Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
Pancreatic Cancer is something I am passionate about. Both of my grandparents were diagnosed with it, and I have been on a mission to spread and create more awareness regarding this disease.
Common symptoms and warning signs may include:
Abdominal and /or mid-to-upper back pain, nausea or loss of appetite, jaundice, changes in stool, or new onset diabetes.
Click here to learn more in depth about other risk factors and symptoms!
Grammy
My Grandmother, AKA "Grammy" was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in July 2020. The Covid-19 Pandemic was pretty fresh in the world, so everything seemed a mess. I was a senior in college with only a few weeks left before graduation. I was already bummed about my senior year being cancelled, but after learning about my Grandmother's diagnosis, I was in complete disbelief.
She was diagnosed with Stage 4 and her health declined rapidly. I was able to travel to see her a few times and each time I visited I could see she had less and less strength. She eventually lost her appetite and even tried chemo treatments. However, the treatments did not help her get better. Seeing Grammy lose her hair, energy, and weight, took a toll on me and my family.
I was called "Night Nurse" as I would help her bathe and made sure her medications were taken before bed. Her last wish was for her to go to the beach, and that's a memory I cherish each and every day. My Grandmother passed on November 1, 2020. Her last words I remember were "Don't Forget About Me."
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Granddad
After my grandmother passed away, things were different. We were all grieving and still trying to process everything. I would call my Granddad more just to check on him and talk to him to see how his day was. Overall, I can only assume he was handling everything "alright". Around April 2021, I learned that my Granddad was also diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. To me, it felt like a slap in the face. "What do you mean he has Pancreatic Cancer?" I was in complete shock, because I was scared of going through this again.
My Granddad had other health conditions he was dealing with so adding cancer on top of all of that was a lot. However, his condition was different. He was not diagnosed with stage 4. In fact, I am not sure what stage his cancer was, but he was functioning differently than my Grandmother did. His appetite never really went away at first. In fact, my family was able to go to our favorite seafood restaurant and he had no problem eating. The main thing I remember was him having shortness of breath.
With certain medications, that seemed to help but eventually with chemo he started losing a lot of weight and his hair. He did have to get on oxygen like my grandmother did, and my family started to notice his quality of life declining. He just became very weak over time and never had energy. One of my favorite memories of my Granddad is him having live lobsters for my graduation. I always think of seafood when I think of him. Granddad passed away June 1, 2022. His last words I remember were "I love you too."
