Pancreatic Cancer -- It Started With a Stomach Ache
Two and a half years ago, the week before Thanksgiving in 2006, my mom got a severe stomachache. She had pains for a few weeks but they weren’t going away, she decided to call the doctor, even though her symptoms were those similar to indigestion.
The doctor suggested limiting fat from her diet for a week or two and monitoring the pain. Interestingly enough, the diet change alleviated the symptoms. However, reducing your diet to completely fat free (especially during the holidays) is almost impossible. The doctor believed she was suffering because of her gall bladder and wanted to remove it.
We would come to find out that it was not her gall bladder at all but a cancerous mass on her pancreas. She would need it removed via the Whipple procedure surgery, less than two weeks after the stomachache. Her doctor wanted her to be the, “exception for this diagnosis.”
No one knows the cause of pancreatic cancer, but there are some risk factors. They include being over the age of 60, a smoker, having diabetes, being male and African-Americans. My mom does not fit one of those categories. She is an example of why everyone needs to be aware of this disease, but also an example of survival.
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Nice article, Michelle.I will look forward to reading more. I've put the website in my "favorites" file. Marcie D.
Thank you for this article. I shall be vigilant with this with my relatives and own parents.
Doddie
Nicely done, Michelle. It's always great to raise awareness, and this issue is quite obviously close to your heart!
Mindy