The Last Few Months

Over the last few months we were blessed to spend some quality time together as a family before mom passed. I just wanted to post a few pictures to show you all the fun times we had together.

In November, in the week after mom returned home from the hospital, we went to Park City and spent a few nights together as a family. Mom was so disappointed that we weren't able to go on our Disney Cruise, but we still had a great time!

After our little trip to Park City, we were lucky enough to go to Disney On Ice as a family and have a chance to wear our Disney Family Cruise t-shirts. It was a fun night!

One of our last activities together as a family was going up to the Polar Express in Heber. It is a memory that we'll cherish forever!

We are so blessed to have these wonderful last memories and we will always hold them in a special place in our hearts! Thank you mom for always pulling us together. You have taught us the great meaning of a family and that will never be forgotten! Love you!

Obituary

Catherine Jane Midgley Sorenson, 1949 – 2011. On December 31, 2011, Cathy’s courageous fight with cancer ended and she returned home to her Heavenly Father. Cathy was born March 23, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Frank Park and Nedra Midgley, the sixth of eight children. From an early age, Cathy had a special relationship with her parents and valued family. Some of her fondest childhood memories were visiting her grandparents in California and their visits to Utah. In 1967, Cathy graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City. After some schooling in Chicago, she returned to Salt Lake where she continued to work until she met Jay Parson Sorenson. She and Jay were married on May 20, 1977 and he has been her eternal companion since that time. Cathy and Jay quickly started a family and are parents to five children. Her family, including her husband, five children, their spouses, and her eight grandchildren were the center of her life as she was an amazing wife, mom, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Cathy was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, serving many in her church. She had an incredible faith in Jesus Christ and passed this faith and legacy on to her family. Cathy was a gifted artist. For the past seven years, Cathy and Jay had a booth at Swiss Days where she sold her designer gourds, each year winning an award for outstanding booth. Cathy loved nature, especially drives in the mountains with her family. Cathy loved vacations, especially trips to the east coast and Pennsylvania Dutch country. Cathy was a great cook and left many recipes to her family that will always make us think of her. More than anything else, Cathy loved many and was loved by many and will not be forgotten. The family wishes to thank the many doctors and caregivers who cared for Cathy throughout the last year and a half. Cathy is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Elizabeth. Cathy is survived by her husband, five children, Grace (Mark) Daniels, Jamie (Misa), Park (Anna), Cate (Spencer) Brown, and Elliot (Andrea), eight grandchildren, and six siblings. Funeral services will be held at the Canyon Rim 4th Ward, 3051 S 2900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84109 on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Viewings will be held on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 S Highland Drive, Holladay, UT 84117, and from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Canyon Rim 4th Ward, 3051 S 2900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84109.

Also the Obituary should run in local papers on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Journey Complete

Where do I start? It has been sweet to spend these last few months with our mom. Mom passed away this afternoon around 2:35 PM. She went very easily which was a blessing to her and our family. Just in the past couple of days she had stopped eating and drinking and yesterday was the first day she became unresponsive. We all just wanted to thank everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers. Mom has been the greatest blessing in all of our lives and we truly believe that she'll continue to surround us and bear us up. Mom would like all of you to know how much she truly loves each and every one of you! She was one who impacted every individual that she came in contact with. She truly was an Amazing Woman! Thanks in advance for all your thoughts and prayers for our family in this tender time. Please stay tuned for mom's obituary that I'll post here in the near Future.

No Trip... But back at home and doing well

On Tuesday of this week, mom was put in the hospital due to many complications. The main issue is that her bile is so high that it is shutting down her liver and other organs. The doctors don't think she will be with us for more than a couple of weeks. She is having a difficult time because she wanted to go on this trip more than anything! Even today she still thinks she'll be able to go. But we'll bring the trip here and have a wonderful time at home as a family. Mom has her ups and downs. She would love to see you all, but there are just too many people that love her and she just can't manage. If you would like to see mom, please call and make sure it is an appropriate time. Letters, prayers, and other gestures of love are much appreciated. Mom would like to let you know the great love she has for all of her family and friends. Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. Mom is very comfortable and feels at peace and this is only because of all your sweet daily prayers. Thanks so much in this trying time. I'll keep you all updated...

