Tammy’s new update

Again thank you for the outpouring of love, support and prayers for Tammy. 

I don’t go on Facebook and read things but my posts go there, so if you are trying to get info to me on Facebook I won’t see it.

Tammy does and I think she goes on it quite a bit so send her messages there. She might not respond but I know she appreciates everyone that sends word. 

We spent last few days in Bozeman Deaconess hospital. We went to have fluid drained off and when done she had some terrible pain in her diaphragm so we went back and ended up being admitted. 

We were debating whether or not to have CT scan to see progress of cancer in liver. 

They had to do scan on stomach so we also got to see scan on liver. From my limited knowledge of how to interpret scan it HD changed. The nodules were different and some died off and were smaller. We are taking that as a sign that the “Hail Mary” pill is starting to work. 

I talked to Dr Heshimi about the Hail Mary and he said it would take about a month to start working and it has been a month. 

We decided to have hospice come on board so we don’t have to keep going to Bozeman. The put a stomach drain in so I can drain asites here at home, which we find is better so the liver doesn’t have to work hard with all the fluid buildup. 

They can help manage the pain and nausea here at home. When she gets stronger we can go off hospice when needed. 

Tammy won’t quit. The oncologist said she was the hardest fighting patient he has had. We are confident the THC/flavonoid pill is going to do its job.  

I don’t like writing all this and wouldn’t if you all had not been so caring and loving to Tammy and the family. She wants to tell you herself how much she cares for each and everyone of you, but just can’t. 

I am still in awe at how she acts with all the pain and suffering. I listen to her in the night when the nurses are taking vitals and taking care of her and she is so kind to them and truly cares about her not being a bother to them. 

Each and everyone of them have to control there emotions when they go off shift and say goodbye. 

Through all that she is going through she is still worried about everyone else. 

Her big wish is spending time with Neo and Haize, her grandsons over the holidays as well as the rest of the family. She is going to get that wish. 

So speaking for Tammy and the rest of us here at the Pate outfit, thank you and we hope you all have a very special, blessed Christmas and I hope you will take a little time to appreciate how special life is and give thanks for the time you’ve got. 

Tammy Update

The outpouring of love, caring and prayers for Tammy has been humbling and wonderful, and sure helps get us through this tough time, so thank you very much.

Since the first doctors visit 6 years or so ago when we found out that Tammy had cancer and it had spread around her body until now when it is still trying to spread it has been such an incredible journey. 

Tammy has lived a bunch of life in the years we’ve been hanging out together and has been a lover of people and gatherings of people. I remember this time of year and her love for Christmas and new years gatherings.

When we were in a clinic setting she loved the social part of it and has good friends all over the country of every walk of life. 

She has always loved the people part of our life. She really and truly cares about people and their lives and loved a good visit or spending time with friends or soon to be friends.

Tammy is really struggling with this right now.  So many of you want to help and visit but she is just not up to it right now.  She feels terrible and wants to visit with everyone, but as she has told me several times she does doesn’t have the energy to go through the emotion she feels for all of you, even though she wants to more than anything.

It’s even hard for her to call and talk to her mother and sisters some days, even though she loves them all more than any can imagine. 

What we are planning is to get her strength back and have a get together at Art of the Cowgirl. I can just picture it, a big festive event and everyone visiting and enjoying each other. We can’t wait. 

So thank you all for the love you have sent. It’s tough what she is going through but she’s a tough Cowgirl. Please try to understand how much you all mean to Tammy and how grateful she is for the cards, gifts, prayers and positive thoughts you are giving.  

someone sent this wonderful wool blanket. We don’t know who but Tammy loves it.

Tammy and Haize riding Old Smoke today. Haize wanted to lope. Tammy and Smoke(Spencer) didn’t want to!

Tammy’s Community

Well I now know that Tammy sure has lots of loving caring people in her world. 

Thank you so much for all your kind words and offers for help.  It’s very overwhelming and amazing at the wonderful community Tammy has created for herself. Who else could have a community of liberal lesbians to pot popping Jews to ultra conservative Baptists to Catholics that sell cattle, to buffalo grazing South Dakotans to crazy Canadian cowgirls to Swedes that would come in a moment to help to who knows what else. 

I was talking to Tina Battock, that works for Morris Communication and is around lots of powerful personalities about Tammy a while back and she said when she first met her that Tammy was this little person with a big presence that filled the room. (Something like that)

Whether it’s a horse clinic, the Art of the Cowgirl, my career, her kids life, or our marriage Tammy Pate is going to have a say and some (or all) control of the situation. 

This is what is so difficult about this cancer battle. She has taken control of the treatment and did an amazing job of researching and controlling things. She is still in command but the cancer is a tough one and it’s hard to control but she’s giving it her all.

So a big thank you to everyone that responded to my scoop lupe the other day. It really made her feel good to hear from so many folks. I got lots of emails and texts and I saw Tammy looking on Facebook last night when she went to bed.

I don’t go on Facebook so I don’t know what happened there but Tammy read stuff and I know she feels much better knowing all the wonderful people are out there pulling for her. 

So from Tammy and Myself and Mesa, Rial and Haize thank you for being there!

we see this white buffalo bull often on our way to Bozeman to doctoring. We think it’s big medicine.