Not sure of protocol but….
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Not sure of protocol but….

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Not sure of protocol but….

  • Post
    • September 6, 2011 at 10:55 am
    Lori C
    Participant

    I hope this is okay.  Many of you "know' Shelly in Switzerland, the expat from Vermont who, with her family, had moved to Switzerland and had been fighting stage four melanoma.  Shelly's positive spirit always inspired me.  She passed away last week.  Here is her Caring Bridge site http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shellypilcher1

    Shelly had experienced good results with treatment, and had enjoyed what her husband called "the gift of extended life" as a result of it.  She was an amazing warrior.

     

    Lori Challinor

    I hope this is okay.  Many of you "know' Shelly in Switzerland, the expat from Vermont who, with her family, had moved to Switzerland and had been fighting stage four melanoma.  Shelly's positive spirit always inspired me.  She passed away last week.  Here is her Caring Bridge site http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shellypilcher1

    Shelly had experienced good results with treatment, and had enjoyed what her husband called "the gift of extended life" as a result of it.  She was an amazing warrior.

     

    Lori Challinor

Viewing 13 reply threads
  • Replies
      • September 6, 2011 at 11:06 am
      Julie in SoCal
      Participant

      Thanks Lori for posting this.  I appreciate knowing what has happened to Shelly. 

      Blessings,

      Julie

      • September 6, 2011 at 11:06 am
      Julie in SoCal
      Participant

      Thanks Lori for posting this.  I appreciate knowing what has happened to Shelly. 

      Blessings,

      Julie

      • September 6, 2011 at 12:45 pm
      lhaley
      Participant

      I am also on her Caring Bridge site and thought of posting.

      Shelly gave an amazing fight.  She will be missed by many. Thoughts and prayers go to her husband and 2 teenage children.

      Linda

      • September 6, 2011 at 12:45 pm
      lhaley
      Participant

      I am also on her Caring Bridge site and thought of posting.

      Shelly gave an amazing fight.  She will be missed by many. Thoughts and prayers go to her husband and 2 teenage children.

      Linda

      • September 6, 2011 at 12:56 pm
      CarolA
      Participant

      "Shelly in Switzerland" offered a lot of information and support on this board, that I'm sure will be referred to in research by many.    My sympathy to her family and friends.  We did get to "know" her and her zest for life and love of family.   Rest in peace, Shelly.

      CarolA ~ Stage III

      Amherst, NY

      • September 6, 2011 at 12:56 pm
      CarolA
      Participant

      "Shelly in Switzerland" offered a lot of information and support on this board, that I'm sure will be referred to in research by many.    My sympathy to her family and friends.  We did get to "know" her and her zest for life and love of family.   Rest in peace, Shelly.

      CarolA ~ Stage III

      Amherst, NY

      • September 6, 2011 at 3:27 pm
      dian in spokane
      Participant

      Lori, thanks for letting us know. I'm so sorry for your loss

       

      dian in spokane

      • September 6, 2011 at 3:27 pm
      dian in spokane
      Participant

      Lori, thanks for letting us know. I'm so sorry for your loss

       

      dian in spokane

        • September 7, 2011 at 12:49 am
        Erinmay22
        Participant

        Thanks for sharing this….  so sorry to hear!  Just another reminder of how much this melanoma-madness sucks…  

        Erin

        • September 7, 2011 at 12:49 am
        Erinmay22
        Participant

        Thanks for sharing this….  so sorry to hear!  Just another reminder of how much this melanoma-madness sucks…  

        Erin

      • September 7, 2011 at 2:10 am
      FormerCaregiver
      Participant

      I am very sorry to read of Shelly's passing. May she rest in peace.

      Frank from Australia

      • September 7, 2011 at 2:10 am
      FormerCaregiver
      Participant

      I am very sorry to read of Shelly's passing. May she rest in peace.

      Frank from Australia

      • September 7, 2011 at 6:29 am
      Kim K
      Participant

      I had no idea…..

      Damn…..

      I was wondering how she was doing, I haven't been on as much this month.  Shelly, Sharon and I were diagnosed with similar histories, within a week or two of each other.  Shelly and I had lung surgery within days of each other.  I really related to her when doing our research.  She was in a different country, and Hawaii so far away from a melanoma center.  We debated traveling and leaving our families…..

      Both are gone now….

      I miss my friends and realize how easily it could have been me.

      I hate this shit……….

