pamela
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WooHoo!!! Congratulations to both of you. You are so amazing. You will keep everyone’s HOPE flames burning. Betsy- It was the best to meet you in person. You are such an awesome lady. Lauren really liked you too. Sue- You are always so upbeat and positive. I am glad we are FB friends too! Much love to both of you lovely ladies.
-Pam
Sorry Lainy. When it comes to talking about my family, I can’t keep it short!! One of the bad things about being a proud Mama.
Love you.
-PamDear Carlyn,
I am so sorry to hear about your Mom. She sure has had her share of hard times. I would like to welcome you to this site. We are all here to offer support to you. Feel free to drop a line anytime. I can’t really offer suggestions for your questions this time but there are many that have loved ones that have gone through hospice and can offer you advice. Take care and all the best to you and your Mom.
-Pam
I am Pamela. I am 53 years old and live in Uniontown, Ohio which is a few miles north of Canton, Ohio (Pro Football Hall of Fame.) I am not working at the present so that I can take care of my daughter Lauren. I have a wonderful husband named Mark who is 52. He is a store manager. We have 3 children:
Kristen Marie- age 29. Married to Bruce. They live in Ypsilanti, Michigan with their 2 Boston Terriers, Buzz and Stink. They are both MDs and are Anesthesia residents at University of Michigan Hospitals.
Lauren Patrice- age 25. Our middle child who has CC. She is on disability now. She has worked in retail and factory. Her passion is fashion, makeup, and hair. She has a boyfriend that she has dated for 7 years. His name is Giovanni.
Ryan Mark-age 20. Currently a college student. A gentle soul that wants to save the planet. His interests are the outdoors and everything to do with the environment. He has a girfriend named Stephanie who is 19.
We have 2 babies- Peanut and Penny. Chihuahuas that we absolutely adore.
We also have a crazy 10 year old Husky mix named Frank.Lauren was diagnosed Aug. 29, 2011. She is currently in a clinical trial at U of Michigan Hospitals where she is on Gem/Cis and 5-FU. She has finished 9 treatments and her tumors are shrinking.
We hope one day she will be able to have a resection.
Tiffany,
I think when most people see a younger girl that is losing her hair and looks like she is on chemo, they automatically think breast cancer. I know I always did before Lauren got cancer. A lot of people don’t know that there are many kinds of cancer. I sure never heard of cholangiocarcinoma before Lauren was diagnosed.
Lauren has had 9 chemo treatments. Twice she has had to skip a treatment for low platelets. On this clinical trial she will have 12 and then we don’t know.
Take care Tiff.
Love, -Pam
As a caregiver:
I hate that cancer has decided to grow in my child’s body.
I hate that she might never be able to see her wedding day.
I hate that she might never be able to know the unconditional love of being a Mom.
I hate that she is in pain every day. Pain meds take away most pain, but there is always a lingering, nagging,bothersome pain.
I hate worrying if this could be her last birthday.
I hate the way people look at her with pity in their eyes and then whisper to each other.
I hate that she can’t work anymore and earn her own money and has to rely on disability.
I hate that our lives have changed so much and will never go back to how it used to be.
I hate thinking that one day I might have to live without her. I don’t think I could.
I hate to see her sad. It rips my heart out.
I am so thankful that my husband has a good enough job that I can stay home with Lauren and we can spend time together.
I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family that sticks together through everything.
I am thankful for Lauren’s doctors, nurses, and tumors shrinking.
I am so happy to have all of you. Your love and support means more to me than you can imagine.
Love, -Pam
Lainy,
I ordered 150 brochures to put on all the tables at Lauren’s benefit next Sat. Hopefully it will explain exactly what CC is and bring awareness to the 250-300 people that are attending!!
Love, -Pam
Dear Jeanne,
I am so happy for you and your husband. Way to go on being an awesome advocate for your husband and searching for your best option. Great job Patti for recommending the right doctor for them. What an uplifting story!! All the best.
Love, -Pam
Andrew,
You are a riot! We also love bacon, can be quite snarky at times and love our bad tv. Hope your sister does well on her new chemo.
Susie- Never be embarrassed about watching the Bachelor. That is one of my favorite shows and I have watched them all since the beginning. I think it shows we are hopeless romantics at heart.
Lainy- I can’t wait for Courtney to get hers either. She is so evil. There is always one every season. We are huge fans of Bravo. Would never dream of missing a Housewives episode except I am not a fan of Atlanta housewives. I can’t stand Kim and Nene. Haha.
Take care everyone.
-PamI am so happy you are doing so well Derin. The only real trouble that my daughter has is that her platelets go too low. Everything else is always fine. They have adjusted her Cisplatin a little lower, but she still gets the other two chemos full blast. She was unable to have chemo this week because platelets were too low. Her numbers are all over the place On day they are 79. Next week they will probably be in the 300’s. That is what happened the one other time she could not have chemo. Good luck to you with the Gem/Cis combo. I will be watching for how you are doing.
-Pam
Cathy- Don’t ever feel bad about posting your story. Please, all of you out there that are lucky enough to be CC free, DO NOT feel bad about it. Be happy and proud that you beat the evil monster. I, for one can say I am so happy for you. You give me hope that someday my daughter and everyone else suffering with CC might end up like you!! Don’t ever feel guilty or bad about being one of the lucky ones. Spread the word and help us beat CC. Love you all.
-Pam
Margaret-
So sorry to hear about your accident. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Lainy- Hope you will be feeling better soon with your UC.
Take care ladies. I love you both!!
-Pam
Chrissy-
What a sweet story. I am sure it is good therapy for your daughter too. Take care.
Love, -Pam
