PACINI

My Story is about my cancer discovered in April 2021 my name is Franà§oise Pacini, I’m French, I live in south of France

 

This event took place from 04/13/2021 to

 

The Discovery

My cancer was discovered after a simple consultation with my doctor, I wasted no time after 3 days I was able to do a scanner which detected the tumor. Unfortunately I was not operable, I did several chemotherapy protocols, and radiosurgery with the cyber knife in France. for almost 19 months I have been fighting my roommate! I lost my hair, and I lost a lot of weight 25 kgs, but now I stabilized and my hair grew back.

The tumor is stable and I have learned to live with it.

I do a lot of walking, and my morale is good. I’m crossing my fingers my next scan is Nov 24th so I’m waiting for the next diagnosis to know where I am.

I believe in progress and in god, maybe on a misunderstanding I could survive this disease !!!

Life is beautiful and I enjoy every moment

 

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Maria

My Story is about my mother

 

This event took place from 12/05/2014 to 12/23/2015

 

The Discovery

My mother was having severe stomach pains. She had a schedule appointment to have a colonoscopy because she was having discomfort so the doctor scheduled her for one. A few days prior to appointment she experienced pain she couldn’t bear so we took her to hospital. Tests were run and that’s when the awful unprepared diagnosis was given. But who could ever be prepared. The location on the pancreas was inoperable unless it shrunk.

 

This is My Story

This unimaginable journey has made me strive to raise awareness for this horrid disease. I have been a purple stride members the last few years to raise money for a better future and turnout for those dealing with pancreatic cancer.. I hope to make my mother as proud as I am of her

 

The Impact of Time

Crazy enough even after losing my mother a year after diagnosis I still consider myself lucky because we knew for over a year and was able to spend those precious moments together. I know many aren’t as fortunate because they found out so late. Obviously the outcome wasn’t good because my mother loss her battle but the gift of time is precious. And I cherish my moments with her. Her outlook on life was incredible. She was one of the strongest people I ever met. She rarely ever complained even when I knew she was suffering. She stayed strong until her body couldn’t handle it anymore. She treasured the moments with all her loved ones.

 

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Ring

My Story is about my Dad, Geric

 

The Discovery

My dad’s pancreatic cancer story began around October 2021 when he started having constant stomach aches that would make him go to the toilet every time he eats. He also started being jaundiced and the color of his urine started turning darker until it was tea-like in color. He started losing weight fast. His GI requested an MRI and a tumor was found in his pancreatic head. Biopsy around Dec 2022 returned no dysplasia in duodenum and mucin-secreting epithelial neoplasm in his pancreatic head mass. He underwent MRCP with stenting by January 2022 but experienced lots of complications (pancreatitis, cholangitis) that had him sent to the hospital on & off. He underwent PTBD procedure by early Feb and Whipple by mid-Feb 2022.

 

This is My Story

Last February, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 1b pancreatic cancer. This was made official after he went through Whipple surgery that lasted 10 hours. Months before, my dad had sudden weight loss, jaundice, and bouts of pancreatitis which meant lots of laboratory procedures, doctor consults, & hospitalizations.

As if all those were not enough, while we were preparing my dad for chemo last March, his PET scan showed abnormal growth in both thyroid glands. A biopsy confirmed it is also cancer of the thyroid, so my dad is a double primary cancer patient. He underwent total thyroidectomy last May.

At his weakest, my dad could not even lift himself up to adjust his position in bed. From his lowest weight of 53kg in Feb, my dad is now 70kg. His thin clothes don’t fit him anymore. His cheeks are sometimes rosy. He can eat and tolerate pretty much everything (in controlled portions). He is back to his old routine of exercising every morning. He laughs more. He is happy. He is thriving.

When I look back at how this year started and where we are now, I am in absolute awe with how the Lord has provided and sustained us. Because of complications, my Dad underwent Whipple a month earlier than planned. We weren’t financially ready (we are from the Philippines and we don’t have a good health insurance system here), but the Lord continued to provide, the money kept coming from all over. Two days before my dad’s Whipple, on Valentine’s Day, we had more than what we need for the surgery. By the time we were discharged, we even had money left and that’s the same funds that’s been sustaining us through the post-surgery needs of my dad, his thyroidectomy, and more.

