Team Not Null will participate in PurpleStride on Saturday, April 27, 2024 — my third Whippleversary!
Join or support the team and help PanCAN in the fight against pancreatic cancer!
My pancreatic cancer story
I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2021. I am fortunate that the tumor pressed into my bile duct and made me sick, prompting me to go to the doctor. Otherwise, we would not have found the tumor as early as we did.
Fortunately, the tumor was resectable and I had the Whipple procedure on April 27. Because the cancer had spread to a couple of local lymph nodes involved, but nowhere else, I was told it was stage 2B. Chemotherapy followed to make sure no rogue cancer cells were hiding elsewhere in my body.
My last several scans after chemo show no recurrent or metastatic disease. Hooray!
Now my goals are to stay healthy and cancer-free while raising awareness of this disease. Obviously a huge thanks goes to my medical team for helping me with the staying healthy part.
I am also grateful to the marketing folks at Premier Health for sharing my story and arranging for me to speak with a couple of local news outlets during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November 2021. And thank you to Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer for also posting my story in hopes of helping others know they are not fighting alone.
Get pancreatic cancer information
If you or a loved one is dealing with pancreatic cancer, PanCAN has some excellent general education on the disease. It also is a good resource for information on nutrition, caregiving, and clinical trials. Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer is another great place for information, as well as treatment stories from survivors.
When consulting Dr. Google, make sure you are viewing current pancreatic cancer information from reputable sources. I tended to look at information from Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson, and The James at OSU.
Find support
If you need support, please reach out to your medical team or social worker. If you feel a support group is right for you, there are some in person that your team can help you find. There are online support groups, too. I belong to one on Facebook for patients and survivors only, but some exist for both patients and caregivers. Please read my blog post about coping with cancer to learn how I handled surgery and chemo. Hopefully you and your loved ones will find something to help you on your journey.
Make a difference
Support PanCAN PurpleStride! You can support or join Team Not Null for PurpleStride 2024. Money raised helps PanCAN provide life-changing programs and services for pancreatic cancer patients and their families.
Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer is another non-profit providing information to patients and survivors, as well as supporting research. Consider making a gift to Let’s Win or sharing your survivor story.
Pants Off Racing is another organization that helps patients and families affected by pancreatic cancer. Support this group by shopping in their store or making a donation.
If you’d like to make a gift toward general cancer patients and research, please consider the American Cancer Society. Thank you!
