"I Survived Pancreatic Cancer"

[appalachiablue]

- Ringing the victory bell which I passed by each time I left after my chemotherapy infusion. Now finished, I got to ring it with my steadfast husband of 42 years. We actually did not coordinate our tops but it worked out!
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- Daily Kos, Nov. 18, 2021.

I remain one of the 99%; however, i now also belong to the 9% of those who have survived pancreatic cancer.
I survived because I challenged my initial ‘gatekeeper doctor’ to DEMAND that she order magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) (1) on me which finally revealed my tumor.
I am here to tell you that you can beat this most dreaded of cancers if you catch it early, educate yourself, and learn to be a strong self-advocate. Early detection is key as it opens up the option of lifesaving surgery.

In the spring of 2020 just as the Covid19 pandemic was beginning its savage march across the United States, I noticed a nagging pain and tightness across my midriff front and back. It felt like a tight three-inch belt. It was worse after I ate. It was especially painful over my left upper quadrant for which Tylenol did nothing so I resorted to ice bags. My stools were lighter in color and floated. I could feel a spasm running along below my left ribs.


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- RISK FACTORS:

- Close relative with pancreatic cancer. 10% to 15% of people with pancreatic cancer have an immediate family member who also has/had it.
- Genes. Germline mutations in BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, or PRSS1 are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Mutations in the p16/CDKN2A gene have also been linked to pancreatic cancer.
- Diabetes. Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after the age of 50 have a 6 to 8 times increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer within 1 to 3 years of diagnosis.

- Smoking. Cigarette smoking increases the risk for pancreatic cancer.
- Obesity and inactivity. Obese individuals (body mass index, BMI, of 30 or higher) are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, according to a study of 88,000 nurses. Those who exercised frequently were about half as likely to get pancreatic cancer, compared to those who did not exercise at all.
- Pancreatic cysts and chronic pancreatitis. People who have one or both of these conditions are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. (Natl. Cancer Institute. SEER data. Cancer Stat Facts: Pancreatic Cancer. American Cancer Society. Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors.)
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I had 2 or 3 of these risk factors. (Note that the cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown at this time. The above factors are statistically shared by those who are diagnosed.) If this list gives you pause, you can take this short risk assessment quiz and/or speak to your doctor. Being aware is being forearmed. A new test is recently available to those who are at increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. It is not a screening test for the general public at this time but for those who fit certain criteria determined by a doctor.
*Important Note: The lack of early detection drives the high mortality rate of pancreatic cancer. While it is the responsibility of the patient to seek medical care when symptoms appear, it is the physician who must overcome their own implicit bias or ‘healthcare shortage’ mentality in order to resist the temptation to treat these patients conservatively when they present with symptoms.

Had I not advocated for myself by discovering and insisting upon the definitive imaging test, I would not be alive to write this.

Being a retired registered radiologic technologist, I had an advantage in dealing with the current medical system. I spoke the same language; however, I understood how it worked and knew how implicit bias had been feeding the phenomenon of the health provider as ‘gatekeeper’ of medical care itself. I was a seventy-year-old woman who was on Medicare. It may have seemed kinder to send me home for months and then do another blood test.
My main advantage was that I had worked long years at the side of physicians and knew them to be no gods. This knowledge gave me the freedom to question and challenge my initial doctor’s judgement.

The MRCP(1) imaging was not dreamed of when I retired from radiology. My decision to educate myself turned up the test which would image the pancreas...

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~ Contratulations! In health matters, education and self advocacy are essential. Even lifesaving.