Though the battle against cancer continues, I am comforted knowing I have a dad who is a fighter, and he inspires me to keep fighting too. I also keep my faith in miracles big and small that will continue happening in our lives.

 

The Impact of Time

“Cancer” is such a scary word for anyone, but when it’s “pancreatic cancer” it’s even scarier, knowing how poor its prognosis is. In the case of my dad, what really helped was him raising his hands & waving his arms to let us know something is wrong with him — that his stomach is always upset, that his bowel movement has gotten too many for a normal person, and that his urine color is getting darker and darker. The fact that my dad listened to his body is probably what saved him the most because we caught the cancer early enough while it’s still Stage 1b. Because my dad listened to his body, we have been given the gift of time to fight this disease with everything that we have and can do for my dad to be cured.

 

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Melissa

My Story is about My Mother Barbara Kopf

 

This event took place from 01/30/2011 to 02/06/2011

 

The Discovery

It was discovered after my mother had to go for a PET scan. She was feeling sick weeks leading up to the discovery of Pancreatic Cancer. The doctors kept telling her it was flu like symptoms and when she wasn’t getting any better she went for a second opinion where they did lab work and other test and that is how it was discovered that she had pancreatic cancer but by the time is was discovered it was already Stage 4 she lasted about a week and unfortunately passed 12 days later after hearing the words cancer

 

The Impact of Time

The gift of time is precious as you never know what the next day is going to bring, I wish we had more time to research and learn more about pancreatic cancer while my mom was still here we may have seen the symptoms a lot sooner then we did.

 

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Silvia

My Story is about Annamaria, my mum

 

This event took place from 10/01/2017 to 05/06/2018

 

The Discovery

My mum vomited a night without any reason and she had pain in the back. She was a very precise person, no smoke, no drinks, always in movement so she didn’t understand why she felt so paintful that night.

 

This is My Story

We must increase prevention on this cancer. The majority of time it is too late and this is unacceptable. And also a surgery is not that common because the pancreas cannot be removed 100%

 

The Impact of Time

In 8 months my mum passed away. When she discovered she had a pancreatic cancer was too late. We were shocked, confused, scared and angry. The cancer didn’t give any kind of symptoms before that night. She never showed symptoms. I really want to be back in time to hug my beloved mum again. She was also not that old to have this kind of cancer (56 years old).

 

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Amanda

My Story is about Amanda Hite

 

The Discovery

During surgery at Duke.

 

This is My Story

I found out I had pancreatic cancer on November 14, 2005. I was a 38 year old kindergarten teacher, wife, and mother of two. My daughter was 5 and my son was 14. After having a Whipple procedure. Members of my family stayed with around the clock and kept telling me to keep breathing. I remember staring at the clock and telling myself to hold on for 5 more minutes. I did this over and over for days. I went through chemo and radiation. I kept telling myself to hang on for one more day. My husband, parents, and sisters all helped to take care of me. I believe the experience was just as difficult for them as it was for me. When all of the treatments were over, I had to get on with whatever was left of my life. It was important for me to focus my energy on my children. I tried to protect them from the severity of the situation.

I was definitely depressed and weak, but I wanted my children to have good memories of me. I pulled myself together as much as I could and I used my time to create happy memories for them.

Every year when I went back for check ups, everyone at the hospital seemed surprised that I was still alive.

After my whipple, I had episodes of pancreatitis for years that kept getting worse. About 4 years ago, another less invasive surgery was done that so far has stopped those episodes. It has been 17 years since I was diagnosed. I will probably never be completely free of fear that it will come back one day, but I have more and more days when I don’t think about it at all. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I don’t think so. Physically I will never be the way I was before. But I am a better person. A better teacher, a better wife, a better sister, and a better mother.

 

The Impact of Time

I started going to my general practitioner for stomach pain, a rash on my stomach, and the beginnings of jaundice. He kept giving me one incorrect diagnosis after another. All of the symptoms worsened. I went back three times insisting that there was a serious problem and I could feel myself getting weaker. I told him I needed to go to the hospital and he said that I did not need to be hospitalized. The next day I told my husband to take me to the emergency room. If I had waited any longer, I would have died.

