Petrina

Our Daughter, Petrina...
May 3, 1975-December 13, 2005

Our oldest daughter, Petrina, was diagnosed in May 1999, at the age of 24, with Peritoneal Mesothelioma.
It is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.� Most times, asbestos, causes cancer of the lung,� the abdominal form being less common.� It is even more unusual in such a young person.
She underwent surgery, then six months of chemotherapy through a mediport directly into the abdomen, which made her very sick.� She lost so much weight, at one point her weight was as low as 84 pounds.

Petrina, 6 months before she became ill.

Petrina, after IV Chemotherapy...

Right after the holidays, in January 2000, Petrina underwent another exploratory surgery to see the results of the abdominal chemotherapy.� Most of the cancer was gone, except for some "seedlings" in the lower pelvic cavity, which the chemo did not reach.� So, she then had to undergo six more treatments of chemotherapy intravenously.� She did not get as sick as with the abdominal chemo, but she did lose all her hair, which is now grown back.� She actually gained weight and is looking much better.
Besides dealing with her illness, Petrina is raising her son, our grandson, Tyler.� They lived with us for awhile, and she is a great mom! Petrina and her fiance Brian got married November 2003, and they just bought the house they have been living in in September 2005. Her son Tyler and Brian's son Matthew live with them. Brian's son Andrew spends weekends at their house.

Tyler

Trina & Brian
Wedding
11/29/2003

Petrina was done with her IV chemotherapy in June 2000.� She had a CT scan every 3 months, which were all negative until recently. She started experiencing abdominal pain again around August 2002. The CT scan was negative, but a MRI showed a large growth on her uterus. Petrina went into Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City on Friday, October 25, 2002. She underwent almost 12 hours of surgery, which included a complete hysterectomy, and removal of two other small tumors on the bowel. They also implanted a portacath for her chemotherapy. She went home from the hospital to recover from the surgery. She was to start chemotherapy on November 13, 14 and 15. The new chemo is three days in a row, then two weeks off and three days again. She could not tolerate the new chemo, it caused her a lot of pain. They had to stop this chemo, and just monitor her illness with CT scans every three months.
TRINA, ALL OUR LOVE AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU!!

Petrina,

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Mom & Dad

UPDATE 12/15/2005:
On October 29th, Petrina's doctor said there was nothing else to be done, and he requested Hospice for at home. The hospice nurse would come two times a week to check on Petrina. Pete would go over to her house almost everyday to help out, as well as myself when off from work, and Petrina's in-laws to help out around the house. Trina would not accept the fact that she was failing. She would still try to do things for herself and around the house.
On December 5th, Petrina took a really bad turn for the worse. We spent the final week of her life with her, caring for her and sharing precious moments. Many friends and family members visited. She fought this horrible illness right up to the end, not wanting to give up and leave her family. But, even though her mind was strong, her body was just too weak to fight anymore, so...
Petrina passed away on the morning of December 13th, 2005 at home, with her family around her.
The pain of losing our daughter cannot be described in words...
TRINA...WE WILL MISS YOU TERRIBLY!!

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Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties

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