LIHUE — Laurie Ross has been in a fight for her life for almost eight years. For most of that time, friends say the former longtime Kapaa and Kilauea resident has been battling chronic pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas
LIHUE — Laurie Ross has been in a fight for her life for almost eight years.
For most of that time, friends say the former longtime Kapaa and Kilauea resident has been battling chronic pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that does not heal or improve but gets worse over time.
To allay the effects of the disease, Ross traveled regularly to the Mainland for a medical procedure that uses high energy sound waves to break up pancreatic ducts stones that accumulate in her vital organ.
Ross’ friend Richard Lowe, who lives in Huntington Beach, Calif., said she made the trip to and from the Mainland close to 20 times before she couldn’t afford it any more.
Ross then made the tough decision to move to the Mainland three years ago to be close to the University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., where she receives her treatments.
The former Kauai resident, who lived on the island for 14 years before moving, now lives in a family-owned house in Artesia, N.M., amongst huge oil drilling wells.
“Her hopes are to get back to Kauai, where she has many friends and support,” Lowe said.
Her fight, however, will take on a different form within the next few weeks as she undergoes an experimental surgery to combat a form of type 1 diabetes, a complication stemming from years of pancreatitis treatment, Lowe said.
“I admire her strength,” Lowe wrote in an email. “She knows this surgery is a ‘one way street.’”
As a part of the surgery, Lowe said doctors will transplant pancreatic islets — clusters of cells scattered throughout the vital organ that produce the hormone insulin — from a deceased donor into Ross.
Once the islets are implanted, Lowe said, doctors hope that the new islets will begin to make and release insulin — eventually allowing her to live without her daily insulin injections.
“Laurie is optimistic that she may be cured,” Lowe wrote. “The transplant doctor told her that she has passed all of her pre-surgical test and he considers her a ‘good candidate’ for this experimental surgery. I sense joy in her heart.”
Lowe has set up a medical fund to help pay for her lodging, transportation and daily expenses during her recovery.
“She does have insurance to cover medical bills but after dealing with chronic pancreatitis, her medical treatments have left her financially drained,” Lowe said.
Information: www.laurierossmedicalfund.com.
