After lung nodules popped up on my routine pancreatic cancer CT scan in March, a PET scan, which had three nodules that lit up, and lung biopsy were scheduled. Why both? To be super sure we knew what was going on and how to proceed. Like everything…
Rhonda Havig
Well, shit. Apparently, the cancer might have returned. I can’t say it was a shocker, though. The recurrence rate for pancreatic cancer is high at around 80%. That sucks. ***Edit: There is still a chance it is nothing. Regardless, this is damn stressful and scary AF.*** But…
I still haven’t decided on a word for 2023, but I’m getting close. Even while writing a piece for my writing group on New Year’s Day, I just couldn’t settle on anything. More about that later, when I do finally have a word to share. In the…
Due to the high rate of recurrence, most pancreatic cancer survivors are closely monitored even after there are no longer signs of cancer. This usually involves scans, which tend to result in a great deal of anxiety. Scans + anxiety = scanxiety. And scnaxiety sucks. For those…
On April 27, 2021 I had major surgery known as the Whipple procedure. April 27, 2022 was my first Whippleversary! When I was in the hospital last year, I wasn’t even thinking about making it to my first anniversary. At that point, I wasn’t even sure where…
We received the official pancreatic cancer diagnosis on March 24, 2021. This disease has a low one-year survival rate, which terrified me a year ago (still does). So I am thrilled to pieces to still be here on March 24, 2022 to say: I am a one-year…
Choosing a word for 2022 was pretty easy. This past year, I felt like I spent so much time in survival mode dealing with pancreatic cancer that I didn’t fully live life. So, as you might have already guessed, my word for 2022 is “live”. Every day…
Today was my last chemo treatment for pancreatic cancer, so I got to ring the bell! It was an exciting day, but it brought some unexpected emotions. Well, this is a surprise For the past five months, I have been running a chemo marathon looking forward to…
Dealing with the physical side of cancer is tough. The Whipple procedure and chemotherapy are not cake walks. However, I feel the mental side of coping with cancer is more difficult. Before sharing how I’m coping with cancer, I want to say that even though I’m doing…
The main game for me this year is “Defeat Pancreatic Cancer.” Apparently my body thought it would be fun to send me on a side quest: “Pass a Kidney Stone.” I played this side quest once before during pregnancy, but this time the onset felt different and…