Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

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Detox
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:27 pm

Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Detox » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:13 pm

She was a posting member here and some of us read her cancer blog as well. I will miss her, she was 42.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/obituaries/julie-yip-williams-dies-writer-of-candid-blog-on-cancer.html

Julie's blog

https://julieyipwilliams.wordpress.com/

Utwo
Posts: 285
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 10:14 am
Location: T.O.

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Utwo » Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:20 pm

What was her nic on this forum?
58 yo male at diagnosis: T1bN0M0, 0/15 nodes, low grade/moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma
03/2016 colonoscopy: 2 small polyps removed in left colon; CEA = 1.3
04/2016 colonoscopy: caecum sessile 3.5 cm polyp piecemeal removed with kind of clear margins
05/2016 "prophylactic" laparoscopic right hemicolectomy - bleeding, leak, infection
06/2017 CT scan, colonoscopy OK; CEA = 1.6
A lot of funny stuff discovered by CT scans in liver, kidney, lungs, arteries, gallbladder, lymph node, pancreas

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby NHMike » Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:44 pm

I read some of her blog posts and see that she's a fellow tennis fan.

She has an incredible story with her life cut short and a couple of kids.

Cancer is cruel stuff.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

Detox
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Detox » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:07 pm


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GrouseMan
Posts: 888
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:30 pm
Location: SE Michigan USA

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby GrouseMan » Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:08 am

Sorry to hear that Julie passed.... She was pretty remarkable and I urge people to have a read of her Blog posted above. I think her story will become well publicized and help to get people screened and hopefully more donations and research dollars allocated to this killer.

RIP Julie!

GrouseMan
DW 53 dx Jun 2013
CT mets Liver Spleen lung. IVb CEA~110
Jul 2013 Sig Resct
8/13 FolFox,Avastin 12Tx mild sfx, Ongoing 5-FU Avastin every 3 wks.
CEA: good marker
7/7/14 CT Can't see the spleen Mets.
8/16/15 CEA Up, CT new abdominal mets. Iri, 5-FU, Avastin every 2 wks.
1/16 Iri, Erbitux and likely Avastin (Trial) CEA going >.
1/17 CEA up again dropped from Trial, Mets growth 4-6 mm in abdomen
5/2/17 Failed second trial, Hospitalized 15 days 5/11. Home Hospice 5/26, at peace 6/4/2017

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Robino1
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Facebook Username: Robin.lawthers
Location: Florida

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Robino1 » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:09 am

I'm deeply saddened by this news. Not that it was unexpected but that it even had to happen. She was such an inspiration in so many ways. Overcame so many obstacles in her relatively short life.

42, so young. :(
At 54 2014 1st colonoscopy colon cancer detect
Colon resect margins clear. No chemo Stage II
2017
Distend abd, pain in intestines.
CT scan seeding & Ascites
Lap diag - cancer on the omentum
CEA 217; 219
FOLFOX started 6/17
CEA 202
8/29/17 CT melting of tumor.
Latest CT scan shows 2 new tumors and return of ascites.
CEA: (2017)9/30 -109; 10/12 -99.1; 11/4 -90.7; 11/30 -70.7; 12/14 -83.4; (2018)1/4 -73.3; 2/1-84.2; 89.2; 89.8; 88.5; 81.8: 93.5; 107; 119
BRAF V600e

mariane
Posts: 704
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:16 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby mariane » Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:53 am

These news hit me hard.
I have followed her blog since my diagnosis. I exchanged a few emails. I prayed for her.
I saw her from distance in MSKCC in mid January and started to run to meet her. She was being called for labs. I stopped in the middle of the short distance and turn around as I did not know what to say to her. All words seemed superficial and inappropriate.
She did a lot to raise awareness and fought for cure. Exactly as GrouseMan, very wisely as always, said.
Still she is working for that, for us.
Thank you, Julie!
I will pray for her and her family.
mom of now 14 years old twins, dx @ 40 in 6/2015 with upper rectal cancer, 10+ liver mets, CEA 140
chemo: 8/2015 - 10/2016 - 4xFOLFIRINOX, 2xFOLFOX, 8xFOLFIRI, 10x5FU, HAI pump -12xFUDR
4 surgeries, complete pathological response
CEA<2 since 10/2015
NED since May 2016

I praise God for every day with my family!

CAGirl
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:55 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby CAGirl » Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:18 pm

Absolutely heartbreaking.
She was a beautiful writer and beautiful soul.
May her children always remember her, and her husband find moments of beauty and happiness in his life.
Dx 2/2017, age 45, 2 kids: 6 yrs & 3 yrs
History of Crohn's disease - dx in 1997; in remission, thus no colonoscopy in over 10 years
Anemia dx 11/16: GI doc assured me "the likelihood of colon cancer" was "very low".
Stage 3C - T3N2b
8/64 lymph nodes; clear margins surgery 3/17
12 cycles of Folfox 4/17-9/17
3-month CT scan midway through chemo, no changes
2-3-mo CT scan post chemo 11/17 slightly larger lung nod (incr. from 7mm to 8 or 9mm)
CT scan 3/18 - NED
clear CT scan 1/2019 NED

MissMolly
Posts: 645
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:33 pm
Location: Portland, Ore

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby MissMolly » Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:52 pm

Heartbreaking news.

