Mary’s Story

Site created on May 22, 2018

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

The weekend of May 19th Mary suddenly turned yellow, like minion yellow as we teased her. Her good sense of humor shining through as always. A trip to the ER revealed a troubling mass on her pancreas and multiple spots in her lungs. Further tests were done and she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This is a very difficult and sudden diagnosis that took us all by surprise as she had no other symptoms.  We met with her care team at UofM to learn about what is next. The focus was on caring for Mary with love, respect, honesty,  and balancing that with thoughtful consideration as to what information she is able to process and handle.

We know Mary is surrounded by many who love her and we thank you in advance for your prayers of healing, peace, and comfort. 

Newest Update

Flying Colors

Journal entry by Jeanne Deren —

Wednesday afternoon Mary had a procedure to insert a stint in her bile duct to help relieve the jaundice. The procedure was non-invasive and she "came through with flying colors" (according to Mary). Her jaundice should slowly start to improve. Wednesday evening she was chipper and feeling good. She is being discharged Thursday afternoon and her palliative care at home will continue with hospice.
Read More of the journal titled "Flying Colors"
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Mary Stay Connected to Family and Friends

A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Mary's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?

Leave a comment of support for Mary

Did you know? A quick comment, no matter the situation (positive or negative), can boost morale by 28.2%.

Comments Hide comments

Load more comments
Read More Journal Entries

Show Your Support

See the Ways to Help page to get even more involved.

Personal Fundraiser
Support Links
Helpful Requests
Go to Ways to Help
SVG_Icons_Back_To_Top
Top