Thanks to some really wonderful friends and a caring community, we have a CaringBridge set-up to help us better communicate with you. I hope it works.
We still welcome direct communication and we are happy to hear from you any time. You are the gifts of life manifested.
In brief, I was diagnosed with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma in April 2020 and have been in and out of treatment since that time. There have been so many moments of joy, discovery, pain and frustration. Along the way, you have been there by our sides in so many ways. Jeff (my husband) and I have been astonished by all of the unanticipated expressions of support and kindness we have received. You are truly amazing.
Most of you know me and all of my family but for those of you who don't, let me introduce you.
My husband, Jeff, and I have been lucky enough to become adults together. We have been friends for more than 35 years and married for 28 years. He is Bellingham-raised and we have lived here together for 25 years. After a life dedicated to wood as a woodworker and contractor, he has now been at WECU as their Director of Facilities for the last 5 years. WECU has been incredibly supportive and generous during this time. As of last week, he is now on a leave of absence so he can help with my care. It is a sigh of relief to have him be able to be more available during the highs and lows.
Henry is 24 and graduated from Gonzaga in 2021. He had a year of volunteer work last year and was planning to go to New Zealand for an indefinite period of time to explore, work and discover. With my change in health status, his plans have changed and he delayed his trip to New Zealand. He is home with us and it has been incredibly helpful to have him here. We are hoping that my health can regain enough stability so that Henry can get back to his current calling and pursue what interests him in New Zealand. For now, we are so glad that our family of four can be together to manage this together.
Louli is 21 and a senior at University of Portland. With my latest recurrence and health crisis, she made the decision that she wanted to be home so arranged to finish out this semester remotely so is also home here with us. What a blessing! As with Henry, it is a treasure to have her here but, of course, we hope we can get to a place of hope and stability that will allow her to finish her senior year with normalcy.
I am blessed to have been working as a Public Health Nurse in Child and Family Health at Whatcom County since 1994. I have been fortunate to work directly with families and children as well as along the side of passionate colleagues. I have met amazing people along the way and treasure our work together.
During the last two and a half years I have had a lot of ups and downs with times of great energy and joy and times of limited capacity and suffering. This past summer was a time of rebuilding health and I spent a lot of time outside, travelling with family, taking advantage of the special opportunities within the PNW such as, hiking, kayaking and visiting the Methow. Starting in September, I began having a steady decline of energy, capacity and perceived wellness which became precipitous in early November.
As recently as November 2nd I was able to take a beautiful walk with friends down at Taylor Dock and go out to dinner with Henry and Jeff. Three days later, I was in the hospital and stayed a week. Now, getting up to do basic functions is a challenge and I frequently need help. Henry and Louli have really stepped up and are sleeping with me downstairs at night to give me help as needed. (Thank you!) The "outdoor" activities I so love are most frequently done from within the car. While many sign posts point to the fact that cancer is taking over, we aren't yet ready to stop trying. My heart and spirit are still strong and we continue to be moved and strengthened by the love we receive from so many people each and every day.
Please see the timeline below and the Journal notes if you are interested in more details.
With so much love,
Judy and Jeff
For those interested in the nitty-gritty, below is a brief timeline starting with diagnosis in April, 2020.
April, 2020 After having some vague pelvic discomfort, I went to hospital with a fever and abdominal pain. Imaging showed a large tumor in my pelvis. I had surgery on April 14th and was diagnosed with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (arising from the uterus). All known tumor mass was removed but the cancer was considered likely to recur.
May - October, 2020 Received the mainline chemotherapy protocol of AIM that involved six week-long IV infusion of the medication. October, 2020 - Clean scan showing no signs of cancer.
October 2020 - October 2021 Clean scans showing no signs of cancer.
November, 2021 Scan showed recurrence of tumor in the pelvis area.
December, 2021 - May, 2022 Received medication for an immunotherapy followed by a mainline chemotherapy protocol of Gemcitabine and Taxol, both interventions were ineffective with continued cancer growth. In April and May, received radiation to shrink the tumor prior to surgery.
June, 2022 Surgery with complete tumor removal.
June- September, 2022 Clean scans showing no signs of cancer.
September, 2022 Scan showed recurrence of disease in pelvis and abdomen. Started on the mainline chemotherapy agent of pazopanib.
November, 2022 Scan showed continued tumor growth and resulted in discontinuing pazopanib and starting abemaciclib.
A few days prior to Jude’s passing, she shared with me her desire that her funeral, vigil of sharing, and reception events all be inviting and welcoming to everyone. To Jude, this means sharing these moments with people from all parts of her life and specifically including friends of all faith traditions. Judy's support - through encouragement, gifts, help, and prayers - has come from so many and now we want these upcoming events to allow all of us that love Judy to come together in celebration.
1. Sharing Vigil: Sunday, February 19th, 5:00pm. Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave. The vigil will feature music and photos of Jude’s life, followed by an opportunity for sharing aloud where my daughter Louli says, “we would love to hear from all aspects of mom’s life.”
2. Funeral Service and Reception: Monday, February 20, 1:00pm. The Catholic Mass, open to all, will be held at Church of the Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave. Immediately following the service we will gather at the Alaska Ferry terminal, 355 Harris Ave, where Judy can look down upon her people sharing hugs, conversations, and joy.
If you are unable to attend the Monday funeral service in-person, it will also be shared live online, accessible through these links:
- Facebook: See the link below Posts. You do not need a Facebook account to view the service.
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