Rest in peace May 15, 2015

My dearest husband Patrick, after he granted his final wishes is to travel as a family together to Los Angeles. Using his last strength to see his families and good friends. He feel fullest and completed. On May 15, 2015 at 5:15pm.After he waited for our son Daxton to return from school and our best friends and kids arrived from Vancouver Canada. He lift his hand up and wave at Daxton to give him a big hugs. He took his last breath when our little family on his bedside with our best friends and neighbors. He passed away peacefully without suffering. The families and block neighbors was here to see him off the funeral limousine to his resting place. We both have fought so hard in the last 16 months battle, we had been trying so hard to extend his life to the fullest. He finally was defeated by the cancer. I wish and pray for my dearest husband to let go with his worries and set himself free from suffering on his way to a peaceful land with God. 

His service will be hold on 

Sunset Hill Funeral Home Bellevue Washington at 1215-145Pl SE Bellevue WA 98007

May 19th, 2015, Tuesday 

starting from 4pm (Drop in anytime) till 8pm. 

May 20th, 2015 Wednesday 9am-12noon, (Drop in anytime)

1pm cremation for family. 

In lieu of flowers and in memory of Patrick Phu Dang. 

Please donate funds towards:

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network 

http://www.pancan.org 

Or

Securing Daxton's future

https://www.facebook.com/securingdaxtonfuture

He is a greatest husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friends and colleague. His smile will be forever missed with all the great memories we had created together. 

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly."

Rest in peace my dearest husband Patrick. 

The 2nd opinion

The second Doctor had reviewed his record from the start to the present. He provided a in depth insight on his opinion, comparing and explained the images of the CT scan from the beginning to present time, showing us images on how the cancer in the liver is progressing each slide at a time, comparing the size of the liver after each treatment stated that since last September the chemotherapy treatments only works partially. By Jan the treatment start not being effective, by the last oral chemotherapy treatments despite it's not working the cancer is growing at the same time. His condition just start declining the pass three weeks. As both doctor had explained the cancer are progress very fast. He also explained why not able to apply target medicine and why not using clinical trial medicine. It's all come down to the point the liver function test that we done on April 30 was falling so bad, one of the trial medicine drug was already being used on one of his previous cocktail of chemotherapy drug. Which is not safe to apply for any treatment, which will be dangerous for him to take on any chemotherapy drugs and it will have reversed result to caught him into life and death condition. The doctor had performed an ultrasound on the appointment to be sure whether there is any fluid build up on his abdomen to release the tightest and tension but again it only find out the the cancer in the liver are progressing to cause his abdomen being so blowed. Pushing all the surrounding organs. His eye are getting more and more yellow as well as his feet swalling are not going away. His final wishes is to return back to Los Angeles to be with his family and good friends. I am doing something out of my comfort zone, taking him, my son as well as my neice travel to Los Angeles with him as a family, he called it as our final vacation together. I have preparing all his medical records handy, consult with doctors advise. We finally made it down to Los Angeles on May 08. I can see he show comfort on his face when the jet touch down and landed safely. He was well surrounded by love from his immediate families and good friends. His appetite was improved and at least he is try to eat and request for food that he is caving. As I have a serious discussion with him yesterday he consider Los Angeles is his final resting place as he was growing up here with all the memories and this is a place he really called home. I am glad I made the right decision to take the risk to fly him down here. I am just hoping the God can offer him a bit longer time to be with us all. Please keep praying for our little family. 

Critical condition

May 05, 2015

It's less than a week, his health conditions declined day by day, he is extremely fatigue, he lost more weight again very skinny and not able to take on food. Although we had try so many fluid form of food, such as nutritional vegetables soup, rice soup, fruit smoothie, Asian herbal soup etc. His stomach only able to intake a very small amount. The liver enlarge push to his stomach and make it more difficult for him to take on almost any food now. His mouth is very dry, night sweat, leg are swallowing and his eye turn yellowish. His stomach is become more tight cause the cancer inside obviously is growing larger. I do not think his travel wishes is safe anymore. Doctor called even on the Sunday afternoon to check on his condition, We are very much appreciate Dr. Picozzi go above and beyond on his patients. Like the doctor had told us he will be with us till the end of the battle. We still waiting for second opinion. The good part is his pain still under manageable, the pain medication did do the job. As doctor said he would try to make him feel as comfortable as possible. However nausea still continue.  As we both know we will keep trying hope there is still Hope and Miracle ahead, we won't give up although it may happen any day any time now. We both treasure any day is a good day for us including our only son to being together as a family. 

