First post:
Apr 30, 2021 Latest post:
Apr 16, 2023
Welcome to Gail's CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. Thank you for your support, love and prayers.
April 22, 2021 Dear Family & Friends,
Gail Jo (my mom, with whom we live), started having digestive discomfort late 2020. After having an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, endoscopic ultrasound/biopsy and PET scan and other blood tests--they’ve concluded that she has stage 3 pancreatic cancer, involving lymph nodes in the retro-peritoneal cavity. The cancer is surrounding blood vessels, making it inoperable. She does not want chemotherapy or any treatment, as they can’t guarantee a better quality of life.
They've hinted at this diagnosis for at least 2 months now, but as you can imagine it brings us great sadness. However, my mom is completely content and at peace and looking forward to going to heaven.
In July, she’ll have another CT scan to see the progression of the cancer to possibly give us a better timeline. However, as the oncologist said, there can be so many different complications depending on which organs get metastasized. Once stage 4, the oncologist said, at most 6 months.
She’s been referred to palliative care—mainly for pain control. For now, our main concerns are making sure she gets adequate food and nutrition and doesn’t keep losing weight. She’s also been referred to an oncology nutritionist.
She’s still feeling fairly good. Good enough to mow on the riding lawn mower and weeding in the yard and doing regular tasks…going to church when she feels good enough, etc.
We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we navigate this journey together. I know without a doubt that God will be with us through the suffering and loss. And, it really is a gift to know her time on earth is coming to an end—so, we can appreciate the time we have left and she has time to say her good-byes or rather, "See you later!" We are all processing the coming loss of this amazing mother, grandmother, sister and friend.
