Rochelle Fischer
December 14, 1974 - December 12, 2012
December 14, 1974 - December 12, 2012
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| Rochelle and her son, Kennan |
Rochelle was my coworker and is also the sister of my coworker, Stacy.
Stacy had these words to say about Rochelle:
Rochelle was diagnosed in May 2008 with a brain stem glioma. It was rendered inoperable due to its location in the brain and the fact all our basic functions run through that area. She underwent radiation to the affected area, five days a week for six weeks, along with a monthly MRI. That was our only hope. She was also on large dose of dexamethasone to help reduce surrounding area tissue swelling. She hated every minute of it but knew she had no choice. During that time she suffered every complication of steroids, from weight gain to terrible mood swings, along with the increased fatigue from the radiation. From the end of June to December, her tumor shrunk and most of her symptoms had become manageable. She returned to work part time in the Clinical Resource Unit Critical Care float pool. No one ever thought she'd return to work, much less survive. Brain stem tumors typically don't have this kind of recovery. She fought hard for her life and to be around longer with her son, Kennan.
In July 2011, Rochelle started to have different symptoms than previously. She was having muscle spasms down her left arm and terrible pain. She saw a physical therapist for it and deemed this was being triggered from higher up. She had a MRI of her neck and spine in October where they found tumor growth from c2-c7 intraspinal that was, again, inoperable. She was still working until the end of November, struggling everyday with this bad news and knowing she would have to again fight for her life. She started radiation in December, right after her son's 7th birthday. She felt miserable and was already starting to lose function in her left arm. She completed her second round of radiation in January. Her goal was to be here at Christmas in 2012. During 2012, she declined almost weekly, from her left arm to her left leg went "gimp" (in her words) and walking became a chore. She went to walking independently to needing assistance. Again she had to undergo steroids and she gained a lot of weight and lost a lot of strength. She continued to decline to needing full-time help and assistance. Cooking meals was no longer an option, so my aunt came to live with her. She was still living in her apartment with her son trying to do whatever she could to stay positive, despite the obvious decline in her health.
She valued family time. We spent our normal family week of vacation up north in St. Germain in a lake home we go to each year. We made the best of it and so did she. In September she was able to take her family to Las Vegas for one last "hooray" and had some medical issues out there. When she got home, she was more in the hospital and rehab facility than at home. A lot of medical equipment was put in place at home. We added a chair stair lift to get her in her home, a hoyer lift to move her from bed to wheelchair and back, etc. She was still trying to be positive. In December, after a long year of battling, she lost the battle. December 12, 2012, Rochelle passed away peacefully at the age of 37 at Waukesha Memorial Hospital after spending a really great weekend with her son and family. She missed her goal of Christmas by two weeks. On a very positive note, Kennan's last time with her was that Sunday the 9th, with her telling him how much she loved him!!!!
Rochelle was a fighter to the end. She suffered greatly in 2012 with losing all privacy, dignity, and independence, but yet her goal was to be around for her son and to be with her family. She was a strong natured, kind, loving person and she loved doing for others. She wanted to make sure others could learn from these inoperable tumors, that she opted to donate her tumors to a brain tumor study being conducted in Madison. She swore they would learn from her diagnosis and help others in the future.
Rochelle's family chose MILE 12 for her, as she passed away on 12/12/12.
Make a donation in memory of Rochelle and others we have lost, those still fighting, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing.
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