Team Teresa : Pancreatic Cancer Update 072822

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words for Teresa and her family as she has bravely battled Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer these last four years.

Since the beginning of the year, the Wetterhahn family has gone through so many changes. In January, the entire family, except for Royce got Covid. Once they received the booster shots, they seemed to have gotten it all over again.

Just when they were feeling back to normal again, Teresa was admitted into the hospital with pneumonia, nausea and pains to her stomach. Once she recovered from that she found out from her doctors that her chemo was not working, and she would need to start a new chemo medicine (the sixth chemo protocol with over 60 chemo treatments). The process for receiving the insurance approval was difficult and time consuming.

She started the new chemo (oral pill) and quickly realized that this chemo was not going to work for her. There is not another chemo or other medicine option to take for her cancer. There are no more tools in the tool bag. Within the past 30 days her cancer tumor marker number has increased from 2,500 to 8,800.

She went to the hospital in June for 8 days because she had a blockage between her lower bowels, and had to have a stint put in.

Her most recent hospital visit was for 5 days, trying to get pain and nausea under control. Once she was released this time from the hospital, she was put on hospice care at home.

Her pain and nausea are getting increasingly worse and hoping the home hospice nurses will get these under control and she can begin eating and getting her strength back.

John has taken a leave of absence to care for Teresa so she can have hospice in their home.

The family would appreciate any donations to help with medical expenses, insurance premiums, mortgage payments and other home expenses.

Your generosity in the past has helped them immensely during these past four years.

During these emotional times and the economy, the family is hoping for your generosity again.

Teresa, John, Royce and Katelyn send their love and gratitude.

Love, Tom