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My (and my families) story... I'd be as bold as to say that before March 2019 I never would have imagined I'd ever have. 

It was at this time of year that I walked across the fields to see what Dad was up to. Dad was busy (with a digger and drainage pipes!) but complained at the time of being exhausted. Not an unfamiliar complaint to hear, he was a farmer experiencing the many stresses and strains the lifestyle brings but, also understandable, he was Dad and needed to start to think of retirement! A few days later, his fatigue continued to worsen and his skin tone began to discolour. It was at this point the decision was made that Dad needed to be assessed at hospital. 

After a couple of days of hospitalisation, the news was delivered to us as a family that it had been found that Dad didn't have gall stones but a condition termed cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer. We cannot even begin to explain the disbelief, shock and sheer blow of the diagnosis at this point. It was further explained that this type of cancer is rare, life-threatening and at the stage it had been diagnosed, untreatable. 

Following the news, Dad was discharged from hospital to wait on palliative treatment options from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. During this time Dad was at home resting in front of the fire with his favourites around him. He was day-by-day weakening. 

Dad recieved a referral appointment at the QE 3.5 weeks later, to which we found some small hope of a stent placement would have been possible to place, to alleviate the jaundice and at least help him feel a little better in himself. This big positive news for us all given everything. 

It was only 2 days later following this positive appointment we decided to take Dad back to hospital; Dad had deteriorated significantly. Dad was admitted and within a few days, we found ourselves faced with a new devastating blow. Dad was in septic shock. At this point, he was admitted to ITU. The medical team worked tirelessly, but all odds were against my lovely, kind-hearted Dad and the fantastic team. 

4 weeks after initial diagnosis, Dad passed away. 

Prior to Dad going to hospital initially, he displayed no significant symptoms to link to cholangiocarcinoma. Nothing other than what you'd put down to age, time of year or typical aches and pains following a long hard-working lifestyle. Normal essentially. Something you just need a good holiday to overcome or, a chiropractor. 

After researching cholangiocarcinoma, the facts are particularly grounding. 

Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary liver cancer and it is difficult to diagnose accurately early, so by the time of diagnosis it is often too advanced for surgery - which is currently the only potential cure. The symptoms are discreet in their nature and often get overlooked. These include, tiredness, feeling generally unwell, back pain, abdominal pain and weight loss. As always, only some of these symptoms could be a concern to an individual and they may not all appear at one time.

I have chosen to fundraise for AMMF. The UK's only cholangiocarcinoma charity. The charity is dedicated to tackling this devastating cancer on all fronts: providing information and support, campaigning to raise awareness, and encouraging and supporting research. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and donate to this wonderful charity. 

Lots of love, Caroline xxx 

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