Brenda McPhail The Brenda Project

January 15, 2017

There are a lot of things in life that I do not want to ever do...and one of them is to create a Caring Bridge page for someone I love.  


We will use this page to provide updates about The Brenda Project!  She's been kicking cancer since 1985.  From all of your calls, texts, posts, messages, etc, our mom is not only important to us, but to all of you.  The love you have showed in the last couple of weeks we have felt in the early stages of dealing with this diagnosis.


The short story is she has stage four pancreatic cancer (since it has spread outside the pancreas).   There is a tumor in her pancreas, several (two that are significant) in the peritoneal (what holds your guts in), possibly two small spots in her lungs.  From the original scans, they did not see anything in the liver (or other places that pancreatic cancer likes to spread). 


Unfortunately, there is no cure for pancreatic cancer nor with stage four is surgery an option in the beginning.  She will start chemo on Thursday, January 19th and will be on a once a week for three weeks chemo regimen and one week off.  And then start over again.


Specific prayers:

1. Her strength/energy for the chemo treatments

2. For the chemo to shrink the tumors (it can happen) and that surgery becomes an option.

3. For our family as we go through this


Many of you have asked about how you can help us - I will be creating a mealtrain site and will post it once we find out what she feels like eating once chemo starts.  An unfortunate side effect of a pancreatic tumor is it effects your tastebuds.   


Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers - please keep them coming!


Julie McPhail