[Dialogue] Family News

[Janice Ulangca]

Amen to Mary's thoughts.  May the intensity of each day now be a blessing.
Janice Ulangca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mary D'Souza 
  To: Colleague Dialogue 
  Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 8:02 AM
  Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Family News


  Ron and Berret,
  Thank you for sharing this information.  

  Thank you for the quotations.

  It is very generous of you to allow us to be privy to this information. 
  You are also helping us live our lives within whatever borders we find our selves in.
  You are spirit giants and thank you for helping us live our lives.
   
  Thank you,
  Mary

   
  On 8/28/08, Beret Griffith <beretgriffith at charter.net> wrote: 
    Dear friends and colleagues,

    About a month ago Ron was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, Stage IV.
    In early July he developed itching all over his body, which we were
    tracking as an allergy because of a recent fairly serious allergic
    reaction to something undetermined. He was treated for an allergy for
    about three weeks. One night he was talking with our daughter-in-law
    nurse and she asked if he'd had his liver enzymes checked. He hadn't
    and went in the next day for a blood test which indicated his liver
    was way out of whack. About that time he also became a bit jaundiced.
    We were at the cabin when the doctor called about the liver test
    results and he said to get to an emergency room as soon as possible.
    We went a Mayo affiliated hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he
    had a CT scan. A tumor was discovered. He had a further test in Eau
    Claire and a cancerous lymph node beneath the liver was also discovered.

    We headed back to Northfield and to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
    After some excitement at the possibility of aggressive chemotherapy
    and then surgery, a laparoscopy indicated the cancer has spread
    fairly extensively. He is now getting chemotherapy and goes once a
    week for three weeks with a week off, for two cycles. At the end of
    October he will have a CT scan to determine how the chemo is working.
    He has had two chemo treatments with no side effects. They give him
    steroids before chemo so he actually has quite a bit of energy.
    Weight loss and summer tan make for a healthy look.

    We've been in the midst of several family celebrations and take time
    from the medical universe to head for our cabin in Wisconsin. The
    medical crew at Mayo is outstanding, multi-cultural, skilled, filled
    with wisdom and humor and we are grateful to be an hour from
    excellent medical treatment.

    This is a sea change in our lives. We are taking it all in, living in
    the present and appreciating the support of our  family, friends, and
    the Northfield community.

    We each have our current favorite quotes. Ron's is from Sandy Schuman
    a long time IAF colleague:
    Meaning is all we want.
    Choices are all we make.
    Relationships are all we have.

    Beret's is from our very own David Dunn:
    Life is indescribably full,
    Unfalteringly real,
    and unfailingly good.

    With gratitude,
    Beret and Ron Griffith


    _______________________________________________
    Dialogue mailing list
    Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
    http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net





------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Dialogue mailing list
  Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
  http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/dialogue_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20080828/5e587c7e/attachment.html