A Long Overdue Update

Well I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted on this blog. Over the summer things were just going so well, it was hard to have anything to write about. Over the past couple of months there has been quite a lot to tell, but I just haven't been able to find the time to sit down and write. Well mom hasn't been doing so great as of late. She could really use all of your prayers! Mom has been fighting jaundice for the last couple of months and the doctors can't seem to find a way to get rid of it. They believe the jaundice is being built up in moms liver because the tumors are growing and the bile has no way to get out. Recently they tried a new chemo drug, but it made mom so sick that she was hospitalized for a few days. Now mom is off that chemo and trying to recover. The doctors wanted mom to recover as much as possible so she'll be able to have a nice trip. This next week, all of the Sorenson's are going to Disneyland and on a Disney Cruise. We are hoping that mom will be able to relax and enjoy some time with the family. When we return, the doctors will re-evaluate mom's situation and see if there are anymore options they could try to keep mom with us. Mom is very exhausted and tired of being sick, but she keeps on fighting because of her love for life, her family, friends, and neighbors. Please keep praying for her and I'll let you all know how our trip went and how mom is doing once we return.

Ryan Park Sorenson

Just added one more baby to the Sorenson family!

Ryan Park Sorenson was born to Park and Anna on April 23rd. They will call him Park.

Mom was very pleased to have one more healthy nephew!

Mom is doing pretty well. She is still going into Chemotherapy twice a month on Mondays. Nothing much has changed since last time I wrote. There are always a few complications that come up, but overall she is feeling very well and the doctors are please with her progress. She will still be going through Chemotherapy for a little while longer. It's been going on for so long that I have even forgotten when she will be done. I think we are expecting that sometime in the summer they will run more tests and see where she is at.

But in the meantime, All the new babies, birthday's, and parties have been keeping mom busy and of course very happy. There is still one more baby on the way. Grace is expecting another baby boy in late July of this year. I'll let you know when that happens.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! It really helps mom keep going! Hopefully here in the near future we'll have some great news that she has overcome this deadly cancer.

Vacation, Birthday, and a New Baby

Well a lot has happened since the last time I wrote.

Maxwell Jay Sorenson was born on February 22nd to Jamie and Misa. Mom was very happy to have another little boy join the Sorenson family.

Park and Anna are due to have a little boy any day now and we all can't wait.

Mom recently had a wonderful birthday and Mom and Dad took a nice relaxing trip back East (Mom's favorite place). Mom felt really well the whole trip and had a great time.

Mom is still going through chemotherapy two Monday's each month and hasn't had any complications. Mom would like to thank everyone for the thoughtful Birthday notes and the prayers in her behalf. Thanks for all the love and support.

Would you like to learn more?

Cholangiocarcinoma is a very complex cancer. I know a lot of you don't know exactly what mom is going through and I thought you might want to learn more. Here is a little bit about Cholangiocarcinoma.

What is Cholangiocarcinoma?

Cholangiocarcinoma (often referred to as bile duct cancer) is a cancerous growth in one of the ducts that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine. Cholangiocarcinoma is rare. It occurs in approximately 2 out of 100,000 people, but rates of cholangiocarcinoma have been rising worldwide over the past several decades. Cancerous tumors of the bile ducts are usually slow-growing and do not spread quickly. However, many of these tumors are already advanced by the time they are found. A cholangiocarcinoma may start anywhere along the bile ducts. These tumors block off the bile ducts and do not allow bile to flow from the liver to the intestine. This is why one of the first symptoms noticed is jaundice. This cancer affects both men and women and most patients are older than 65(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001336/).

Prominent symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma include abnormal liver function tests, abdominal pain, jaundice, weight loss, and sometimes generalized itching, fever, or changes in stool or urine color. The disease is diagnosed through a combination of blood tests, imaging, endoscopy, and sometimes surgical exploration. Known risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma include primary sclerosing cholangitis (an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts), and congenital liver malformations.

Cholangiocarcinoma is considered to be an incurable and rapidly lethal disease unless all of its tumors can be fully resected (cut out surgically). There is no potentially curative treatment except surgery, but unfortunately most patients have advanced and inoperable disease at the time of diagnosis.

For more information, please go to the following links:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholangiocarcinoma/

Back on Chemo

Well in the past few weeks, mom has been waiting for the results of her MRI to show her how well her body has been reacting to the chemotherapy. Last Thursday mom had an appointment with her Doctor to discuss the results and the next steps to defeating this cancer. Her are the results:

There is some good news and some not so good news. First of all, The cancer is not gone.(this is the not so good news) There is still too much cancer to try and remove it all through surgery. The MRI showed that the tumor in the gallbladder is about half the size as it was last fall, the cancer in the bile duct is almost undetectable, and the spots on the liver look just a bit better.

