Katherine Duda-Celebration Of Life
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On June 18th, 2018 We lost such a beautiful soul! Katherine Jeannette Duda. Mother of four children 
From Left to right Crystal Mom Dominick, Denise & Christina
Grandmother of two.
Aiden Nina & Shelby
In July of 2017 our mother lost her significant other of 10 years.
Tony Jones & Katherine Duda (MOM)
One month after this devastating loss August 7th of 2017 she was diagnosed with stage 4 Renal Cell Cancer.
The Duda Family Supporting Mom
Mom has put up the strongest fight for the last 10 months. She was willing to try anything that the Doctors offered, August 30th 2017 mom had a full body scan done. Once the results came back we were told moms cancer was metastasis meaning the cancer was spreading to different parts of the body. On September 19th 2017 mom went in for a biopsy to test a tumor that was seen in her breast. October 5th she received a call from her Doctor to schedule a surgery to remove her areola due to her cancer spreading through her lymph nodes to her breast. On October 9th the removal of her areola took place,
Mom before her areola removal
I remember her being nervous while we sat in that waiting area. All I could do was cry when they called her back! Our mother is one of the toughest women we've known, to see her nervous made me nervous! October 24th, Two months after being diagnosed with cancer mom had a port implanted
Mommas Port
This was to make chemo treatments easier to receive and reduce the number of times she would've been stuck with needles. That same day after surgery mom went for her first treatment of chemotherapy.
Supporting Mom at Chemo
After being let down by her first test results following chemotherapy she continued to fight and looked forward to the next attempt at kicking cancers ass! Her next treatment was another type of chemotherapy although this time it was in a pill form. Mom had suffered from many different side affects, she often got sick and felt weak while doing these treatments. Unfortunately this meant mom was in and out of the hospital.
One of the many times mom was admitted
The pain that she endured throughout her journey was unbelievable! The cancer metastasized into her bones and began to make her so uncomfortable, It got worse by the day. We spoke with radiation Doctors and mom decided that she would try radiation treatments to her hip, to hopefully ease the pain and let her walk without suffering from the aches, During that time we met with pain management quite often because nothing was working at this point. Unfortunately mom spent her last birthday admitted in the hospital because she was in excruciating pain.
HAPPY 48TH BIRTHDAY MOM
To see her suffer and continue to fight without complaining or giving up gave me so much courage and hope! We found out not long after, that moms cancer had reached her brain. We were all so devastated and lost for words. Mom decided to give radiation to her brain a try, The day we went for her mask making and marker placement I lost it, seeing the mask that was going to be holding my moms head down while she underwent radiation made me so scared and worried, I cried everyday at treatment, May 1st was her first brain treatment i couldn't accept the fact that the cancer metastasized so quickly! On May 14th My son got to ring the bell to celebrate his ninas last treatment to the brain!
Celebrating Moms last radiation treatment
We were so excited and proud of her for completing each treatment day after day! During the treatment she lost her hair, and experienced headaches often. May 19th my mom had a emergency MRI scheduled due to her pain increasing and it becoming almost impossible for her to walk. Even then mom had high spirits!
I LOVED getting her to smile even though she was in pain
The MRI results showed two spinal fractures long with a tumor and many lacerations on both femurs along with a tumor in her in the left femur. The fractures and tumors were making it impossible for mom to walk at this point. Her bones were too weak to hold her own weight. the Doctors said her walking could cause her to break her femurs and endure even more pain, That night we were sent home. Mom was instructed to stay in bed until her next appointment, Monday May 21st Mom was scheduled to try a new treatment that would of boosted her immune system to fight against the cancer, however due to her being in excruciating pain she was denied treatment and transferred to the ER, Doctors decided to admit her and keep her until they could stabilize the pain. Unfortunately moms pain wasn't stabilized instead she was put in even more! The Drs decided that the best route for her would be to place intramedullary nails into both femurs to give her a better quality of life, allowing her to walk and enjoy the summer with her grandchildren. Unfortunately my mother was instead put on bed rest and never had the chance to experience what walking felt like again! The next picture shows the last time my mom stood on her feet.
