My fiancée was diagnosed with chronic/acute pancreatitis in May of 2012. Few days after his birthday he and I were on our way to the hospital because of the abdominal pain he was suffering. My fiancée, Adam, had a seizure in the driveway, nearly missing the drain grates. I was scared and did what I [...]

Last year I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was found at an early stage and upon leaving my physician office I was already scheduled for surgery. It was hard to encompass the diagnosis I was given or comprehend the enormity of the surgery that was going to occur. I went through many emotions. I [...]

Imagine having a servere pain that comes and goes, never knowing when it will hit. You go to the doctor but they tell you it’s acid reflux and send you on your way. You know something isn’t right and finally it gets so bad you can’t walk or stand up. You go to the emergency [...]

What I Have Learned from Pancreatitis YOU are the EXPERT on your body. Your doctors know medicine but they don’t know you. Give them the information they need to do their job well: If you are feeling poorly, track your symptoms and your food, so you can give your doctors DATA, not anecdotes. This will [...]

I am a two-time survivor of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Whipple procedure, 2007; liver surgery after metastasis, 2010) who has been cancer free and in excellent health for the past 4 1/2 years. When my liver metastasis was diagnosed, the oncologist talked to me briefly, recommended palliative care and walked out of the room. Instead, I aggressively [...]

My story began in July 1999 when I was struck with this excruciating pain on my upper abdomen. I went to the emergency room and after the lab test came back, I was told I had acute pancreatitis. I had no clue what this was but one of the doctors told me the most common [...]

I’m a member of the Young Professionals Committee for the Western PA chapter of the NPF. I’d like to share my story of why I support the National Pancreas Foundation.   Well, it started a little over 3 years ago when I was 24 and living in Dallas. I had recently moved from LA, where I [...]

I had the honor of marrying into the large and welcoming Birsic family of 9 children, when I married Tom Birsic in 1978.Coming from a small family; it took me awhile to understand the dynamics of a larger family and the various interactions amongst the siblings on a number of levels. Over the years, I [...]