Gallbladder Cancer Awareness

Hi, like many of you I was going about my life, pursuing my career and dreams, watching my beautiful daughter pursuing hers in college, and nurturing my husband back to health following his 2nd cancer diagnosis (from which he is in remission) when abruptly I received devastating news following an ER visit with abdominal pain 2 days before thanksgiving back in November 2017. I was diagnosed with Stage IV Gallbladder Cancer, a rare, incurable and often untreatable disease when discovered at this stage. As a family that was stricken twice with a cancer diagnosis so recently I thought, “I got this, I know what to do and how to find resources,” except those were for stage 1 and 2 cancers, the treatable and curable ones, not the rare and most often terminal stage IV. 

I was given 6 months to maybe a year, and while that is not easy to digest or ever come to terms with, I believe this is my opportunity to make an impact on the research for better medication, or immunotherapy and why not a cure for this rare and most often unforgiving type of cancer. 

Please get screened if you have gall stones, gallbladder issues or any unexplained symptoms. I am 43 years old and the few symptoms I had were very indicative of premenopause.

Your money will help fund the research, but if word is all that gets out, then my job is done!!! 

Hug your loved ones a little tighter for me tonight!

Love always and forever, 
Iulia