The Doctor discussed the option of radiation, but decided with my parents to just continue chemotherapy because mom has been so successful while maintaining a high quality of life.

Mom will start chemotherapy today and will continue just twice a month for the next four months. After that period they will reevaluate. So back to step one...

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Mom still has a positive attitude and was very happy with the results of the MRI. She is ready to get back at it and defeat this cancer.

Thanks again for all your thoughts, prayers, cards, notes, gifts and many more signs of love that has encouraged mom to keep giving her all. She couldn't do it without all of you!!

I'll keep you posted on any new information...

February 7th 2011

Well right now mom is sitting at the hospital getting her second to last chemo treatment. Mom's last treatment is on Valentines Day and is getting excited and nervous for what's to come. After chemo is over, I believe the doctors will run all the tests and see where she is at the first week of March. The following week, the Doctors will bring in the family to give us the results of the tests and what the options are at that point. There are many different paths that they could take at that point. They could start chemo again, give mom a break from everything, start radiation, or even surgery. As for mom, she seems to be doing really well. She is happy and has a great attitude. Thanks for all your support. You really do play a key role in helping mom get through this difficult time. I will let you all know what the Doctor's decide to do next. Until next time...

Sorry It's Been So LONG!

I don't even know where to start... I'll first start by apologizing. The holidays were very busy, but that is a lame excuse. I'll try to be better and update on a regular basis. Well mom is doing pretty good. Not much has happened over the last month, so it's been hard to find something to write about. We realized that mom had been sick mainly because she wasn't getting enough fluid. The Doctor's suggested that we give fluid through Mom's port three times a week at home. Andrea and I have been taking care of hooking up the fluids and taking them out. It takes about 2 hours each day. Early in December, the Doctors took Mom's bile bag off and put a cap on the tube to see if the bile would run through the bile tubes and function normally. So far it has and mom hasn't needed to use the bag. The Doctor's said that this is probably a good sign that the tumors are shrinking and the Chemo is working effectively. Mom is very happy and optimistic that she will get some good news in the upcoming months. Mom has one more cycle of chemotherapy and then they will run the tests to see where she''s at. That should happen in February sometime. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers over the holidays. Mom had a great Christmas and we had a wonderful time together as a family. Doctor's still encourage Mom to avoid being around people in this flu season, but she loves all your notes and thoughts. Thanks for all your support and patients. I'll try to be better at updating the blog. Hopefully at least once a week. Thanks for your support...

November 15th 2010

Today mom started the second cycle of chemotherapy. Everything went well and mom is back at home trying to regain her energy. Mom had an appointment with Dr. Litton at 11 this morning. Dr. Litton talked to her about capping the bile tube at the end of this chemo cycle to see if the bile is draining effectively through the bile duct.

Dr. Litton seems to think that the chemotherapy has been shrinking the tumors in the bile duct and the bile is draining correctly because recently mom hasn't been having bile drain into her bag. We are hoping that this is true and the tumors are shrinking, but we won't know for a little while longer.

After she met with Dr. Litton, she received the chemo treatment and returned home around 5 PM. She has been resting and has been feeling much better than the past few weeks. We are happy about how mom is feeling. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.

This Past Weekend

On Monday November 1st, mom took her temperature and it was about 100.5. The doctor told her that anytime it was over 100.4 she needed to call him immediately. Dad called Doctor Litton and he had her start on a antibiotic immediately. Mom thought the fever was gone, but it was just being masked by the Lora tab she was taking for pain. The next few days mom was gradually getting worse, but was managing ok.

On Friday around 6 PM, mom took her temperature and it was around 101.6. Dad called Doctor Litton and he told her to go to the emergency room immediately. When she got there they took her blood pressure and it was 74/49. That is really low and the doctors were very concerned. They immediately started antibiotics and fluid intravenously. They were concerned there was an infection in mom's body and wanted to get it resolved before they sent her home. Mom was released on Monday around 1 PM.

She is doing much better now. She was scheduled for Chemotherapy on Monday, but the doctor wanted her to fully recover before they gave her another treatment. She is scheduled for her next treatment on Monday the 15th.