The bad news

April 30, 2015 the doctor announced the news that we never want to hear. His condition was drastically drop. Doctor had reviewed the blood test result his liver function drop so bad within a week. He cannot proceed with any kind of chemotherapy treatment or biopsy in order to avoid to create more dangerous conditions for him. His Health condition is not able to tolerate any more drug. His weight drop down to 133 lbs, his stomach area is blowed, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and tired, beside loss of appetite and cannot chew on food, basically he is taking almost everything in fluid form. It's hard for the health care provider to announce the term of your life and it's hard for the patient to accept it's only how much longer you can live. Base on the progression of the cancer in these two weeks. Doctor expect he might have few weeks to two month to be with us. Although I am on the medical field as an Interpreter for 7 years in the past dealing with the similar situation. But it's extremely hard for me to digest the information I just heard, knowing that I am going to lost my most beloved one in my life and my son is going to lost his Dad, friends and family is going to lost a brother, a uncle and a best friend. We all still in shock although since his first diagnosis in Jan 2014. We are expect some day will happen, but we all are greedy we want more and more and we do not want to let go. I am still trying to get second opinion from other oncology doctor in Seattle Cancer Care Alliance as quickly as possibility can. I understand the doctor who take care of him from the beginning Doctor Picozzi is one the best most well known doctor treating pancreatic cancer in the west coast, beside he is the director of the Virginia Mason hospital Oncology team and president of the pancreatic cancer research organization. We do respect him to providing my husband the best care he can offered. However for this moment because we are running out of options. I am just like the ants in the hot sand. I am still trying to look for miracle, I hope miracle can happen. All of us around him especially both me and my son will cherish the time we have together. Friends and family please talk to him now to tell him how much you love him. I just do not want to end writing my blog because of this reason. 

Result reviewed serious decision

After the CT Scan today, the result reviewed. The cancer in the liver it is indeed getting larger, it also spread few area to the lung. The pancreas condition is stable. On the other words, the chemotherapy drugs was treated him last two months only partially works. The type of the cancer cell in the liver is the fast growing type of cancer. Doctors stated we have three options to consider.
Option 1: Do nothing.
Option 2: Continue to use new type of chemotherapy treatment or to try out new non approve drug.
Option 3: Remove cancer cell sample, Biopsy, study the type cancer cell to examine the type of drug may best to treat the cancer.  
As we both discuss, I won't give up on him, as long as he will not give up himself. I would try all the resource and option we possible have out there until I am running out of option. I have my faith as long as the longer he can live, the longer he can prolong his life, there might have a possibility a curable drug might invented by the scientist.
We will see option 2 & 3 can be possible coincide together so in this case we can start treatment right away and at the same time we can also find out exactly what type of cancer he is having to use the most effective drug.
I would not give up and hoping everyone who know him can provide him mental and spiritual support to let him know there are still a lot of love on earth that he shouldn't give in to his battle.

The 15th Months

After undergo three different round of chemotherapy treatments with different drug. The treatment this time having a lot of side effects and doesn't seem to work. Besides, he have fever and all the cancer symptoms seem to disappear for a long time has returned. After the doctor examination yesterday, The liver was enlarge, the abdomen was bowled, lost 15 pounds in this two months. no appetite, doctor had order the urgent CT scan tomorrow. In addition to start taking antibiotics to stop any inflections. We would have to see if there is any other options out there when the results are review tomorrow.

Jan 2015 - We made it !

This is a miracle and blessings my husband make it to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year 2015. It will soon come to the one year marks on Jan 15. This is priceless and valuable to our families and friends all around. Although he do encounter symptoms during the months in November and December, but his spirit is high and we both did learn a lot on how to monitor symptoms such as discomfort on the adonmam, blowed and indigestion feeling, backache all these are cause by the Cancer returned, we knew it's coming back but we just have to take it a step at a time. He have 3 consecutive days of treatment every month till August. Just that one month break he experiences really severe pain on his abdomen and leds him to visit emergency room. The emergency room doctor compared the scan he had in January, the mass in the liver show larger.   We immediately contact ouroncology physicians. The results of the scan and biopsy, the fast growing Cancer in the liver is being active bring him to another  4 more treatment since September apply treatment only stop the fast growing type. After these treatment he still have symptoms in November and December and my instinct had told me it's not good, finally we had another scan in December 2014. The scan results showed there is two area in the liver mass was enlarged and only one area was smaller. It means the treatment he had only stop 1 out of the 3, so the other two could be a different type of cancer which the biopsy last time was not clear or they do not take enough sample to perform testing. The good thing is on the Pancrea side it has no movement. This coming Wednesday he is going to have another biopsy to determine the other two spots he has in the liver. Hopefully they know for sure this time to apply the right treatment. Although it is very hard for him and for me and my son. However we try to live as normal as we could be during this time and treasure every moment we had together. He is still working very hard on his job in order to support his family and carry on the medical insurance, he is truly an amazing husband and father.