Helena Maria
My Story is about Helena Maria von Schüler
This event took place from 09/03/2025 to
The Discovery
I went to the ER in Aveiro, Portugal with jaundice, dark urine, itching and pain by the liver and pancreas. I felt it could be pancreatitis or a liver problem. I was sent from the private hospital to the public hospital, because there was no one with the expertise to handle this. I waited in the ER, on a guerny for 20 hours to get admitted. It was a bad scene for all of us, because one person died inside the ER and another person died outside, where I was located. Blood tests results were slower than normal.
This is My Story
After two failed attempts through ERCP to inspect the mass inside the head of the pancreas, I was transferred to Coimbra. After waiting many hours again I was finally admitted and finally met an oncologist. I knew that meant I had cancer. After a week I was sent home to get a surgical date for an exploratóry Whipple procedure.
At this point a strike began for all doctors, nurses and technicians in Portugal. I did not feel good about the procedure, the huge scars, eliminating organs and redoing the new placement of organs, without even knowing where the tumor was located, size or the stage of the cancer.
With time slipping away, I started to research U.S. hospital such as The Mayo Clinic, Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, as an alternative. I no longer had my medical in the United States.
Simultaneously, I found out the Germany has renown hospital in Heidelberg. Being a dual citizen of the U.S. and Germany, I started researching the possibilities of going to the University of Heidelberg. Unfortunately, not being a resident hinder me from going to Germany.
In desperation I contacted my insurance company in Portugal and said they do not have any contracts with hospitals in Portugal. I was getting desperate and the clock was ticking.
Finally my insurance company felt I was a good candidate for one of the centers of excellence located in Madrid, Spain. Luckily, I do speak Spanish as my mother is from Colombia. I jumped on it immediately. My partner flew out with me to the University of Navarra in Madrid and there I received the testing I needed, the proper scans, the ERCP to determine the location of the tumor, helped me find the best medicines and a treatment plan. I decided on chemo and radiotherapy. I had a few health hiccups with contracting sepsis, I had nuetropenia, blood transfusions, platelets, and so many other incidents, some big some small. But at 73, I did what I had to do. Afterall, time is not on my side.
By the way, during the strike in Portugal I received a call from the public teaching hospital in Coimbra. They said due to the strike, they had a few openings, with the staff members who did not go on strike. I think not and politely said no. They could not do an ERCP to determine the location, so how could I trust them with a 10 hour surgery.
This has been an uphill battle, but when has anything. I am grateful for my faith, grateful to those who support me and happy research papers, innovation in Pancreatic Cancer treatments and each and every day I get to live.
Blessings to all the warriors who go through this grueling disease and the caregivers who stand by us.
Live in gratitude.
The Impact of Time
When I finally was diagnosed in late 2024 with inoperable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, I was diagnosed as stage 3. The local hospital made lots of mistakes and did not treat much. I had 30 day of no eating while they started
