My Cancer Journey so far

In the middle of June I felt a large lump high in my stomach, and immediately made an appointment with my primary care Dr. After examining me, we both thought I could have a hiatal hernia. For the next couple weeks she proceeded to send me for several tests. In the meantime my father, whom I had been living with since the covid shut down, had a stroke from his two year battle with brain cancer, and was now hospitalized with end of life care. Three days before my father passed away. My Dr. called me and said “Amy, I am so sorry to tell you, but the test shows a 2 .5 inch cyst on the tail of your pancreas, and a cancerous mass encasing the Superior Mesenteric Artery, ( a major artery of the abdomen- It arises from the abdominal aorta and supplies blood to the stomach organs. ) We think you have Pancreatic Cancer! I never told my father what was happening with my health and brushed it aside to spend his last days and nights with him until his death. I am so grateful he never knew, but now he and my mother who passed in 2018 do know, because they are now my guradian angels, and I constantly feel their presence in my new journey.

In July and August, I had two biopsies and both came back negative, but with the persistence of my surgeon, she still wasn’t satisfied with the findings, so on September 1st another surgery was scheduled. This time a surgery that gave me a BEAUTIFUL 8 inch vertical scar on my stomach (my bikini days are now over) the findings were not good. Cancer was found on the cyst and spread down to encase this major artery. Once cancer spreads to the artery it is considered inoperable, and incurable, stage 3, because you just can’t cut through an artery. My lifespan prognosis is not good.

BUT…

My wonderful, beautiful, loving, husband was not satisfied with this outlook on my life. Dave began to research to see if any Dr could help me. He found a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, that specializes in taking cancer off the pancreatic arteries.

With the help of my oncology surgeon she called and presented my case to Dr. Mark Truty at Mayo, and he said yes, he would be willing to see us. On Sunday Oct. 11th, Dave and I will be flying out to the Clinic in Rochester. On Tuesday Oct. 13, I will have blood work, multiple scans and an examination, to see if he can help me, and discuss if surgery is an option.

Please continue praying, I can really feel them with all your outpouring of love. - Amy