Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.
Veronica was recently diagnosed with Stage IV adenocarcinoma, currently of unknown origin with mestasisis in Lymph, Liver, Gallbladder, bile duct, L3-L5 (spine) and around her lungs. Adenocarcinoma starts in the glands that line the inside of one of the organs and is often inoperable. As of right now, they are going with the cancer starting in the gallbladder/bile duct area. A CT scan was ordered to try and locate the origin. 20-30% of the time they cannot locate where it originated. They cannot do surgery or radiation on this type of metastatic cancer. It is not curable but treatable. Most of the time with this type of cancer, it comes on fast with no symptoms and by the time they find it, it has mestastized. It is not heredity. This cancer is aggressive and by doing chemo, we are hopeful that by individualizing treatment, they can slow the cancer down to give Veronica a good quality of life.
Timeline: Mom started feeling a lump/growth on her upper left clavicle area sometime in June, went in for a massage in July and her therapist told her that she needed to be seen right away as it was hurting and had some swelling (see pic in gallery)
July 10- Dr. visit - Biopsy ordered which she had on July 20 July 20 - Dr. Tung (internist at Mayo clinic) called and said they found cancer cells from the lymph area that was biopsied, thyroid - clear July 24 - Dr. visit - Mammogram ordered - clear July 27 - PET/CT scan July 30 - Dr. Tung calls with PET scan results August 1 - Liver biopsy August 8 - Office visit with Dr. Tung to go over what we know thus far, Dad, Mom, Jack and I present at visit August 10 - Oncology visit with Dr. Ma (Mayo Clinic) - Dad, Mom, Bob, Jack and I were present. Dr. Ma went over diagnosis. Ordered CT scan and CA markers with CBC blood work. Hoping to locate origin of cancer to help with chemo treatments. Cannot do surgery or radiation on this type of metastatic cancer.
We will continue to update Veronica's progress. Please keep her in your prayers. It is a difficult time for all of us. We are encouraging mom to do as much as she can and enjoy life to the fullest. It will be a long journey but with family and friends helping us along the way, we will get through it. Thank you to everyone who is following mom's journey.
Denise and Family
The Lord is my strength and my shield: My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise him. Psalms 28:7 NKJV
As many of you have already heard, Mom passed away on December 30 at around 7:30 pm. My Dad was there with her when she passed. She was talking to us and pretty lucid right up until she left us. She was telling me that morning what I could get Dad for his birthday which was the 31st. We were very happy that she could be on home hospice as it was more comfortable for her to be able to be at home. Dad was a very good caregiver. I was waiting for the obituary to come out before I posted and found out this morning that it's been on the funeral home's website but it wasn't up front so you had to search for it. It is now fixed on their site.
We would like to thank all of you for following Mom's journey. We appreciated all the messages, keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and reaching out to us. We were fortunate to have been able to have spent time with Mom as long as we did. We all got to say our good-byes and now Mom is watching over us all.
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