Karen Kasonic

One more tweet from John Kasonic (Karen’s dad). Karen’s obituary is in today’s Seattle Times. See link below obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/karen…

Karen was always a giver of support for others with breast cancer. Karen and a friend, Rebecca Bryson, set up a fund at the University of Washington to support breast cancer. “The Kasonic Fund for HER2+ Breast Cancer” donations to this fund can be directed to the UW Foundation

A final Karen Kasonic Tweets from her father John. While Karen bravely faced her metastatic breast cancer for 15 years, Karen lost her cancer fight on Saturday the 14th around 3pm. She was at our home and died peacefully. Karen was beloved by everyone who knew her.

Meant their guest bedroom

Yesterday went to get spinal MRI. Fell in the room, hit my cheek on the table as I went down. Not good at all. Decided I cannot live on my own anymore. This morning I moved into my parent’s bedroom. It’s tough losing the last of my independence.

@jrgralow Thank you, Julie! Sure wishing you were here as I navigate the final decisions. But I’ve got lots of support at Fred Hutch. Hope you are well!

@kkasonic Sorry to hear this, Karen. But sounds like the right decision. Thinking of you.

@margaritanachos Hard week— took a fall at 4am, hit my head. Since I’m on blood thinners I had to go to ER for a CT. Luckily no bleed and I’m home in my own bed now. Got a big old lump on my forehead!

Needed four units of blood during the last hospital visit. Thank you again, blood donors!

Not the obituary I wanted to read today. cnn.com/2022/12/19/us/…

@LibbyMbc Yes! I’ve gained weight on some chemos, but right now I’m losing and have gone from 180 to 126 in the past few months. Always wanted to be thin. But now I just look like a sack of skin!

Does anyone else feel like cancer has completely stolen their appetite and have trouble eating anything. I've lost almost 50 lbs in 4 months.

@timeforAna I’m on Facebook and Instagram (Karen Kasonic). Are you on those?

@timeforAna Love to see your pretty face! 💗

@CANsurvive Oh Flori, I know this fear. Sending hugs.

I feel I'm at the beginning of the end. Would be nice if there was a manual: The Beginning of the End & You My friends say "oh you've said that b4 & you're still here" No trials for Tneg & her2+ and now my swallow is broken. It's quite scary.

@margaritanachos Thank you for asking! Infection is gone, but I’m struggling a lot with fatigue and pain. Hopeful that things will improve. How are you doing?

Got a UTI which turned into a superbug infection. In hospital 5 days, now been home a week doing IV antibiotics twice a day through my port. I’m so tired, all I do is sleep. In pain all of the time. Weight is in the 120’s now. Feel like I’m disappearing…

@timeforAna I have a stent in the ureter, the tube between my right kidney and my bladder. I have had no problems with it, no bladder spasms or pain. It has to be replaced every 3 months, which is annoying to do all the pre-op to go under general anesthesia, the actual exchange is 20 mins

@parisboettger Thank you

@kkasonic I don’t have words to express my sadness for you but I want you to know I have followed your journey with this bullshit cancer. You may feel your physical self disappearing but I have you larger than life rolling around in my head.

Fred Hutch physician-scientist Dr. @gary_lyman recently published a broad overview of common, acute #chemotherapy-associated adverse events and how to manage them. bit.ly/3DjS3yv

@timeforAna I’m actually at an ok weight for my height, I’ve always struggled with my weight so it feels crazy now to be in “normal” sizes and be able to eat whatever I want. But I do need to build muscle back, especially in my legs. I want to be able to walk more than a few yards!

Lots of changes lately. I’m doing TDM-1 again, two rounds down. Vascular surgery worked great, edema is almost resolved! 30lbs gone, that was a lot of fluid in the legs. But shows how thin I’m getting. I weigh less than i ever have as an adult. Trying to eat more, it’s difficult.

@WillRiker7 Ugh, the pumpkin spice is everywhere! Not my thing… today I even saw pumpkin spice tortilla chips. It’s getting out of hand! 😜