I was a 38 year old female who didn’t smoke, so I didn’t fit the usual profile for someone with pancreatic cancer. Ultimately, you are your own best advocate. You know your body and if something is wrong. Time is so important. Stand up for yourself and insist on the best care you can possibly get for yourself.

 

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Colin

My story is about my eldest son Mark

 

This event took place from 06/23/2020 to 03/12/2022

 

The Discovery

Mark worked for a company dismantling and recycling commercial batteries. As this was a toxic environment in which to work a comprehensive health check was carried out by the company annually. In June 2020 after a company health check Mark was referred to his doctor and subsequently to a cancer specialist where he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and In November 2020, he underwent a Whipple Procedure.

 

This is My Story

Mark had an extremely outgoing and adventurous spirit. He was also very young at heart and loved visiting theme parks and trying out all the thrill rides. During his five years at College, Mark joined the Army cadets and also entered the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program where he gained his bronze and silver awards. He subsequently joined the army leaving home and going to live in New South Wales some three and half hours flying time and 3500 kilometres away, making visits extremely difficult and expensive. After leaving the army Mark joined the battery recycling company. We always worried about this job as commercial batteries are composed of numerous dangerous materials and chemicals and which we often wondered were in part responsible for him developing Pancreatic Cancer.

Three years ago, in what would prove to be a cruel twist of fate, Mark donated his prized guitar to be used in a WA Heart Foundation fund-raising auction.

In his final week’s Mark put together a bucket list including a trip to Queensland’s Gold Coast, where he planned to visit Sea World, Dream World and Movie World. Alas this wasn’t to eventuate as the disease rapidly progressed rendering him incapable of any kind of travel.
As a lasting tribute to Mark’s memory, a music video has now been produced. Written by my friend, his song, ‘Impressions of You,’ is now on YouTube and other streaming platforms and has been accepted by the Pancare Foundation of Australia as their Anthem.  Rest in Peace Mark, your memory lives on.

 

 

The Impact of Time

  • From June 2020 to November is just a relatively short six months. Had his diagnosis been even six months earlier then Mark’s chances of survival may have been dramatically increased.
  • Our outlook on time has been greatly influenced by the sudden impact of Mark’s passing. At this time COVID had spread across Australia and our state of Western Australia was ‘locked-out’ of the rest of Australia resulting in closed borders and no permissions to travel between states. At this time, we hadn’t seen our son for two years.
  • As mentioned, there was no early detection.
  • In hindsight and with the threat of COVID looming my wife and I, 83 and 81 respectively, would have love ‘the gift of time’ for at least the opportunity of seeing and being with our son before he passed.

 

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Laura

 

My Story is about This is my story

 

This event took place from 12/02/2020 to

 

The Discovery

In October 2020, I began to have discomfort on my right side, associated with digestive problems, sudden diarrhea, and linear mid-back night pains. But nothing that prevented me from going about my daily work and family life, the discomfort would go away if I did stretches or leaned on something warm. The tests were all fine. I got the suspicion that there was something abnormal from the doctor who did my ultrasound in late November. He advised me to urgently have a CT scan with contrast agent. The diagnosis came on December 2, 2020, “pancreatic adenocarninoma.”
When I got the diagnosis, I understood from the way the doctors talked about how important TIME was. “You have to run …One week makes a difference,” they said!
I started chemotherapy on December 21, 2020, and I am still undergoing treatment today. Early detection is so important because this cancer is silent fast and aggressive, so … you have to run!!!

This is My Story

 

The Impact of Time

The concept of time today for me is “The Time that Remains,” is a concept that each of us should have. My day must be good. It is not always easy because events sometimes are adverse, but I always like to try to find and see something positive in my daily … it is a matter of training!
Today the weather is rich …. Full of family, work, friends, physical activity and research projects.
With the Nadia Valsecchi Foundation, which is part of the coalition, I am organizing the 2nd Purple Walk in my country to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, and I am concretizing a project to support and share about our daily lives among patients that I hope will bear fruit in the future.
I live well in the present and think about the future by setting goals and thinking about new projects that can raise more awareness of the disease, can give resources to research and can make me and other patients feel good.
I live today and have many moments of serenity and happiness.

