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We are reaching out to friends and family for immediate support so that we may spend quality time with Dad during his final days. In order to bring Dad home and be able to be the primary caregivers for him, it's become clear that we will need additional help to allow us the rest and self-care that feels imperative to getting through this difficult time. He will need complete care 24/7, requiring 2/3 of us to be "on-shift" at all times. We hope to hire a caregiver/nurse to relieve us for 8 hour shifts nightly so that we can get the recovery we need to provide the best care. Thank you so much to everyone for considering a donation to our family, as we know this is a challenging time for so many.
In September 2020, in the depths of a global pandemic, Douglas (Dad) began experiencing excruciating pain in his right side, as well as uncomfortable bloating and lack of appetite. After a trip to the emergency room, he was diagnosed with a large blood clot on his liver & in his portal vein. A mass was also discovered on the right side of his liver. The doctors did not make this an immediate priority because the mass was not “behaving” like cancer. What seemed like a relatively manageable prognosis was made complicated when the symptoms continued to intensify. Parecentesis, a procedure to remove excess fluid from the abdomen, became a go-to comfort measure. During his third trip to the hospital for the procedure in the month to follow, a routine scan detected more concerning masses on the lungs, as well as his liver. It was at this visit that he was admitted to the hospital long-term. The doctors determined that our Dad has a large cancerous mass on his liver, complicated by advanced cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis C. The cancer had already progressed to stage 4, spreading into the lungs. Our Dad’s mental functioning began to get noticeably worse due to a condition called hepatic encephalopathy. His liver can no longer function to filter ammonia levels as a healthy one would, meaning that this toxic fluid builds up in his brain. These high levels (~140 compared to a healthy 40) cause extreme confusion, memory loss, sleep-wake cycles, involuntary movements, etc. The doctors advised that in his state, treatment would not be a viable option & hospice would be a discussion for us in the near future. A mention of having months to live has now been corrected to weeks by his oncologist & decisions are needing to be made urgently.
Douglas Gable is a devoted husband, beloved father to two daughters, and loyal friend. He’s well known for his sense of humor, easy-going positivity & his famous Christmas Eve meatballs. Douglas has a wonderful, loving and caring family. His wife, Gwen, as well as his two daughters, Alexa and Jaime, are his pride and joy. Jaime flew home from Alaska when the news came that the mass was likely cancer and had spread. In the course of one week, we have been faced with the toughest decisions a family can make about how to treat and care for a loved one. Due to the myriad of complications with his liver, and his rapidly declining health, it has been decided to not pursue treatment for his cancer. Therefore, the next step is hospice care. Due to covid-19, visitation to the hospital is strict with the possibility of a complete shutdown to visitors any day. The visitation is currently limited to one family member per day, for no longer than 6 hours. It's been brutal for us to not be able to be with him all together as a family, and heartbreaking to leave him each night without knowing if he will make it another day. Dad has expressed that he wants to come home and has acknowledged that there's not much time left. Hospice will provide a nurse 2-3 days a week for a couple hours, with the rest of the time falling upon Wendy, Alexa and Jaime. It's an overwhelming undertaking that we are motivated to do for the sake of honoring Dad's wishes and being together as a family during his final days.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any contribution. Please feel free to share a fun memory you have with Dad and keep him in your thoughts.
If you'd like to make a separate, direct donation using Venmo or Paypal, we invite you to do so using the following links:
paypal.me/gablefamilyreliefund
Please be sure to put Douglas Gable, or some sort of reference to the Gable family in the notes so that we can identify and direct the funds accordingly. Your donation will go further by eliminating the processing fees taken by GoFundMe.
In September 2020, in the depths of a global pandemic, Douglas (Dad) began experiencing excruciating pain in his right side, as well as uncomfortable bloating and lack of appetite. After a trip to the emergency room, he was diagnosed with a large blood clot on his liver & in his portal vein. A mass was also discovered on the right side of his liver. The doctors did not make this an immediate priority because the mass was not “behaving” like cancer. What seemed like a relatively manageable prognosis was made complicated when the symptoms continued to intensify. Parecentesis, a procedure to remove excess fluid from the abdomen, became a go-to comfort measure. During his third trip to the hospital for the procedure in the month to follow, a routine scan detected more concerning masses on the lungs, as well as his liver. It was at this visit that he was admitted to the hospital long-term. The doctors determined that our Dad has a large cancerous mass on his liver, complicated by advanced cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis C. The cancer had already progressed to stage 4, spreading into the lungs. Our Dad’s mental functioning began to get noticeably worse due to a condition called hepatic encephalopathy. His liver can no longer function to filter ammonia levels as a healthy one would, meaning that this toxic fluid builds up in his brain. These high levels (~140 compared to a healthy 40) cause extreme confusion, memory loss, sleep-wake cycles, involuntary movements, etc. The doctors advised that in his state, treatment would not be a viable option & hospice would be a discussion for us in the near future. A mention of having months to live has now been corrected to weeks by his oncologist & decisions are needing to be made urgently.
Douglas Gable is a devoted husband, beloved father to two daughters, and loyal friend. He’s well known for his sense of humor, easy-going positivity & his famous Christmas Eve meatballs. Douglas has a wonderful, loving and caring family. His wife, Gwen, as well as his two daughters, Alexa and Jaime, are his pride and joy. Jaime flew home from Alaska when the news came that the mass was likely cancer and had spread. In the course of one week, we have been faced with the toughest decisions a family can make about how to treat and care for a loved one. Due to the myriad of complications with his liver, and his rapidly declining health, it has been decided to not pursue treatment for his cancer. Therefore, the next step is hospice care. Due to covid-19, visitation to the hospital is strict with the possibility of a complete shutdown to visitors any day. The visitation is currently limited to one family member per day, for no longer than 6 hours. It's been brutal for us to not be able to be with him all together as a family, and heartbreaking to leave him each night without knowing if he will make it another day. Dad has expressed that he wants to come home and has acknowledged that there's not much time left. Hospice will provide a nurse 2-3 days a week for a couple hours, with the rest of the time falling upon Wendy, Alexa and Jaime. It's an overwhelming undertaking that we are motivated to do for the sake of honoring Dad's wishes and being together as a family during his final days.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any contribution. Please feel free to share a fun memory you have with Dad and keep him in your thoughts.
If you'd like to make a separate, direct donation using Venmo or Paypal, we invite you to do so using the following links:
paypal.me/gablefamilyreliefund
Please be sure to put Douglas Gable, or some sort of reference to the Gable family in the notes so that we can identify and direct the funds accordingly. Your donation will go further by eliminating the processing fees taken by GoFundMe.
Organizer and beneficiary
Gwen Gable
Beneficiary