Kat

My story is about myself

This event began on 16 September 2022

The Discovery

I had some tummy issues for about 9 months, but nothing so severe that would alarm me… it was a stressful time in my life and I chalked it off to that. Looking back, I guess there were some changes in my bowels, too. What brought me to the hospital was uncontrollable itching for 3 day.

My biliary levels were very high, in the thousands, as were my liver levels. An ER doctor had just come from a conference on pancreatic cancer and was alerted to the symptom of itching. A CT scan and an MRI showed a tumor compressing the biliary tract. Within three days , and ECRP and stent was placed in The gallbladder. Diagnosis: stage 1B borderline resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. I was 54 years old.
A week after that a port placed.

Treatment began the first week of October. 6 months of brutal chemotherapy followed by 24 sessions of radiation prepared me for a Whipple procedure on May 18, 2023. They got it all! I was lucky.

I still go for blood work every 8 weeks and scans every 4-6 months. As of today, April 30, 2025, no re occurrence.

The Impact of Time

Early detection was key to my outcome… a good team of oncologists, nurses and surgeons fought alongside me, as did my family and friends. We need to focus more on uncommon symptoms and bringing awareness to populations more prone to this disease. I had no family history, no genetic markers… screening is essential to survival rates! Funding is needed… my outlook has changed drastically. I thought it was a death sentence, but it can be beat if discovered early. Aggressive treatment was also beneficial….

Just before my diagnosis, I found my birth mother. I was so happy to be in her life because she never had any children after me. I thought I was giving her a gift, but she was my gift. She held my hand through many treatments, surgery, and recovery when my parents couldn’t because of their aging and failing health. God placed an angel in my life when I needed her most.