LitlCJdoll (Crystal) An Honored and Dear Member Has Passed.

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wbcgaruss
wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,294 Member
edited October 2022 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
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Obituary Link Below-There is a short tribute video below the obituary-very nice-

https://www.hayworth-miller.com/obituary/Crystal-Smith


It is with great sorrow that I bring this news to the Head & Neck group.

LitlCJdoll (Crystal) has passed on September 12, 2022

She was a true warrior in her battle with cancer and a staunch supporter of others here on the forum.

She had extensive medical knowledge and understood much and freely shared it with the forum.

She also helped many through private messaging and was known to freely send gifts to others to help cheer them in times of trouble, including many here on the forum.

Crystal kept going when it surely seemed impossible to go anymore and amazed us and set a good example for us with her tenacity.

I would personally estimate she endured afflictions and situations that would bring a strong man to his knees. She was certainly an inspiration to us all.

She will be greatly missed.

Crystal has also dealt with a problem for many years since she was young and surely contributed to her getting cancer. CVID or Common Variable Immunodeficiency.

She explains it on this personal quote from Quora forum--


“I have Common Variable Immunodeficiency. I also have Stage III Head & Neck cancer, recurrent… and as a result of both those diagnoses, I now have irreversible lung disease, Bronchiectasis …( and liver disease too.)

Anyway, for the past 30+ years, every 28 Days I go into the hospital, admitted for an infusion of Intravenous Immunoglobulin. IVIG. It wasn't until 1986 that this product was available in intravenous form. Before that, it was a very painful weekly injection into muscle.”

“Its a very easy treatment compared to my cancer treatments and many other procedures I go through. IVIG is only a partial treatment f me. , its only one component, IgG. It contains nothing else. Therefore it cannot replace my absent IgM, IgA, and the all important lymphocytes ( T cells, natural killer cells, etc) which I am low in. Its a bad set up for my recurrent cancer…I have poor Immune Surveillance and poor/ absent ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. My cancer returned as an aggressive tumor, even after Radiation treatment.”

Fight on. Fight on and Never give up.

Crystal

Comments

  • motorcycleguy
    motorcycleguy Member Posts: 478 Member
    edited September 2022 #2
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    Dang, I took a week off, to help my Dad get into assisted living, and missed this news.

    I sent her a message, yesterday - telling her that I hadn't heard from her in a few days. 😔

    Crystal and I corresponded for years, and I was always inspired by how she would support ME - even when she was going through the worst experiences.

    I miss her feisty personality, and I feel I'm a better (and stronger) person - for having known her!

  • Logan51
    Logan51 Member Posts: 465 Member
    #3
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    Sorry to hear this, but she knew as well as most of us this was inevitable with all her afflictions. Yes, quite a brave One who fought the good fight, and hoping she and Randall are reunited in Heaven.

    The Obit is not a good one, though, and it makes no mention of Randall! What the heck?

  • Dagney1924
    Dagney1924 Member Posts: 30 Member
    #4
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/325680/litlcjdoll-crystal-an-honored-and-dear-member-has-passed

    I'm so sorry to hear this, may she rest in peace. She put me to shame with her positive attitude.

  • motorcycleguy
    motorcycleguy Member Posts: 478 Member
    #5
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    Crystal did share pictures with me. She had an interesting life, including being a handler - and travelling all over, with show dogs. (This guy's name is Fritz!..)

    Crystal.jpg

    Another interesting thing I learned about her, was that she loved to bake desserts, and made them for other people for years - even long after she could no longer eat them herself. She gave them to family, friends and caregivers - and enjoyed watching them savor eating them!

  • MST
    MST Member Posts: 21 Member
    #6
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    Very sad to hear this news. Even in the latter stages of her illness she found time to correspond with a fighting spirit. May she rest in peace.

  • Chillg8r
    Chillg8r Member Posts: 75 Member
    #7
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    I’m saddened to hear this. When I was first diagnosed she was very supportive and helpful…..she will be missed.

  • exiledbrit
    exiledbrit Member Posts: 7 Member
    #8
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    Rest in peace dear lady..

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #9
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    wbcgaruss,

    I was very sorry to read about LitlcjDoll passing, she was an active member who cared about “our little” H&N forum and the members who responded to her. I am not as active on the forum today as I was over the past few years, but I always was happy to read her posts or a private messages sent to me. It is always hard to lose a member and she will be missed. It seems some of the best members must move on way before their time should be over.

    Rest in Peace Crystal.

    CivilMatt

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