Our mothers last time on her feet
On May 24th an Angeo seal was placed into her left leg to cut the blood flow to the tumor, this was done to lessen the chances of her loosing an excessive amount of blood due to the removal of the tumor. On May 25th mom went into her surgery for the medullary nail to be placed into her left leg,
The surgery went exceptionally well from what the Doctors told us.
Moms Incisions on her left leg
The next surgery for her right medullary nail to be placed was scheduled to be completed on May 27th however On May 26th mom spiked a fever, they ran blood cultures, performed an ekg on her as well as chest scans, fluid was found on her lungs, Doctors were in and out of moms room all day and night, I had never been more nervous in my life! That day I got informed by a residential Doctor that our mother only had 6 months left to live. Things were already NOT looking good... I broke down and tried to wrap my head around that.. Surgery was pushed back until May 31st, that morning was very overwhelming! You can see that mom was feeling worried.
Moms final surgery for the medullary nail in her right leg
When the Doctors were done with surgery they informed us that everything went well. A few hours after surgery mom was brought back up to her room, she was in excruciating pain,
I HATE them for putting her through so many procedures
I couldn't take it! Mom started to decline and things were not improving. We were informed that she would be transferred to Ames Hospice House in Westlake to manage her pain and get her ready to come home. On June 3rd at 9:30 pm my mother and I were transferred to Ames Hospice house.
Aiden giving Nina kisses during his visit with her
That next morning when I arrived to visit mom, it was difficult to hold a conversation, the nurses told me she didn't eat much for breakfast. I felt mind blown because just the day before we were having full blown conversations. She also had a good appetite, to come see mom just hours after her being admitted into hospice, finding her the way she was killed me inside! Unfortunately mom was uncomfortable just by being there, I couldn't stand the thought of her being on hospice let alone someone else taking care of her, I felt my mom was being over medicated and I couldn't swallow the thought of it! Starting on the 4th I began requesting that the nurses skip doses of her pain medications. I noticed she began to become a bit more alert and wasn't experiencing pain.
We ALL love you SOOOOO much MOM
When I would leave the hospice late at night, I could only cry on my way home, fearing that my mother would be pumped with an unnecessary amount of pain medications while I was home for the little bit of time that i could be ate me alive. Everything going on literally had me waking up with tears everyday! I couldn't eat or sleep. On June 6th my mom had been alert enough to have a conversation with me, When I asked mom if I can bring her home with me she responded loud and clear "HELL YEAH" in that very moment I knew she meant that! I spoke with the social workers at the Hospice house and requested for her to be discharged to me, I had moms equipment sent out that very next day. I then had my mom transported home on June 8th
Mom being transported home
I continued to care for her in our place that she called home. I am so thankful that I was able to bring her home and care for her! Although taking care of mom was not easy I felt good to be able to. I was able to extend her pain medication doses from every 4 hours to every 6/8 hours. By doing this mom had more time alert with family while still maintaining her pain keeping her comfortable! Unfortunately moms food intake started to decrease and I noticed her becoming weaker, Fathers day morning while giving my mother her morning dose of medication was the last time that she told me she loved me... I gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her I loved her more mom kissed me back for the last time....
The very last kiss from my mother! That night at 8:21pm I called the after hour hospice nurse to come assess my mom I informed her that mom had begun to have trouble clearing her throat and I got worried very quickly. When the nurse was completed assessing my mom she informed me that it was normal for mom to be experiencing this and that she had an estimate of 24 hours of life left. Mom was such a fighter! She held on and fought as long as she possibly could that it was unbelievably difficult to see. Mom was taken from us on June 18th 2018. The memory of her will never fade away and I'm sure the pain won't either. We have put this gofundme together to assist in paying for the final costs of life. Due to mom passing so young and having a pre-existing condition we were unable to obtain life insurance to assist with the cost of laying her to rest, and granting her last wishes. Due to mom having no assets the cost of everything is on us. Anything that anyone is able to donate will help! If your not able to donate we completely understand however if you could share this link and get the word out we would be very appreciative! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my mothers journey!
