I had my first symptoms on 9/11/01. I felt this pain in my stomach area. I thought it was caused by the sight of planes crashing into the WTC. Eventually the pain became so intense I had to leave work and go to my family doctor. He discovered bile in my urine, and gave me the name of a surgeon to see immediately. I made the appointment for the following week. Two nights later I turned yellow..had extreme pain and was admitted for pancreatitis. Everything was like a blur. I had the Whipple done a couple weeks later. I had Stage 3 Pancreatic cancer, 2cm tumor, positive nodes.
The Whipple was a massive 10 and a half hour long surgery. It took me a year to recuperate enough to go back to work for the year I needed to get my 15 years in. I went out on SSD after that year. I went from 186 pounds to a low of 114 pounds. I’m now 122lbs. It has not been easy. I’ve had my share of good times, but also have battled pain and depression. I am an 11 year survivor. It is a life changing cancer. You never return to normal.
