My mom was diagnosed with Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma (stage 4) on June 28, 2006. For a year prior, my mom had symptoms similar to someone with irritable bowel syndrome or an ulcer. She had stomach pains, constipation, and towards the end of May 2006 and until her diagnosis, started to have rapid weight loss, fluid build up in her abdomen and fatigue. For the year prior to her diagnosis, she had CT scans, ultrasounds, endoscopy's, pap smears, you name it. All of those tests came back clear until June 28th. They decided her course of treatment would be chemotherapy. She was so weak and frail. They put in a mediport on Friday, July 14th, and that Sunday on July 16th she was put in the hospital, because she got a blood clot in her arm from the mediport. She was in the hospital and while in there was in excruciating pain. She was vomiting what looked like coffee grinds and couldn't really eat. On Wednesday, July 19th, I spent the day with my mom in the hospital and she was vomiting, in pain, lethargic, you name it. They took her for an x-ray to make sure her bowels weren't twisted..they weren't. That evening we got a phone call saying she was having trouble breathing and she was being taken to the ICU, my mom died at 2:25 a.m. on July 20th., because of a pulmonary embelism My mom was 58 years old and was diagnosed only 3 weeks earlier. My mom also only saw her newly born granddaughter for 2 and a half weeks (she was born on June 30, 2006). I am so angry at this disease. I am so angry that it is so mean and not easily detectable. I am so angry that I'm 28 years old and my mom is dead, especially when I need her most. I am so angry that this disease isn't being researched as much as it should be. Is there a foundation or something where we can advocate and raise money for research??? This cancer MUST have research. It's mortality rate is very high. I feel like I need to do something for my mom....for her memory and for the lives of others living with this awful mean disease!
Thank you for listening,
Kelly