Patient Stories

Giuliana was just seven weeks old when she was diagnosed with Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS), a rare, genetic disorder of fat metabolism that is characterized by extremely high plasma triglyceride levels, which are 10- to 100-fold or more above normal. In Giuliana’s case, her triglycerides were 24,000. FCS is caused by insufficient or impaired function …

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On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in August of 2018, NPF Central Pennsylvania Chapter Chair, Lora Kelly reached an important milestone; five years of remaining pancreatic cancer-free! She and her family and felt triumphant to have reached this life-giving milestone. As she reflects upon all of the treatment she’s endured to reach this cancer-free celebration, a …

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When did your pancreatitis story start? It was in August of 2010, and I was 8 years old.  I have two younger brothers, and at that time my brother Cameron was 5 years old and my youngest brother Liam was only 10 months old.  My family and I were on a road trip across Pennsylvania …

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When did your introduction to pancreas disease start? In looking back on my experiences, my absolute first memory of being introduced to pancreatic disease was in 2011 when working in an Emergency Department of a Level 1 Trauma Center. An elderly female patient came in to be evaluated for abdominal pain; her daughter accompanied her. …

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On July 2, 2019, I got the best news of my life: I was approved for a Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation (TPAIT) at the University of Cincinnati with Dr. Syed Ahmad on September 3, 2019. When you live life with a chronic disease that has altered the way you interact with the world you …

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