August

• I had a much better day yesterday
• I even got to help fold laundry and cook dinner
• That might sound funny to you, but you don't know how good it felt!
• I'm still taking lots of naps but I'm not as wobbly on my feet
• Tomorrow I go to the specialist to have my liver checked out

• Tom and I went to the gastroenterology specialist yesterday to see what is going on with me and all these symptoms I've been having
• Everything I've been experiencing, from the abdominal pains to the dizziness and the yellowing of my eyes are side effects from the chemo pill
• He called my oncologist while we waited and they agreed that I should stop taking the pill right away
• I had blood drawn for an in-depth look at my liver function
• When the oncologist gets those results, he'll decide which chemo I should take next
• I'm looking forward to feeling better!
• I'm talkin' today, but not walkin' too much yet
• Guess it will take a while for the chemo drug to get out of my system, but I can't wait to be up and around again

• I'm still not walkin' these days - barely sitting up
• I've been off the chemo for over a week but not feeling better yet
• This past Monday I had a brain scan - since I've been having dizziness and blurred vision they wanted to rule out a brain tumor
• Also had an Xray of my right hip (which has been pretty painful lately) to see if cancer has spread to my bones
• Tom, Marlene, and I met with the oncologist on Wednesday and learned that both of those tests came back OK, so there's some good news!
• Next Wednesday, if I'm feeling better by then, the oncologist wants me to start back on the same chemo drug, but in liquid form
• They will attach a pump to my port, which will pump the drug into my system all day long
• That will be a smaller, steady dose so hopefully my body will be able to handle it better
• We got the liver test results today - secretions are a little high but nothing to be concerned about right now
• Urine tests showed no bacteria or infection
• They're trying to figure out why I have been running a fever but can't find a cause for that
• I think someone needs to bring a baby carriage and push me around so I can see what's going on in the world!

Hi everyone - this is Kathy with an update on my Mom's condition.

• Mom has steadily been losing strength, to the point that Tom had her taken to the hospital by ambulance last night
• The emergency room ran several tests and admitted her
• Today we learned that she has new liver tumors and that her liver is no longer healthy enough to withstand chemo
• Tom and Marlene have been with her all day today
• I spoke with her briefly this afternoon - we decided that it's seeing so many doctors that's making her sick!
• I'm flying to Ohio in the morning and my brother is flying in from Los Angeles tomorrow night
• We'll all gather around her as we face the next step
• I'll update this site as soon as we have more information
• Thank you all for your continued support - it has meant the world to Mom.

• Mom was moved last night to the Palliative Care floor of the hospital, where they will focus on making her comfortable
• They will get her stable, figure out how much of what kinds of medications she needs
• The next step would be for her to come home with hospice care, but we need to talk with a social worker to discuss those details
• She is in no pain but is very tired and hardly has the energy to speak
• She told me that even sleeping makes her tired now
• Her room is full of family members, so she is surrounded by love and she is getting excellent care.

• Mom started out the day pretty good
• They have her on a regular schedule of morphine now, so she sleeps most of the time but would still wake up and recognize people
• The nurse gave us a list of things to expect, and Mom is steadily progressing through those symptoms
• She can no longer swallow
• Her breathing is labored and irregular
• By the evening, she didn't seem to be focusing on anything when she opened her eyes
• I will be spending the night with her tonight
• Many thanks to all of you who have sent your best wishes and prayers -- it really does help/

• Today Mom was taken off the IV, which was an antibiotic and saline
• The nurse explained that as the body shuts down, it no longer has the ability to get rid of the fluid
• Her morphine dosage was doubled this afternoon
• She is sleeping most of the time
• The hospital chaplain and Mom's minister came by to see her this evening
• Tom will be spending the night with her tonight

• Mom rested comfortably last night
• She passed away at 3 p.m. with a smile on her lips
• Tom, Marlene and I were with her
• Her breathing just slowed down until it finally stopped
• She was in no pain
• Visitation and funeral arrangements will be finalized tomorrow, and I will post them on this web site.

Obituary

• Lena Louisa Kahrig Pettit, age 70, lost her battle with breast cancer on Tuesday, August 23, 2005, surrounded by her husband Tom, daughter Kathy, and sister Marlene. She lived her life with grace, humor, and a genuine love for her family and friends. She died peacefully with a smile on her lips.

• She was the daughter of the late Alfred and Gertrude Christman Kahrig of Lewisville, born in their Miltonsburg home on April 28, 1935. She got her beautiful red hair from her grandfather, George L. Christman. She was a graduate of Lewisville High School (Lewisville, OH), class of 1952. She said that one of the nicest memories in her life was her dad teaching her how to make shadow pictures with their hands on the bedroom wall before she fell asleep as a young girl.

• She lived in Columbus, Ohio for over 40 years. She had two children: Tony and Kathy. On August 15, 1992 Lena married Thomas E. Pettit. She lived with Tom in Groveport, OH where she tended her beautiful garden and shared her flowers with her neighborhood friends.

• Lena will be remembered for her love of people, especially family. She spent her life researching and documenting her family tree. Lena was a member of the Monroe County (OH) Historical Society and the Truro Historical Society (Reynoldsburg, OH). She authored numerous genealogy books as well as a book on the Monroe County, Ohio St. John’s Middle Church Cemetery.

• In her lifetime, she was a waitress, carhop, retail sales clerk, seamstress, billing clerk, and Red Cross volunteer. More recently, she was an administrative assistant with First Community retirement village, retiring on July 22, 1997. After retirement, she continued to make the world a beautiful place as a Mary Kay beauty consultant.

• She is preceded in death by her father, Alfred, who died in 1993; her mother, Gertrude, in 1995; an infant sister; brothers Raymond, Melvin, and Marion; maternal grandfather George L. Christman; maternal grandmother Magdalena Matz Christman; paternal grandfather Philip William Kahrig; and paternal grandmother Louisa Pfalzgraf Kahrig.

• She is survived by her husband Tom; children Tony Allen Gatten of Los Angeles, CA and Kathy Gatten Johnson (Jeff) of Loganville, GA; stepchildren Jennie Pettit Cherry (Tom) of Verona, NJ, Susanne Pettit Brackman of Jackson, OH, and David Pettit of Plain City, OH; five grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; sisters Marlene Kahrig Caldwell (Charles) of Pataskala, OH and Myrna Kahrig Morrison (Roger) of Lower Salem, OH; brother Lewis William Kahrig of Woodsfield, OH; several nieces and nephews; and many, many friends.

Visitations

• Columbus, OH: Brice United Methodist Church, 3160 Brice Road, Brice, OH on Friday, August 26 from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm.

• Woodsfield, OH: Watters Funeral Home, Highway 78, Woodsfield, OH on Saturday, August 27 from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm.

Funeral service

• Watters Funeral Home, Highway 78, Woodsfield, OH on Sunday, August 28 at 2:00 pm, followed by burial at Middle Church Cemetery. Dinner will be served at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Lewisville, OH following the burial.

Donations

• The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Lena's name to one of the following:
  • Middle Church Cemetery Fund, Lewisville, OH
  • Trinity United Church of Christ, Lewisville, OH
  • Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation via the Web at http://www.komen.org or by mail at The Komen Foundation, PO Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309