| Notes |
- A Father Remembers
The saddest day of my life occurred in the early morninghours of June 2nd, 2012 when our daughter, Kara ElizabethWeber passed away quietly in her sleep at the Alive HospiceCenter in Nashville, Tennessee. That followed by 46years, two months and ten days one of the happiest days ofour life when on March 23rd, 1966 Kara was born at JohnsonCity, Broome County, New York. Upon first seeing Karashortly after birth I reported to Mom, Ellie, that Kara wasabout the cutest baby I'd ever seen. I never stoppedbelieving she was special.
Kara was destined to face many challenges in her life andthey started early in life. When but a few months of age welearned that she had two serious heart defects which wouldultimately require surgery. While the family waslocated in a small, drafty motel room awaiting completionof our new home in Yorktown Heights, New York, Karadeveloped congestive heart failure. Doctors advisedus that Kara would probably not survive another suchillness and at 21 months she was scheduled for open heartsurgery at Montefiore Hospital in New York City. Karafought and survived against great odds made more serious bybeing one of the youngest at that time to undergo suchsurgery. Our hearts were saddened by Kara's tearseach night when Mom and Dad were required to leave thehospital room during her recovery but after many such sadpartings we were able to take Kara home. Her fightingspirit rose to the surface when she, soon after arrivinghome, climbed to the first landing of the stairway andjumped off. Recovery was coming and herundernourished body now responded with a growth of severalsizes to her feet in just a few months though she was leftwith a life time challenge of one foot smaller than theother. The trauma for Kara continued for many months as shewould wake us with her screams in the middle of the nightseeking the comfort of Mom's or Dad's arms.
Kara loved nature and animals. A favorite picture isof Kara squatting amidst the wildflowers in our backyard inLincolnshire, Illinois simply admiring the beauty of theabundant spring wildflowers. She had a way of tamingany animal and over the years caused us to refer to her asour Dr. Doolittle. During her last months as thereality of what was to come and pain that accompanied hercancer became more and more real, I know that her pets whocuddled by her side were a constant source ofcomfort. A favorite of Kara's was "A Prayer of St.Francis of Assisi" who like Kara found so much good andcomfort in the animals. Here is that Prayer which sorepresented the way Kara lived her life:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where the is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are
born to Eternal Life.
I could easily describe how each line of this prayer fitKara. She loved people and made many friends. Sheloved people for what they were and did and not because ofsocial status, race, religion, orientation or any of themany reasons that so many of mankind use to justify unkindactions to their fellow humans. The dozens of fellowworkers from her 20 plus yeas of employment in theNashville area who attended the Visitation on June 5, 2012repeatedly described Kara as fun, cheery, a friend and aworker always sought when a problem required a solution.Kara forgave others and in cases where trust was broken inearlier days welcomed those individuals back into herlife. Kara was an example which if followed wouldmake the world a much better place. I commented atthe Visitation in her honor that "Kara was much better atmaking friends than making enemies." I was comfortedby and comforted people from all walks of life in a mannerI've never before observed.
Kara while in high school became interested in sportsmedicine serving as trainer for the football and soccerteams. This interest lead her to Indiana StateUniversity in Terre Haute, Indiana where she began todiscover that the employment opportunity for women insports medicine were limited and that she would probablynot be able to work with the sports she loved. Aftera year and a half she left Indiana State and thereafterenrolled in hotel management school in downtown Chicagowhere she excelled and graduated at the top of herclass. This was a special time for me as Kara and Icommuted from Lincolnshire to Chicago via train for theduration of the school. Kara's graduation started anearly 25 year in the travel and related fields andresulted in her move from her Chicago area childhood hometo Nashville, Tennessee. She however never lost herlove for the Chicago area.
She first married Barry Sewell but they soondivorced. She then married Christopher Herrod and toKara and Chris was born the absolute love of her life,Cody, in 1999. They were best palls and were neverhappier than when playing video games together. Karawas a dedicated Mom who closely watched Cody's academicprogress and provided the kind of assistance that assuredCody's academic success. She had great wishes forCody's future and one of her wishes expressed to husband,Chris, when she knew her days were numbered was for Christo do everything possible to assure Cody's collegeeducation. One evening when Kara was too week to stayout of bed, she said to Chris as they reflected on what washappening, "I'm not scared of where I'm going but I'mscared to leave Cody."
Another discussion with husband, Chris, days before herdeath reflected on the fun things they had done togetherand as a family. She loved the tropics and her trips toMexico and Caribbean cruises were always fondly remembered.
