jmoneypenny

My deepest sympathies to Matt and all Val’s loved ones. May she rest in peace.
Joyce

You guys are great and courageous in your fight, but I just want to chime in on behalf of Robynhar — I think there ARE cases where chemo is just a waste of time and takes away from quality of life, the question always is: Which cases? It’s so hard to make the decision, and many people are grateful they tried chemo and got good results, many people are grateful they didn’t go through chemo and had a relatively pain-free existence.

Jeff G is a great example of someone who has responded wonderfully to chemo, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case. I’m glad he keeps on truckin’ and he’s an inspiration to all of us. Just wanted to back up those people who decide to forgo any treatment at all – they’re all individual decisions based on the specific person and there are no right or wrong answers.

Now I’ve assuaged my own guilt for letting my mom do chemo when she was too weak to handle it (despite what the doctors said).

Best of luck to everyone and let’s have some miracles!

-Joyce

I know I’ve come across celiac disease many times in my research for my mother, who had autoimmune hepatitis. Celiac is also an autoimmune disorder, and it seems the autoimmune diseases just love to attack the liver. People with any autoimmune disease should get screened very thoroughly and often, I believe. There is a tremendous surge in the amount of people suffering from immune problems and they seem to wind up with liver and/or kidney problems. Everything seems to indicate that immune problems predispose you to getting cc. Then again, I got my doctorate from surfing the Internet!! — Joyce

Dear Shelagh,
I am so sorry for your loss. Our stories are very similar – my mother died on Jan. 22, 2007, and was only diagnosed in November of 2006. She was 64, I was 40. I also have one sister, age 42. We were able to have hospice care at my mother’s house, and we were with her and holding her hands when she died. I still go over all the details in my mind and feel the pain all over again — she was my best friend, my confidante, the one who made me laugh. My stepfather died of lung cancer 4 years before and my mother and I supported each other through his long illness and grieved together. Now I have no one to grieve with but the kind people on this site – my sister, though I love her dearly, doesn’t want to think about it and has suppressed all her grief.

My 5 year old daughter still cries for Grandma, because we were all so close – she still remembers, over a year later, and wants to go to the planet Pluto because somehow she came to the conclusion that’s where dead people go.

I wish you peace and comfort in your memories and I don’t want to be depressing – but I do feel your pain and commiserate with you. It’s always good to vent to those who have been there, because the rest of the world is just going on as if nothing happened. It’s a monumental event when you’re orphaned and you don’t have that refuge you always relied on. I hope you have a good support system and I’m glad you have your sister to cry with.

Joyce

Oh Jenny, please accept my sincere condolences. I hope you are able to find some peace and comfort in the days ahead. You’re in my thoughts-
Joyce

Kathy,
My heartfelt condolences to you and to the Martin family. It’s so devastating to lose someone you love. I hope you are able to find some peace and comfort in this hard time.
-Joyce

Hi – So sorry to hear of your cousin, but I know from reading this board that many people have Whipple procedures and they are the ones that seem to have the most positive outcomes. CC is technically bile duct cancer, but there are many bile ducts, both inside and outside the liver, and the whipple is done when they are outside the liver, I believe. As someone else said, do a search for “whipple” and I”m sure you’ll see some stories that will set your mind at ease somewhat – there’s always a fighting chance, so don’t get alarmed by the statistics. Best of luck to you and your cousin!
-Joyce