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Simona

My Story is about My Dad, Maurizio

 

This event took place from 03/15/2022 to 06/19/2022

 

The Discovery

My father was 55 years old when he was diagnosed Diabets type 2 in September 2022. A diabetologist’s friend of mine was his doctor and prescribed an anti-diabetic oral drug and diet so he started to lose weight.

But he lost weight so fast and we were proud of him. At the second visit in March, something strange was in his blood value. I immediately understood there was something really bad and I asked to my friend to quickly visit him. Then after CA119 dosing all was clear to me. He was dying of a pancreatic cancer. We had the diagnosis confirmation and stadiation in April after an Echo and a biopsi.

I had prepared my dad for the diagnosis but we thought at least to have chance to start a chemio. In May I was pregnant of 7 month and my Dad had his death sentence: he could not start the chemio. Bilirubin was too high because of the liver metastasis. In One month he would be dead and it was. From 19 May to 19 of June, we had one month full of party, dinner, cinema and lunch with family and friend until a couple of days before his last breath he started to worsen.

My Dad was really brave and stayed with us until the end, asking for forgiveness for his mistake, telling us how much he loves us and he was not afraid to die. In a few month he was prepared to leave the body and the family and go to his direction.

 

This is My Story

My father was 55 years old when he was diagnosed Diabets type 2 in September 2022. A diabetologist’s friend of mine was his doctor and prescribed an anti-diabetic oral drug and diet so he started to lose weight.

But he lost weight so fast and we were proud of him. At the second visit in March, something strange was in his blood value. I immediately understood there was something really bad and I asked to my friend to quickly visit him. Then after CA119 dosing all was clear to me. He was dying of a pancreatic cancer. We had the diagnosis confirmation and stadiation in April after an Echo and a biopsi.

I had prepared my dad for the diagnosis but we thought at least to have chance to start a chemio. In May I was pregnant of 7 month and my Dad had his death sentence: he could not start the chemio. Bilirubin was too high because of the liver metastasis. In One month he would be dead and it was. From 19 May to 19 of June, we had one month full of party, dinner, cinema and lunch with family and friend until a couple of days before his last breath he started to worsen.

My Dad was really brave and stayed with us until the end, asking for forgiveness for his mistake, telling us how much he loves us and he was not afraid to die. In a few month he was prepared to leave the body and the family and go to his direction.

 

The Impact of Time

Time is quite strange.

Two months after his death he would be granfather.
But that time was not enough on time.

For only two months in 55 years he lost the joy to see his daughter being a mother.

It’s funny.. he would be died one year Earlier or after.. but he dies 2 months before my baby birth

What I have learned about time is that we cannot spend time in arguing or bad feelings. We don’t have enough time.

We spent the last month staying together hoping he will be here one more days.

 

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Raquel

My Story is about My dad, Fernando

 

The Discovery

My dad was first diagnosed as diabetic, which came as a shock to my family. A month later, he was having immense back pain and he was diagnosed with Cirrhosis. A month after that, they found the mass and he was diagnosed with stage 3, inoperable pancreatic cancer. Knowing what I know now, thanks to our resources, the signs were all there. He declined very quickly and passed away 10 months after his fight begin.

 

This is My Story

Growing up, I had two older brothers. It always made me feel a little bit left out. But my dad… he was my best friend. We did everything together. When he’d get home from work, he’d stand me on his feet and walk around the house and dance with me. He supported every endeavor and was right by my side for everything. My dad is the reason that I am everything that I am. I owe many of my accomplishments to him and I will forever live a life that remembers him and makes him proud.

 

The Impact of Time

Since my dad passed, I am more accepting of the timing of my life and every day is an opportunity to uphold what my dad has taught me about being kind, hardworking, and patient. When my dad became sick, his overall health declined very quickly and we never got the chance to go on another adventure. I have promised him and myself to make time for the things I enjoy and the goals that I have. He will always be with me, through every new adventure and every simple day. I love you, dad.

 

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