I have followed Julie’s blog and appreciated her inherent gifts of expression as a writer. Julie’s blog and its narrative gave me valuable perspective and resolve in facing my own health challenges. Although I never met Julie, I considered her a friend of afar.

My thoughts are with her two daughters and husband. Julie’s spirit remains with them.
- Karen -
Dear friend to Bella Piazza, former Colon Club member (NWGirl).
I have a permanent ileostomy and offer advice on living with an ostomy - in loving remembrance of Bella
I am on Palliative Care for broad endocrine failure + Addison's disease + osteonecrosis of both hips/jaw + immunosuppression. I live a simple life due to frail health.

teachpdx
Posts: 634
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:29 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby teachpdx » Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:34 pm

So sad to hear of her passing but not unexpected. I also followed her blog and felt inspired by her and felt she had a great gift.

RIP warrior.
4/24/12 RC T3N1M0 age 53
5/23-7/2 - 26 chemorad - Xeloda
7/16 Lynch- MSH2
8/28 LAR w/ temp ileo, CR, 0/11,M0, hysterectomy
10/13 6 cycles Xeloda - completed only 1 1/2 due to HFS
3/12/13 - reversal
8/13 NED
6/15 - HFS gone!

Steph20021
Posts: 553
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 4:58 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Steph20021 » Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:00 pm

Very sad. I found similarities with her: both young, both diagnosed in our 30s, both lawyers.
She was a beautifully talented writer and I’ll miss reading her wisdom. Sending love and comfort to her husband and young girls. I’m greatful for all the awareness and money she raised to fight this disease.
DX 1/31/14 @ 33- SPS-T4a(invades visceral peri), N2a(6/106 LN), M1a(ovary) (Stage 4a) MSS; BRAF V600E
2/1/14-subtotal col, lost R ovary, temp ileo
3/14-9/14- folfox; sepsis
11/14-CT/PET: L ovary met, pelvic met, (?)ghost liver met(?)
12/14-folfiri -13 rds kept me stable from 3/15-6/15
8/15-HIPEC, NED
09/15- cea 0.9
05/16- recurrence in abdo wall and lymph nodes
01/17- pulmonary embolism
02/17- 1 wk radiation to abdo wall
08/16- on folfiri
01/18-folfox
11/18- Beacon trial-encorafenib & cetuximab

PeterG
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:32 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby PeterG » Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:22 pm

Sad. Julie wrote wonderfully. We connected once for a long talk over coffee in Brooklyn. Discussed similarities and differences, being in palliative care, identity, and being lawyers and parents with this loathesome, incurable disease. Hurts to see her go.
DX Aug. 2013 Resection 09/13.
08/14 CT : .7 CM pulmonary nodule--& multiple nodules.
03/15 15 dendritic cell vaccine-monthly
05/16 begin 3000 MG Xeloda & Avastin
11-16 shrinkage.”Sstable"
2/2017: Port installed. Begin Folfiri and Avastin
8/2017: Xeloda, Avastin and Iranotican. 3-wk cycle.
2-6-18: small pulmonary embolim—some growth in one pulmonary tumor. Start Xarelto.
2-8-18 : Change of chemo: Xeloda with Oxaliplatin no avastin.
9/2018: Tumor growth. Begin Stivarga.

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Lee » Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:24 pm

So sorry to read this, I too have read a few of her blogs. And I too believe her book will be well publicized. I suspect this upcoming book will be a legacy for her family and kids.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her kids and and family.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

User avatar
Shana
Posts: 401
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:45 pm
Location: Sonoma, CA

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby Shana » Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:56 pm

So sad to hear this news even though it was expected. I just recently started reading her blogs and will now wait to read her book.

Prayers for her husband, daughters and family.
DX - 12/16
MSS - KRAS wild
Well-differentiated adenocarcinoma at splenic flexure
Stage IV CC with liver mets
5FU - Failed twice - 1/17 and 3/17
Irinotecan + Cetuximab: 8/17
Irinotecan and Erbitux ran it's course. CEA rising
Primary tumor invaded tail of pancreas and spleen. Liver mets major concern
Y-90 radioembolization on 9/17/18, liver enzyymes have dropped. 10 Radiation treatments to primary tumor completed too. CT scan Nov to assess overall situation...

lpas
Posts: 1010
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:11 pm

Re: Julie Yip Williams passed away last Monday, Mar 19th, 2018

Postby lpas » Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:48 pm

Such a loss. Julie was an incredible advocate and spokeswoman for the CRC cause. I can only imagine the impact her writings will have when published.

My thoughts and prayers are with her husband and young daughters.
11/14 Dx sigmoid CC @ 45yo
12/14 Colectomy + hysterectomy
Stage IIIB, T3N1bM0, 2/20 nodes, MSS, G2, KRAS(A146T), TP53, SMAD4, ERBB2, CEA 1.0
2/15-7/15 XELOX & celecoxib
2/19 clean scope
11/19 clean CT
Ongoing cimetidine & other targeted supplements
Mom to a 6 & 8yo


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