WE ALL LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM!
From Left to right Crystal Mom Dominick, Denise & Christina
Grandmother of two.
Aiden Nina & Shelby
In July of 2017 our mother lost her significant other of 10 years.
Tony Jones & Katherine Duda (MOM)
One month after this devastating loss August 7th of 2017 she was diagnosed with stage 4 Renal Cell Cancer.
The Duda Family Supporting Mom
Mom has put up the strongest fight for the last 10 months. She was willing to try anything that the Doctors offered, August 30th 2017 mom had a full body scan done. Once the results came back we were told moms cancer was metastasis meaning the cancer was spreading to different parts of the body. On September 19th 2017 mom went in for a biopsy to test a tumor that was seen in her breast. October 5th she received a call from her Doctor to schedule a surgery to remove her areola due to her cancer spreading through her lymph nodes to her breast. On October 9th the removal of her areola took place,
Mom before her areola removal
I remember her being nervous while we sat in that waiting area. All I could do was cry when they called her back! Our mother is one of the toughest women we've known, to see her nervous made me nervous! October 24th, Two months after being diagnosed with cancer mom had a port implanted
Mommas Port
This was to make chemo treatments easier to receive and reduce the number of times she would've been stuck with needles. That same day after surgery mom went for her first treatment of chemotherapy.
Supporting Mom at Chemo
After being let down by her first test results following chemotherapy she continued to fight and looked forward to the next attempt at kicking cancers ass! Her next treatment was another type of chemotherapy although this time it was in a pill form. Mom had suffered from many different side affects, she often got sick and felt weak while doing these treatments. Unfortunately this meant mom was in and out of the hospital.
One of the many times mom was admitted
The pain that she endured throughout her journey was unbelievable! The cancer metastasized into her bones and began to make her so uncomfortable, It got worse by the day. We spoke with radiation Doctors and mom decided that she would try radiation treatments to her hip, to hopefully ease the pain and let her walk without suffering from the aches, During that time we met with pain management quite often because nothing was working at this point. Unfortunately mom spent her last birthday admitted in the hospital because she was in excruciating pain.
HAPPY 48TH BIRTHDAY MOM
To see her suffer and continue to fight without complaining or giving up gave me so much courage and hope! We found out not long after, that moms cancer had reached her brain. We were all so devastated and lost for words. Mom decided to give radiation to her brain a try, The day we went for her mask making and marker placement I lost it, seeing the mask that was going to be holding my moms head down while she underwent radiation made me so scared and worried, I cried everyday at treatment, May 1st was her first brain treatment i couldn't accept the fact that the cancer metastasized so quickly! On May 14th My son got to ring the bell to celebrate his ninas last treatment to the brain!
Celebrating Moms last radiation treatment
We were so excited and proud of her for completing each treatment day after day! During the treatment she lost her hair, and experienced headaches often. May 19th my mom had a emergency MRI scheduled due to her pain increasing and it becoming almost impossible for her to walk. Even then mom had high spirits!
I LOVED getting her to smile even though she was in pain
The MRI results showed two spinal fractures long with a tumor and many lacerations on both femurs along with a tumor in her in the left femur. The fractures and tumors were making it impossible for mom to walk at this point. Her bones were too weak to hold her own weight. the Doctors said her walking could cause her to break her femurs and endure even more pain, That night we were sent home. Mom was instructed to stay in bed until her next appointment, Monday May 21st Mom was scheduled to try a new treatment that would of boosted her immune system to fight against the cancer, however due to her being in excruciating pain she was denied treatment and transferred to the ER, Doctors decided to admit her and keep her until they could stabilize the pain. Unfortunately moms pain wasn't stabilized instead she was put in even more! The Drs decided that the best route for her would be to place intramedullary nails into both femurs to give her a better quality of life, allowing her to walk and enjoy the summer with her grandchildren. Unfortunately my mother was instead put on bed rest and never had the chance to experience what walking felt like again! The next picture shows the last time my mom stood on her feet.