Right now mom has been struggling with her immune system and will not be able to receive visitors for the time being. Hopefully she will start feeling better and will be able to visit with all of you. I'm sure she would love to! Thank you for all your notes, cards, and prayers. Mom really appreciates all of the love that has been sent.

Halloween 2010

We had a great Halloween! Mom has been feeling pretty well and we got to spend some time all together as a family. We even got mom carving pumpkins. It was also fun to see all the babies dressed in their Halloween costumes. Maybe we can get mom to dress up next year!

Jane Catherine Brown

On October 28th 2010, a new member of the Sorenson Family arrived. Cate had a little girl and she was born at 2:22 PM. Jane weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. Spencer and Cate named little Jane after mom. Mom's full name is Catherine Jane Sorenson. What a great name!!

She is a very cute baby and we are so excited to have a new addition to our family. Soon we will have two more with Misa having a baby boy in February and Anna is having a baby in April. We are excited!

After The Second Treatment

I went and visited my mom last night and she was doing really well. She was at the hospital from 11:30 AM to about 6 PM yesterday. Mom received a bunch of fluid which really makes her feel better. After she received fluid they gave her the two chemo drugs. As of now, she hasn't really had many symptoms which is great. Hopefully that continues.

Mom will get a break this next Monday. She will always get the third week off on a four week cycle. Mom may go in Monday to receive some fluid if she is not feeling well and not drinking enough. The doctors also gave her a prescription for Lortab to help with her back pain.

We are very happy that mom has been feeling as good as she has. Thanks so much for all your love and support. The next post will probably be from mom, so stay tuned...

The Day Before the Next Treatment

Sorry I didn't post an update this week. Mom had a fairly good week when factoring in that we were expecting much worse. She has felt tired, a little sick to her stomach, pain in her back, and no energy. Overall, it was a real positive week.

We are hoping that the Chemo isn't cumulative and the symptoms aren't much worse this next week. Mom will be going in to get her second treatment around 11 tommorrow and we are hoping that mom will have as good of a week as this last one.

I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow and I'll have mom write a little something this next week letting you all know how she is feeling.

First Day of Chemotherapy

Today, October 18th, mom had her first dosage of chemotherapy. She was very nervous going in because she didn't know how her body would respond. The chemo took about four hours to administer and everything went surprisingly well. Mom is feeling just fine and seems to still have a lot of energy. The doctor told her to not expect to feel this well for long. Mom should start feeling a little more tired and nauseous in the next few days as her cells start to die. We are just hoping that it won't effect her too much.

Next Monday she will get another dosage of chemotherapy. I will let you know how she is feeling in a few days. Hopefully I'll have some good news. Until then...

October 15th 2010

Yesterday, October 15th, mom had a portacath (port) placed in the left side of her chest. This power port is where they will insert the chemotherapy. The port allows for intravenous access and the medication will be distributed through the blood vessels and circulate through her body. The procedure went really well. After the procedure, mom was feeling tired and a little sore, but today she is feeling much better.

We are all hoping that mom will be feeling strong with a lot of energy before she starts chemotherapy Monday morning. Please pray for mom that her body will react well to the chemo and that everything will run smoothly.

October 12th 2010

On Tuesday, October 12, Mom and Dad met with Dr. Litton at the Cancer Center. Dr. Litton is a partner of Dr. Nibley, the medical oncologist we met with previously. This was their first meeting with the doctors since additional biopsies were taken. Dr. Litton confirmed that Mom does have cancer and that they will proceed with the chemotherapy treatments that had already been explained to us.

Mom and Dad will go to a informational class on chemotherapy on Wednesday, October 13. As we explained in earlier posts, Mom will receive the chemotherapy drugs by IV. To avoid the necessity of inserting a needle each time she has treatment, she will have a port put into her chest on Friday, October 15 where they will inject the drugs. Mom will then have her first chemotherapy treatment on Monday, October 18.

As we explained previously, one drug will take about two hours to infuse, the other drug will take about one hour. The doctor explained that Mom likely will not lose her hair, but may be nauseous. This course of chemotherapy is not as debilitating as other courses of chemotherapy.

The treatments will be once a week for two weeks and then she will have one week off. After three cycles of treatment (nine weeks), additional tests will be run to determine how the cancer is reacting to the chemotherapy.

Mom is still upbeat. I do not think anyone would be excited for chemotherapy, but it will be good to start actively fighting against the cancer.
Thanks again for all your cards, gestures of love, and prayers in this time of need! Mom is truely grateful and loves you all!