Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

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daisydaisy
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2013 12:19 pm

Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby daisydaisy » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:01 am

Dear all, I decided to post this, because I haven’t seen a message here about vilca11, and I don’t know if anyone is aware of her passing. It’s been more than a month already. We were “virtual” friends and exchanged e-mails, less frequently recently. Her husband Marek replied to my last e-mail. Vilca11, Stella, was a courageous fighter who never complained. She tried all kinds of treatments, including non-traditional ones, and she shared her experience generously and honestly for others. Her home was in Equador, in Vilcabamba. She once told me that one of her neighbors, probably a hippy (Vilcabamba is popular among hippies), who knew about Stella’s terminal disease, approached her with a smile and asked if she was ready yet for the most exciting adventure of her life. I like to think that she is travelling somewhere now, free of pain and suffering, in a place that is even more beautiful than her lovely Vilcabamba. Her husband Marek and her daughter Rita who supported her till the very end are heartbroken and missing her so much. I will always keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

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Maia
Posts: 2443
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:00 am

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby Maia » Mon Oct 02, 2017 8:25 am

Godspeed, dear Stella. She was a friend, we emailed very often a couple of years ago, we emailed less lately, I lost contact with her some months ago --she knew time was near.
daisydaisy wrote:I like to think that she is traveling somewhere now, free of pain and suffering, in a place that is even more beautiful than her lovely Vilcabamba.

I want to imagine the same, daisydaisy. Since we talked about Buddhism, years ago, and we often exchanged music, I will share these in her memory:
May all sentient beings have happiness
and the causes of happiness;
May all sentient beings be free from suffering
and the causes of suffering;
May all sentient beings never be separated from
the happiness that knows no suffering;
May all sentient beings live in equanimity,
free from attachment and aversion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XP-f7wPM0A

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ktwmn
Posts: 350
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:41 am

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby ktwmn » Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:15 am

My dear sweet Shining Star, Asteri mou,
adventuresome brave Stella
across the other end of the sky
ascend like the morning star
Godspeed on your travels.
Dx 7/11, Stage IIIc CC
12 txs Folfox 8/2011-2/2012
MSS, KRAS-mut G12D
NED until 3/2015, mets to liver and peritoneum
April-December 2015: 15 txs folfiri+avastin
Liver mets resolved; pelvic met remains
January-May 2016: folfox+avastin; allergic rxn to oxi
June-August 2016: 5FU+avastin
October 2016: looking into immuno trial
January 2017: maintenance chemo xeloda + avastin

kandj
Posts: 314
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby kandj » Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:22 am

I met Stella Last year when she received the bad news at MSKCC that things were progressing. She was a spitfire for sure! She will be missed. Prayers for her family as they deal with this loss.
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

peanut_8
Posts: 2340
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby peanut_8 » Mon Oct 02, 2017 1:10 pm

RIP my favorite Russian
female, diagnosed Jan 14, RC stage 2a, age 56
MSS
April 14, 28 chemo/rad with Xeloda
June 14 adjuvant Xeloda 6 rounds
currently NED

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Maggie Nell
Posts: 1151
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 1:57 am
Location: Central Highlands, Victoria, Oz

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby Maggie Nell » Mon Oct 02, 2017 1:40 pm

Carry her on waters calm and gracious
to the island of Eternity.

Carry her on currents of mercy,
waves of joy.

She is a sacred, spirited vessel.




I know, even after 20 years of working/living in the USA,
I still have a Russian culture mentality.
So, just wonder what we see differently.



Vintage Vilca11 from July 2015 :P :lol:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51924
Last edited by Maggie Nell on Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
DX April 2015, @ 54
35mm poorly diff. tumour, incidental finding following emergency R. hemicolectomy
for ileo-colic intussusception.
Lymph nodes: 0/22
T3 N0 MX
Stage II CRC, no adjuvant chemo required.

