Dorothy Riley January 30, 1930 - April 8, 1999
After being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer
on August 4th 1998 she underwent several rounds of chemotherapy.
Most often you just hear numbers and statitics about cancer. To tell the human story, I've got to tell you her's.
This is the short version of our odessey beginning just before her diagnosis
around July 12th, 1998. My mother thought she had come down with the flu, with stomach pain and went to her general practioner on the 17th to get examined. He too initially thought the flu and after a few more days she felt better for about a 4 or 5 day. Then by July 27th she was in pain again so went back to the general practioner. They ran a lot of tests including the CEA test which came back elevated on July 30th. Her pain was increasing and she was scheduled for more tests the week of August 3rd. However, by the following Monday (August 3rd, 1998) she was in such pain she couldn't function and was admitted to the hospital that morning.
On Tuesday August 4, 1998 after a CT scan they determined it was likely pancreatic cancer with possible lymph node and liver mets. Her CEA tumor marker number was 20. On Wednesday August 5th they did a needle biopsy of the tumor and found Friday that it could not be read. Monday August 10, 1998 another needle biopsy was performed and on Tuesday August 11, 1998 the results showed andenocarinoma. After a second opinion at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Clinic she began chemotherapy Monday August 17, 1998. On Aug 17, 1998 her CEA tumor marker was 40 and the CA19-9 marker was accidentally broken in transit.
Her first words to me after the doctors told us the news were "I'm not going to see Christi grow-up or meet Lexi" (Christi was nearly 2 years old, Lexi due in April of 1999 - see below for their pictures).
•First Round of Chemo
Aug 1998
•Trimetrexate by IV on day 1, and Leucovorin followed by 5-FU on day two by IV (each over the course of about 30-45 minutes). Day 3 and 4 she is doing Leucovorin by mouth. This was a protocol from Dr Garcia at USC and was listed in the NCI Trial's database. Dr Garcia said that his patients that had responded showed 'significant' results within six weeks and that if you did not show improvement then you should switch. This was a good treatment, if you respond.
•Monday August 17 & Tuesday August 18, 1998 - First round of chemotherapy
•Monday August 24 & Tuesday August 25, 1998 - Second round of chemotherapy
•Thursday August 27, 1998: Began with Megace to help her appetite after she had lost about 7 pounds in two weeks.
•Monday August 31 & Tuesday Sept 1, 1998 - Third round of chemotherapy
•Sept 8-9, 1998 - Fourth round of chemotherapy - nausea
•Sept 14-15, 1998 - Fifth round of chemotherapy - nausea
•Sept 21-22, 1998 - Sixth round of chemotherapy - nausea
•Two week break.
•Sept 26, 1998 - Dehydrated and admitted to the hospital; Sat-Tues.
•Second Chemo treatment:
•October 10, 1998 - CT scan to determine how first round was progressing. Results showed the tumor roughly the same size, but two more mets on the liver. Drs agreed that she should switch to something else.
•Oct 12, 1998 - Start of second round of chemo - Gemzar, 5-FU, and leucovorin CEA 87-88, CA19-9 32000
•Oct 13, 1998 -Oct 19, 1998 admitted to the hospital for treatment of blood clots in her legs - heperin(sp?) and coumadin (will remain on this for about 4-6 months at least).
•Oct 19 - Gemzar, 5-FU, and leucovorin
•Oct 26 - Gemzar -- she decided she wanted to switch to only gemzar due to the nausea etc associated with the 5-FU.
•Nov 2 CEA 54, CA19-9 25000
•Nov 23 Gemzar and 5-FU, Leuc...CEA 48, CA19-9 19000
•Nov 30 - Hospital one day (23 hours)
•Dec 1 - Chemo
•Dec 7 - Chemo
•Dec 14 - Chemo + CEA:??, CA19-9:?????
•1999
•January 30, 1999, surprise 69th birthday party - her first one ever. Friends and family arrive from all over.
•
•March 3, 1999. After our visit to the Walt Disney Memorial Cancer Institute in Orlando, Florida, after the Gemzar seemed to have stopped working, she is beginning a new round of experimental treatment. CEA was 28.7 and CA 19-9 was 42,000 as of March 1.
•March 25, 1999. Liver function tests have shown significant negative drops. After three weeks on the new chemo, it hasn't helped and the liver mets are increasing in size.
•March 26, 1999. After exhausting all the options due to the liver mets, she and I came to the conclusion that there were no more options. Therefore hospice was contacted.
•April 4th, 1999, Easter. She is doing okay, but pretty much confined to bed. Alert though and we talk.
•April 5th and 6th, 1999. No changes, but sleeping more
•April 7th,1999. She slept most of the day but we had a few hours of talking.
•April 8th,1999. She slept much day with only a few moments of lucidity. I asked how she was when she woke up, "fine" was the response then she looked at me and said "don't cry." Then a little later she woke up and said "I love you." Around 9:45pm she lost her battle with me, her brother, and her sister with her.
•April 15th, 1999. Alexis Grace Dorothy Riley is born.
Just remember, if someone tells you that
you have X amount of time, just ignore them. No one knows how much time
you have unless they have a direct line to God and there aren't many people
like that. Just make sure you live whatever time you have left to its
fullest with the people you love and care about. The statistics are
meaningful for a group only but there are always people who beat the odds
and you can be one of them.
Practical advice
Every day counts since every day the tumor is growing and decreasing the
likelihood of successful treatment, so don't be shy, be AGGRESSIVE about
getting things done ASAP. It helps to have copies of records such as the
radiologist's reading of a CT scan, treatments tried (if any), marker levels (e.g. CEA or CA19-9 numbers) etc so that you can fax them to a Dr if requested. The key here is to be proactive and pleasant.
Obituary
Dorothy was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and grew up in Sea Girt, New Jersey, where she met her first husband, the late C.H. Fletcher Riley who died of post-polio syndrome in 1986. She graduated Cum Laude from the State University of New York, at Cortland, with a BS in Education. She taught kindergarten for a number of years in Suffern, New York, Summit, New Jersey, and Venezuela. She was married to C. H. Fletcher Riley in 1959 in Pompano Beach, Florida. After his death in 1986, she re-marred in 1990 to Andrew B. Potter.
She loved to paint, dedicated much of her life to helping others, and was active in the Anglican church and Broward County's Guardian Ad Litem Program. She was always willing to help people. Her generosity of spirit and kindness of heart brightened each life she touched. The world is a little less bright today. She loved her family and friends and was in turn loved by them. She will be missed by all who knew her.
...
In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
With Mr. Albert Shaw, January 30, 1999 at her surprise party.
Alexis and Christine, one of whom she met, one of whom she missed.
  
Dorothy and C.H. Fletcher Riley, Thanksgiving, 1961 and Fall 1984, Bucknell University and 1959 wedding.
Onward Christian Soldiers
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
-- King James Version
Psalm 121
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Prayer of St. Francis de Sales
Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the Everlasting Father who cares for you today,
will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or
He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious
thoughts and imaginations.
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