Joyce West

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting. 

Mom started feeling uncomfortable in the early summer. Over that time, she went to her doctor in Mount Vernon and was prescribed an increase in her diabetes medication. In late September, a CT scan was done and a "shadow" was found on her pancreas. The last few months have been a cat-and-mouse game of trying to get definitive answers and a plan made for what her new doctors in Columbus believe to be pancreatic cancer. We will get official word next Tuesday, as the family meets with the surgeon, gets the official results of her biopsy and learn the details of a procedure called a "Whipple." 

After meeting numerous professionals the last few days that will all be part of her health team, several mentioned the fact that this is not a Steve Jobs or Patrick Swayze type cancer.  The simple fact that the doctors are considering a Whipple means that Mom has a real chance of beating this. Chemo or radiation is not an option. Mom received another CT scan yesterday and it showed that the growth has not spread or increased in size over the last couple months. Again, more encouraging news that feeds hope.

Feel free to send words of encouragement, share stories and keep in-the-loop as we update Mom's status in the coming weeks. The Whipple is a very tough surgery and she will have a lot of down time in which to hear from you via this website.

Thanks everyone. We all know Mom is no rookie to this stuff, but she'll be needing all of us.

Todd and Tami