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby CRguy » Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:26 pm

Thank you daisydaisy, I too share your, and others' sentiments.

Please let her family know that she had many friends here,
touched by her presence and deeply saddened by her loss.

Respectfully
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

jortego128
Posts: 288
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:47 am

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby jortego128 » Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:28 pm

This is so sad, may she rest in peace. Stella was a fighter for sure, undergoing any and all kinds of treatments that might help, and she was very knowledgeable and sweet. :(
DM 57 yrs old dx 6/8/15 T:4a N:1b M:1
KRAS G12D and TP53 C242fs mutations
Poorly Differentiated, Prominent Signet Ring Component(~50%)
Microsatellite Stable, 3 of (13)lymph nodes positive
15 Liver mets, largest 3.2 cm
Prim. Resection, Right Hemicolectomy 6/21/15
Start Chemo 7/20/15
2 rounds FOLFOX, 1 round FOLFOX +Avastin
CT 8/28/15, met growth, largest 4.5cm
4 rounds FOLFOX+Avastin
CT 11/06/15 mets stable, lungs clear
Begin FOLFIRI+Avastin 11/17/15, Stop chemo 1/26/16
Entered Paradise 3/11/2016

jhocno197
Posts: 817
Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby jhocno197 » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:05 pm

I am sorry. :(
DH - dx Dec 2014, stage IV with bladder & peritoneal involvement - non-resectable
Colostomy
FOLFOX failed
FOLFIRI failed
Tumor actually distending pelvic skin
Not a candidate for last-ditch pelvic exenteration
Stivarga finally begun 2/19/16
Tumor growing/fungating
Lonsurf started 11/18/16
Died 3/10/17

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

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby MissMolly » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:19 pm

I am genuinely saddened to hear of Stella’s passing. She was an amazing woman who touched the lives of many here on this forum.

I am not a regular poster on this forum and yet Stella reached out to me with several thoughtful PMs. Her warmth and kindness was genuine. Her PMs were the “medicine” that I needed the most. Stella was generous in giving of herself to others, even when her own health was deteriorating.

The world has lost a bright light with Stella’s passing.

Blessings to Stella’s family in their loss,
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.

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

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby GrouseMan » Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:52 pm

We corresponded a few times as well. A Very interesting woman to say the least. She never had a disparaging thing to say about much of anything except this damn disease! Hopefully she has met my wife and introduced herself in what ever afterlife there may be and have found much in common.

RIP my friend.

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

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

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby mariane » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:38 pm

I had the chance to meet Stella in MSKCC. I also talked to her on Skype and we exchanged emails. She was the warm light on this forum, very smart Russian Armenian, who had been through a lot, but never lost her spirit. I am so grateful to her. She was my kindred spirit.
I received the last message from her at the end of July this year. She had ascites at that time. I was afraid to email or call her again. I desperately did not want to hear this news.
RIP, Stella!
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!

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Mon Oct 02, 2017 8:35 pm

So very sad. May she rest in peace.
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

ams5796
Posts: 2298
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:07 am

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby ams5796 » Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:01 pm

I was always drawn to Stella's brilliant and interesting posts. She will be missed by many.



Ann
Stage 3C (or 4?) Rectal Cancer 01/07
2/10 lung mets
3/11 VATS
6/11 VATS
7/13 lung met
2/14 SBRT
NED 8/14
5/17 scan and MRI found treated spine met

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Bev G
Posts: 5856
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:19 pm
Facebook Username: Bev Golde
Location: Quechee, VT

Re: Stella (vilca11) went home (more than a month ago)

Postby Bev G » Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:08 pm

May you rest in peace, dear Stella.
58 yo Type1 DM 48 years
12/09 Stage IV 2/22 nodes + liver met, colon resec
3 tx FOLFIRI, liver resec 4/10
9/10 6 mos off chemo, Neg PET&CTC CEA nl
2/11 finished total 10 rounds chemo

9/13 ^17th clean PET/CT NED for now


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