Peace

We at Team Cathy would like to thank everybody for all of the thoughts, prayers, cards, well wishes and help you have offered Cathy as she has battled cancer for over a year now. You have helped make a difficult journey more tolerable. It is with great sadness that we tell you that Cathy has now entered Hospice Care. After much thought, consultations with doctors and discussions, Cathy and our team have decided that we are no longer going to pursue any treatment options and are instead focusing on keeping Cathy comfortable. The disease has rendered Cathy to a quality of life that is not fair to her or anyone. It is the opinion of her doctor and us that any more treatments will only delay the inevitable, cause an enormous amount of pain for Cathy, and actually make her final days much worse. Instead we have decided to let her choose how she wants to spend her final days, which is in her own bed with her family close to her.

Cathy battled courageously, in her quiet, dignified way, cracking jokes and smiling often despite her situation. Her oncologist and nurses were brought to tears, which is not easy when you work in oncology and become used to losing patients, but Cathy is that type of person - charming every one whose life she touches.