Our family suffered a huge loss on December 12, 2022, when Chris passed away following a cancer-related stroke. Chris had been in constant pain since December 2021 and saw several doctors to try to figure out what was going on. Chris eventually had to leave his job as a carpenter in July 2022, due to the pain and the inability to work construction, which is a very physical occupation. This created a financial burden on our family due to the loss of income, but also rising medical bills as the year progressed.

In mid-July of 2022, Chris began turning yellow and knew that something was wrong. He was taken to urgent care where a liver panel showed elevated numbers and a CT was ordered. The CT revealed a large (approx. 4 cm) mass extending into his pancreas. The next day it had gotten so bad that Chris knew he needed to be taken to the emergency room.

Imaging showed that the tumor was pressing on his bile duct, dilating it and causing jaundice, and a stent was needed. They were not successful at the hospital, so Chris was transferred to UC Health in Aurora, Colorado. This time they were successful, but further imaging showed that the tumor extended not only into the pancreas but through the ampulla of Vater into his duodenum (a portion of the small intestine). A biopsy later identified it as an adenocarcinoma, our worst fear (especially after being told earlier this year following an endoscopy that there was no evidence of cancer in that area).

Chris was approved for a Whipple procedure (most people with cancer in this area are not), and he was back home to finish recovery by September 11, 2022. The pathology showed duodenum cancer, which is very rare and aggressive, but there was no evidence that it had spread. We were all dreading chemotherapy, but we were optimistic. However, a PET scan in November showed the cancer had spread to his liver and nearby lymph nodes and he was told the cancer was terminal. Chris received his port on November 29th in anticipation of chemo, which we were told could extend things quite a bit and help with pain relief, and we went back to UCHealth for a second opinion. UCHealth did not have good news. They agreed that the cancer was terminal. However, chemo could still help, and he returned to Casper on December 7th ready to fight.

On December 9th, he received his pre-chemo blood draw and education. Everything appeared normal, but five minutes into the car ride home it became apparent that Chris was having a stroke. I rushed him to the emergency room where they confirmed a large clot was causing the stroke (Chris’ cancer was known to cause blood clots and he had been dealing with cancer-related clots for several months). The stroke left his right side completely paralyzed, he lost his ability to speak or swallow, and he was not able to see well.

Chris passed away at the hospital the evening of December 12th with his family and friends by his side. He leaves behind his wife Annette and his children Gavin (21), Garrett (18), Kemmerer (16), and Grant (12).