Gail joined our metastatic cancer support group at The Healing Garden in September 2012. "I’m a 68
year-old retired chemist/chemistry professor." she wrote, "I grew up in Lawrence, but now live in Lancaster with my husband of 25
years." Then she continued with the story of her life over the past 15 years:
My breast cancer story started in January 1999 with a routine mammogram that
showed a suspicious mass in my left breast, which was confirmed
to be cancer upon biopsy.
In May
of 1999 a lumpectomy was performed. Surgery
was followed by radiation treatments and 5 years of
Tamoxifen therapy. Everything seemed to
be fine for 8 years.
Then early in
2007, I started getting pains in my right hip.
My oncologist sent me for X-rays, a bone scan and a
PET CT scan. The latter confirmed that
cancer was in my femur near the hip joint...and multiple cancerous tumors were also found in my liver.
A liver
biopsy was ordered (and it was found) that the cancer was a metastasis of the breast
cancer rather than a new primary cancer. I underwent radiation treatments of both
femurs... and to strengthen my bones, once-a-month
Zometa infusions were started and continued for 3 years. Eventually the tumors in my liver were no
longer detectable by CT scan. But then after 3 years of treatment with Arimidex, the tumors returned.
In October 2010 my oncologist switched me to
Faslodex - 2 shots a month. Two
months later I retired from my teaching position. After 8 months of treatment a CT scan
indicated that the tumors had increased in size.
In July
2011, I was put on Xeloda. The Xeloda reduced the size of the largest tumor in my liver however at the end of the 8 months, my
liver function started to deteriorate.
So in March 2012 my oncologist switched me to Taxol - once a week by intravenous
infusion. However, by mid-March
2013, the Taxol had stopped working. A
gastroenterologist was consulted and he saw indication of a blockage in the liver.
He recommended endoscopic placement of a liver stent...which was done on April
23, 2013... Following the stent placement,
my liver chemistry gradually returned to normal.
Starting
in May 2013, I was again switched, this time to *Adriamycin intravenous infusions, once every 3 weeks. The sixth and last treatment was
on September 25th. I was happy that this time my CA15-3 cancer marker dropped from 350 to 100."
FAST FORWARD SIX MONTHS...
11/22/2013: Gail's husband wrote that he took her to the hospital as she has
been short of breath all week. After many tests, they determined
that she has *Adriamycin induced Congestive Heart Failure and Pneumonia. They were told that it causes heart problems in
about 6% of the patients...
4/28/2014
- The cancer spread to the abdominal
cavity causing fluid buildup.
On May 22nd, Gail's husband reported that she went on home hospice yesterday and that she spends all her time in a hospital bed as she is too weak to even sit up in a chair.
"She was having treatment to drain the buildup of fluid in her abdominal cavity weekly at the hospital," he wrote, " but after 3 treatments she was getting too weak to continue traveling for this. Now they come to the house every other day to drain the fluid and they are getting
one liter every time. Her Oncologist told her there was only a 15%
probability that any new chemo would be effective in arresting the growth of
the tumors with no major side effects. Gail has decided she has had enough and will not be undergoing any more treatment. She is just too weak to do anything else. She has accepted her
situation with the bravery of a true trooper. You can share this with the group
if you choose to. Many thanks for all you do for Gail and all
those afflicted with this horrible disease."
Eleven days later on Jun 2, 2014, at 5:59 AM, Gail's husband Fran wrote:
I have very sad news. Gail passed away last night peacefully in her sleep. She thought the world of all of you, and wished to thank you all for your
support. I thank you all as well!
Gail was such a loyal
group member. Her thoughtfulness was especially apparent when she struggled
against fatigue to attend her last group meeting using a walker, to tell us
directly that she was going into hospice and to say goodbye to us. I was very touched when she expressed her appreciation of my leadership. This was on May 2nd, one month to the day before Gail's death.
The
only good I can see in this is that Gail is no longer enduring the horrific
suffering from both the disease and its treatments.
Revelation 21:4 -
And God shall wipe
away every tear from their eyes;
and death shall be
no more;
neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former
things are passed away.
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