Tracy’s Story

Site created on October 27, 2020

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.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support! We are amazed and grateful for the outpouring of your constant compassion and care! 
Late this summer, Tracy was having lower back pain  and assumed it would eventually go away as it had in the past. Unfortunately, the pain got worse over the next 2 months until she could barely walk. With the encouragement of her supportive and loving work family she finally got an MRI to determine where the pain was coming from.

On Monday, October 5, Tracy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Biliary cancer.

And so our fight begins...you know Tracy, she will fight with everything she has! She has begun chemo locally and will receive 3 rounds before starting radiation in December. She is in good spirits, wearing her sweet smile and still chatty as always.

There will be some challenging days ahead and with all our wonderful family and friends'  faith, love and support, Tracy will continue to fight! 

 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Lisa Gunderson

We just returned from a visit to Mayo to check on Tracy’s progress. Since the last post we have learned a few things. The primary source of the cancer is her gallbladder. That news was very helpful because now she can add another medicine to her chemo that attacks that specific cancer. Since that has been added to her FOLFOX, her cancer markers have decreased. The cancer has spread but an existing tumor has actually decreased in size since her last scan. The oncologist overall is optimistic as are we! She has 3 more treatments with the new chemo and returns to Mayo for a CT scan the first part of March. The doctors are hoping for a continued decrease in cancer markers and growth; showing that the new chemo is working!
The new chemo has definitely been tough on Tracy but she always pushes through the side effects. By the time she goes for another round, she looks like it is the first time.
The strength it takes to go into every treatment knowing within days she will be fighting through the horrible pain of mouth sores, nausea, cracked lips and exhaustion all over again is nothing short of amazing. She is and always will be a hero to me!
I can not say enough how much all of your support has kept her fighting! Thank you so very much for all your thoughts, notes and prayers. So please keep those hands together, fingers crossed and loving thoughts, it is all working! 

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