      Thank you for posting.  My friends here will never be forgotten and I am still glad to have met them.  Just taken aback right now….

      • September 7, 2011 at 6:29 am
      Kim K
      Participant

      I had no idea…..

      Damn…..

      I was wondering how she was doing, I haven't been on as much this month.  Shelly, Sharon and I were diagnosed with similar histories, within a week or two of each other.  Shelly and I had lung surgery within days of each other.  I really related to her when doing our research.  She was in a different country, and Hawaii so far away from a melanoma center.  We debated traveling and leaving our families…..

      Both are gone now….

      I miss my friends and realize how easily it could have been me.

      I hate this shit……….

      Thank you for posting.  My friends here will never be forgotten and I am still glad to have met them.  Just taken aback right now….

        • September 9, 2011 at 11:54 pm
        glewis923
        Participant

        My sentiments exactly…..it sucks that Shelly is gone .. …just be assured that she is in a better place now.

        • September 9, 2011 at 11:54 pm
        glewis923
        Participant

        My sentiments exactly…..it sucks that Shelly is gone .. …just be assured that she is in a better place now.

      • September 11, 2011 at 2:46 am
      obie66
      Participant

      Hi.  This is Jeff, Shelly's brother.  Yes, Shelly was a warrior against this disease, and I am so amazed at her strength and positivity that she carried through this.  It has been a horrible, gut wrenching loss.  But I do want to tell everyone out there on the board that Shelly's experience with the BRAF clinical trial (Now Zelboraf) is reason for everyone here to fight and hope.  When the melanoma metastisized to her lungs in March of 2010, we were all fearfull of the worst soon – didn't think we'd have a summer with her.  She started the drug in June, and each subsequent 6 or 9 week scan for the rest of 2010, and even this year into 2011 – shrinking tumors in the lungs!  In that time she came home to Washington and Vermont and had a big summer vacation here where we hiked, and played and celebrated her 50th birthday in Washington wine country.  She went to Italy with her family.  She went to concerts with her kids.  In February this year, she flew from Switzerland to Seattle for a surprise birthday visit to my other sister Lisa  – and vacationed for 2 weeks here.  And she made it to see her daughters graduation in May of this year.  None of us believe any of it would be possible without the BRAF trial.  I believe that the right combination of treatment is near – so all, keep fighting and keep hope.  The hard issue with Shelly is that it metastasized into her brain, and no one was scanning the brain – only watching the shrinking in the lungs.  So my completely unmedical, uninformed advice is if you are stage IV, watch the entire body.  If we had caught the brain mets earlier, she might have made the next step to Yervoy.  Who knows what combination is ahead, but both of these drugs are incredible advances forward that haven't been seen with this disease in decades.  Keep hope, keep fighting.  With love.  Jeff

      • September 11, 2011 at 2:46 am
      obie66
      Participant

      Hi.  This is Jeff, Shelly's brother.  Yes, Shelly was a warrior against this disease, and I am so amazed at her strength and positivity that she carried through this.  It has been a horrible, gut wrenching loss.  But I do want to tell everyone out there on the board that Shelly's experience with the BRAF clinical trial (Now Zelboraf) is reason for everyone here to fight and hope.  When the melanoma metastisized to her lungs in March of 2010, we were all fearfull of the worst soon – didn't think we'd have a summer with her.  She started the drug in June, and each subsequent 6 or 9 week scan for the rest of 2010, and even this year into 2011 – shrinking tumors in the lungs!  In that time she came home to Washington and Vermont and had a big summer vacation here where we hiked, and played and celebrated her 50th birthday in Washington wine country.  She went to Italy with her family.  She went to concerts with her kids.  In February this year, she flew from Switzerland to Seattle for a surprise birthday visit to my other sister Lisa  – and vacationed for 2 weeks here.  And she made it to see her daughters graduation in May of this year.  None of us believe any of it would be possible without the BRAF trial.  I believe that the right combination of treatment is near – so all, keep fighting and keep hope.  The hard issue with Shelly is that it metastasized into her brain, and no one was scanning the brain – only watching the shrinking in the lungs.  So my completely unmedical, uninformed advice is if you are stage IV, watch the entire body.  If we had caught the brain mets earlier, she might have made the next step to Yervoy.  Who knows what combination is ahead, but both of these drugs are incredible advances forward that haven't been seen with this disease in decades.  Keep hope, keep fighting.  With love.  Jeff

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