Karen’s story
I had lost a lot of weight and started to pass dark urine, but I didn’t think a lot of it until later when I went to the doctor and mentioned back pain. I was very lucky as she felt my stomach area and sent me for a CT scan, and they found a 5 cm tumour.
Pancreatic is not as common as other cancers and rarely mentioned in the media. But there have been improvements in surgery and it is treatable if caught in the early stages.
After my diagnosis, I had the Whipple procedure followed by chemotherapy and radiation.
It took about a year to really get over it. I still have trouble with digestion and have to take CREON tablets when eating.
After each of my radiation treatments, I would become very emotional. When I first started the radiation therapy, I burst into tears; it was such an imposing machine and I found the whole process overwhelming and a bit scary.
Before the pancreatic cancer diagnosis, I was a busy teacher and my children were all still at home. I now have the time to walk regularly and cancer was a great motivator for doing strength exercises. I’ve taken up my art again and attend an art group, which I find very therapeutic.
Because of the nature of my cancer, I would rate the fear of recurrence as 10 out of 10. I’ve already been told by the surgeon that I will have a shortened life span.
When you have a cancer diagnosis, you don’t stop being a wife, a mother and friend, and some people don’t stop working. There’s still stuff in your life to get on with, and I find talking with a counsellor has helped me with the things that I can’t talk to anyone else about.
When you have a cancer diagnosis, you don’t stop being a wife, a mother and friend, and some people don’t stop working. There’s still stuff in your life to get on with, and I find talking with a counsellor has helped me with the things that I can’t talk to anyone else about.
Karen
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