let everything go – just like you both have – and now – silence. I understand – people don’t know how to handle this – but – we will all get through this, with God’s help. Today, I start taking care of me – starting with the mammogram I skipped for the last few months! Also, I bought some real healthy food, and I made a vow to walk the dog more often!

Lainy,
What wonderful news. The Miracle Man strikes again! We are keepong our fingers crossed for the 27th.

Joyce C.

Sue,
I am so sorry that you have to be temporarily separated from your Ray, but so glad that he passed peacefully, and that he didn’t have to suffer. That is a great blessing, isn’t it? I just lost my husband – Butch – last Thursday night, and he went peacefully, also. My thoughts and prayers are wih you now.

God’s Blessings,

Joyce C

We got the information to our local veteran’s office two weeks ago, when Butch was still able to sign the papers. I received word on Saturday that they had received it and were reviewing it. They said there is a big backlog, and they would write if they need more information. I think they should be making public service announcements on TV to tell these vets to get there bile ducts checked – it is shameful that they haven’t.

Alice,
I am so sorry to hear about your John. I pray that God will give you the strength to continue on. I am glad that you had the 2 + years. John sounds like a remarkable man.

Joyce C

Suzanne,
I didn’t mean that you will go downhill fast. Butch was diagnosed in early March. He had a liver resection at UPMC in mid July, and there was lymph node involvement. We will never know what would have happened if we had just continued with chemo – he had only one round, and was responding well. Everyone is different, and responds differently to this awful thing. In retrospect, I think the operation speeded up the growth of the cancer. I only meant that interhepetic people don’t seem to get the jaundice as much as extra, so they remain more symton free. It is hard to believe the diagnosis when symtoms are not showing up. Butch’s case is different, I am afraid – he also had schlerosing cholingitus, which complicates the whole hing hugely. He is 66 years old, and the surgery has weakened him so that he can’t take chemo now to fight this off, and that is why he is going to go on hospice. I am hopeful that yours will go well, you will respond well to chemo , and we will be hearing good things from you in the future.

Joyce C