Welcome Sandy's Fundraising Page!
My name is Sandy, and I am a Pancreatic Cancer Survivor - Yippee!!
Cancer is not new to our family. I am also a seven year breast cancer survivor, lost my mother to pancreatic cancer, her two brothers had colon cancer, lost my first cousin to ovarian cancer – fighting the fight is not new to me both as a survivor and caregiver.
My story is one of hope and literally from diagnosis to cure was 11 days including a weekend and just before Christmas 2018! It was Sunday when I experienced my symptoms. Monday when I saw my GP who initially thought it was hepatitis. Tuesday, I had the lab work done and an ultrasound was recommended. Wednesday, I had the ultrasound and a CT Scan was recommended. It was at this point my GP contacted the hospital and a surgeon specialized in GI surgeries and pancreatic cancer was engaged. He contacted me and a CT scan at the hospital was arranged for the Saturday. I got the results back immediately and he indicated I had a mass in the head of my pancreas. He also noticed I started to become jaundice so an ERCP was scheduled for the following Monday. A stent was put in and the procedure went extremely well. My surgeon said, we'll have to do the Whipple procedure and we'll do it in January so enjoy Christmas and I'll see you in the near year. Well, he checked the Operating Room schedule and it was tough to find 9 hours of OR time in early January so we both agreed it had to be done ASAP. So, it was on Friday, December 21, 2018 – the day I became cancer free. My surgeon went into detail in terms of what the Whipple procedure entailed and what organs/glands would be removed, why and the impact of having what's left of my insides /plumbing re-routed. Given only 15-20% of people are even eligible to have the Whipple, I felt very fortunate to be able to have it and honestly, was not the least bit scared and to this day have never shed a tear. I can't stress the importance of having your surgery done by someone who has done 100s of Whipples, not just 10 or 20 and have it at a facility that specializes in cancer. I should also add that this is not my first rodeo with cancer, I am also a seven year breast cancer survivor so I knew the drill . My pathology reported indicated Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer and you would think that's a pretty grim diagnosis, but I remained optimistic and knew I could beat this sucker too ! Keeping a positive attitude and surrounding yourself with a village of loving and supportive family and friends is critical to having the mindset to handle this beast. No doctor ever said to me, you have X amount of years to live – I was never given an expiration date !
We have a little saying among pancreatic cancer survivors and caregivers – NEGU – Never Ever Give Up !!! It can be a long and difficult recovery process...be kind to yourself and be patient...surround yourself with loved ones, sound medical advise and positive thoughts...and you will make it !!!
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