Our mothers last time on her feet
On May 24th an Angeo seal was placed into her left leg to cut the blood flow to the tumor, this was done to lessen the chances of her loosing an excessive amount of blood due to the removal of the tumor. On May 25th mom went into her surgery for the medullary nail to be placed into her left leg,
The surgery went exceptionally well from what the Doctors told us.
Moms Incisions on her left leg
The next surgery for her right medullary nail to be placed was scheduled to be completed on May 27th however On May 26th mom spiked a fever, they ran blood cultures, performed an ekg on her as well as chest scans, fluid was found on her lungs, Doctors were in and out of moms room all day and night, I had never been more nervous in my life! That day I got informed by a residential Doctor that our mother only had 6 months left to live. Things were already NOT looking good... I broke down and tried to wrap my head around that.. Surgery was pushed back until May 31st, that morning was very overwhelming! You can see that mom was feeling worried.
Moms final surgery for the medullary nail in her right leg
When the Doctors were done with surgery they informed us that everything went well. A few hours after surgery mom was brought back up to her room, she was in excruciating pain,
I HATE them for putting her through so many procedures
I couldn't take it! Mom started to decline and things were not improving. We were informed that she would be transferred to Ames Hospice House in Westlake to manage her pain and get her ready to come home. On June 3rd at 9:30 pm my mother and I were transferred to Ames Hospice house.
Aiden giving Nina kisses during his visit with her
That next morning when I arrived to visit mom, it was difficult to hold a conversation, the nurses told me she didn't eat much for breakfast. I felt mind blown because just the day before we were having full blown conversations. She also had a good appetite, to come see mom just hours after her being admitted into hospice, finding her the way she was killed me inside! Unfortunately mom was uncomfortable just by being there, I couldn't stand the thought of her being on hospice let alone someone else taking care of her, I felt my mom was being over medicated and I couldn't swallow the thought of it! Starting on the 4th I began requesting that the nurses skip doses of her pain medications. I noticed she began to become a bit more alert and wasn't experiencing pain.
We ALL love you SOOOOO much MOM
When I would leave the hospice late at night, I could only cry on my way home, fearing that my mother would be pumped with an unnecessary amount of pain medications while I was home for the little bit of time that i could be ate me alive. Everything going on literally had me waking up with tears everyday! I couldn't eat or sleep. On June 6th my mom had been alert enough to have a conversation with me, When I asked mom if I can bring her home with me she responded loud and clear "HELL YEAH" in that very moment I knew she meant that! I spoke with the social workers at the Hospice house and requested for her to be discharged to me, I had moms equipment sent out that very next day. I then had my mom transported home on June 8th
Mom being transported home
I continued to care for her in our place that she called home. I am so thankful that I was able to bring her home and care for her! Although taking care of mom was not easy I felt good to be able to. I was able to extend her pain medication doses from every 4 hours to every 6/8 hours. By doing this mom had more time alert with family while still maintaining her pain keeping her comfortable! Unfortunately moms food intake started to decrease and I noticed her becoming weaker, Fathers day morning while giving my mother her morning dose of medication was the last time that she told me she loved me... I gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her I loved her more mom kissed me back for the last time....
The very last kiss from my mother! That night at 8:21pm I called the after hour hospice nurse to come assess my mom I informed her that mom had begun to have trouble clearing her throat and I got worried very quickly. When the nurse was completed assessing my mom she informed me that it was normal for mom to be experiencing this and that she had an estimate of 24 hours of life left. Mom was such a fighter! She held on and fought as long as she possibly could that it was unbelievably difficult to see. Mom was taken from us on June 18th 2018. The memory of her will never fade away and I'm sure the pain won't either. We have put this gofundme together to assist in paying for the final costs of life. Due to mom passing so young and having a pre-existing condition we were unable to obtain life insurance to assist with the cost of laying her to rest, and granting her last wishes. Due to mom having no assets the cost of everything is on us. Anything that anyone is able to donate will help! If your not able to donate we completely understand however if you could share this link and get the word out we would be very appreciative! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my mothers journey!
WE ALL LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM!
Organiser
Crystal Mendez
Organiser
Cleveland, OH