Mom Ellie and I will always value Kara's dedication to ourhappiness and well being. Despite being nearly 700 milesdistant she always seemed to find a way to be with us forChristmas and for many years for her and Cody to visit usfor several days in August before Cody headed back toschool. Her thoughtfulness and kindness to us wentfar beyond that. Most days while she was still ableto work she spent much of her 45 minute commute chattingwith her Mom. She used to joke that it was Mom's jobto entertain her and keep her awake for her commute. In reality we knew the calls were more likely because sheknew how much Mom enjoyed them. We were able to spend sixof Kara's last nine weeks with her. Kara tried hardto hide her pain and worries from us. We could tellshe was in pain but she resisted taking pain medication soas to be alert and to be able to converse with us and withvisitors. When I'd ask her if she was hurting she'drespond, "A little bit." She and her Mom planned herlast party on a Saturday afternoon in late May and inviteda couple of close friends (Evelyn, her prior manager, andJeannie.) Mom provided the food that she knew Karawould enjoy. For the three plus hours that the partycontinued Kara smiled though at times she could not keepher eyes open. She was happy because she was with herspecial friends.
One of the last times I spent with Kara was as her Mom andI prepared to head to our motel room for the night. She was sitting on the edge of her bed in obviouspain. I hugged her close and held her feeling thefutility that a parent feels when they can no longer easethe pain of their children. Kara, as always, didn'twant to me to focus on her pain but said simply, "Dad, takecare of Mom." I knew that part of Kara's pain wascoming from knowing she would not be able to provide theabundant care and love that she had provided us for so manyyears. Kara provided us so much and I suppose I'llalways wonder if she knew how much I loved and admired her.
There are so many memories that as I write this seem onlyto be reminders of what we lost when Kara passedaway. In time I expect they will serve as remindersof happier times. I remember forgetting mybusiness-man behavior and skipping down the sidewalks ofthe Deerfield Commons shopping center with Kara. Iremember a trip to Door County, Wisconsin with her where wechased, by speeding down a trail in Peninsula State Park,what was probably an owl. I especially remembercelebrating Ellie's and my 50th Wedding Anniversary in theSmoky Mountains with Kara, Chris and Cody. I rememberthe times Kara spent with me on the family tree farm andespecially the day she found the wild burr dock whose burrsthoroughly matted her hair creating a challenge for herGrandmother Weber. I remember so well the family vacationsto the Black Hills, to Mackinac Island and other spots inMichigan and to Disney World. The memories are manyand happy because Kara helped make them so.
Kara leaves to mourn her passing her beloved son, Cody,husband Chris, her sister, Kristen and her wife, Ebbiealong with Ellie and I, her proud parents. She willbe sadly missed by her Aunt Colleen and Uncle Bob, AuntMarge and Uncle Ray, Aunt Miriam and the cousins who wereso happy for the many times they spent with Kara. She alsoleaves a multitude of friends, co-workers and classmates towhom Kara was a friend and idol. Kara will be sadly missedbut always loved and admired.
- (Medical):Cholangiocarcinoma is a medical term denoting aform of cancer that is composed of mutated epithelial cells(or cells showing characteristics of epithelialdifferentiation) that originate in the bile ducts whichdrain bile from the liver into the small intestine. Otherbiliary tract cancers include pancreatic cancer,gallbladder cancer, and cancer of the ampulla of Vater.
Cholangiocarcinoma is a relatively rare neoplasm that isclassified as an adenocarcinoma (a cancer that forms glandsand/or secretes significant amounts of mucins). It has anannual incidence rate of 1'96 2 cases per 100,000 inthe Western world,[1] but rates of cholangiocarcinoma havebeen rising worldwide over the past several decades.[2]
Prominent signs and symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma includeabnormal liver function tests, abdominal pain, jaundice,and weight loss. generalized itching, fever, and changes incolor of stool or urine may also occur. The disease isdiagnosed through a combination of blood tests, imaging,endoscopy, and sometimes surgical exploration, withconfirmation obtained after a pathologist examines cellsfrom the tumor under a microscope. Known risk factors forcholangiocarcinoma include primary sclerosing cholangitis(an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts), congenitalliver malformations, infection with the parasitic liverflukes Opisthorchis viverrini or Clonorchis sinensis, andexposure to Thorotrast (thorium dioxide), a chemicalformerly used in medical imaging. However, most patientswith cholangiocarcinoma have no identifiable specific riskfactors.
Cholangiocarcinoma is considered to be an incurable andrapidly lethal malignancy unless both the primary tumor andany metastases can be fully resected (removed surgically).No potentially curative treatment yet exists exceptsurgery, but most patients are have advanced stage diseaseat presentation and are inoperable at the time ofdiagnosis. Patients with cholangiocarcinoma are generallymanaged - though never cured - with chemotherapy, radiationtherapy, and other palliative care measures. These are alsoused as adjuvant therapies (i.e. post-surgically) in caseswhere resection has apparently been successful (or nearlyso). Some areas of ongoing medical research incholangiocarcinoma include the use of newer targetedtherapies, (such as erlotinib) or photodynamic therapy fortreatment, and the techniques to measure the concentrationof byproducts of cancer stromal cell formation in the bloodfor diagnostic purposes. [1]
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1966 - 2012 (46 years)
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