Good friend just died of Pancreatic Cancer

H

harllee

Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
5,331
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Good friend, same age as me (72) died a couple of hours ago from pancreatic cancer. She was the picture of health until about a month ago when she started feeling tired and had some minor stomach pain. She thought it might be Covid but tested negative. She went to her doctor, had many tests and a biopsy--came back that she had pancreatic cancer and it had already spread everywhere. She was told there no treatment and tonight, less than a month after she started feeling bad, she is dead. No one in her family had ever had this, she was a non smoker, good weight, ate good, exercised, drank very little. I never knew that cancer could take a person so quickly. Why is there no test or anything for this?
 
I am so sorry for your loss, harlee. That is a terrible cancer, even if it is discovered relatively early the prognosis is not often good.
 
PC is not easily identified until usually it's pretty bad, kind of like liver cancer. I worked with two guys who passed in their early 60's within two weeks of finding out they had PC.
 
My BIL passed back in 2021. Just before and while he was hospitalized for a respiratory comdition the docs found two tumors...liver and pancreas and two bloodclots...leg and lung (that accounts for the respiratory pblm). He survived in the hosp. for about a week before he refused his heart meds and passed quietly.

18-yrs earlier in '03 his brother passed from pancreatic cancer.

My wife has lesions on her pancreas. We're seeing a doc in a few days to learn what that means. Staying optimistic for her but I'm worried.
 
A cousin of mine went quickly too. But my old college roommate had his pc discovered when checking for something else. Had surgery and 5 years later is doing well. He’s extremely lucky.
 
My deepest condolences.

My BFF went to the ER suspecting pneumonia. Seven days later he died. Esophageal cancer.

Life is not fair.
 
Saddened to hear this Harllee. So sorry for your loss and that of your friend's family.
 
Our good friend who turns 80 this year has 2 siblings who have passed away from pancreatic cancer. He asked his PCP what he could do about early detection and was told that there is nothing that he can do about it. I wonder if high risk patients, i.e. genetic link, can get periodic ultrasound to detect early pancreatic cancer.
 
That’s really sad Harlee. 2 friends of mine died a month after finding out they had cancer. Sometimes you don’t get any symptoms.
 
Oh Harlee, I am so sad to hear about the unexpected bad news. Wish I could somehow help you to get through this tough time. (hugs) Just know I care.
 
Sorry for your loss Harllee, such a shock when that happens. My wife’s BIL died of PC a few years ago. Super fit guy, thin, never smoked, started feeling a little ill, was diagnosed with PC and a few months later he was gone.
 
I had a friend who lasted 10 months (about 50 years old), he chose to try to fight it even though they said it was unlikely to do anything but extend his life 1-2 years. It was a miserable 10 months.

His brother pays to have his body scanned every 2 years, don’t know if that could catch it in time.
 
tulak said:
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.

Blood tests for cancer detection are coming.

Here’s a recent press release for pancreatic cancer: Molecular You Announces Breakthrough in Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

And here’s one company offering cancer screening blood test for $949: Blood Test for Cancer Screening | Galleri®

No idea how well these tests work, but I imagine eventually they’ll be routine with annual blood work.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I read that pancreatic cancer is fairly rare but I hope that there could be some early detection method developed like a blood test.
 
BIL was diagnosed with esophageal cancer about 5 years ago and given only a few months. On one scan it showed up on his liver also. He elected to not have surgery to remove his esophagus and part of his stomach and went through treatments. He is now healthy and happy. Prayers we all feel were a big part of his recovery.
 
folivier said:
BIL was diagnosed with esophageal cancer about 5 years ago and given only a few months. On one scan it showed up on his liver also. He elected to not have surgery to remove his esophagus and part of his stomach and went through treatments. He is now healthy and happy. Prayers we all feel were a big part of his recovery.
Click to expand...
My friend who just died from Pancreatic cancer was very active in her Church and had the whole Church was praying for her. I go to another Church and we all prayed for her too. In fact the whole community where we lived prayed. Now I pray that some early detection and treatment will be found for this awful cancer.
 
I am so sorry for your loss Harllee.
 
That is really awful. I'm sorry harllee. The short time from diagnosis must have been wrenching for everyone involved. A former co-worker was diagnosed with PC, and had about 6 months, which at least gave her time to spend with friends and family.

It's a sobering reminder that we don't get to choose how we go. I am so sorry.
 
Adding my sympathies, harllee. Any cancer diagnosis can be frightening, however, pancreatic cancer is a hard one. Often not found until it's too late and not a whole lot of treatments available.
 
tulak said:
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.

Blood tests for cancer detection are coming.

Here’s a recent press release for pancreatic cancer: Molecular You Announces Breakthrough in Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

And here’s one company offering cancer screening blood test for $949: Blood Test for Cancer Screening | Galleri®

No idea how well these tests work, but I imagine eventually they’ll be routine with annual blood work.
Click to expand...
This guy tells his journey of finding and seeking treatment of stage 2 pancreatic cancer that was discovered through the Galleri liquid biopsy test.

 
I've known 3 people with PC in the past ~20 years. Two died ~9 mos after the initial diagnosis. One was in his late 50's the other in his mid 60's. One took treatments (chemo), the other did not. The third was diagnosed at least 20 years ago and is still kicking today in his late 70's. He had surgery on his.

So there is hope if you ever get such a diagnosis.
 
It's a shock to lose someone so quickly. My condolences. Based on the posts here, PC seems horribly artbitrary and random.
 
GrayHare said:
It's a shock to lose someone so quickly. My condolences. Based on the posts here, PC seems horribly artbitrary and random.
Click to expand...

I saw what was supposedly a mathematical analysis of the causes of cancer. The result was that their estimation was 2/3 rds of the chances of having cancer were just the result of a bad cell division, purely bad luck. The other third was genetics, environment, carcinogens, diet, etc.
 
Car-Guy said:
I've known 3 people with PC in the past ~20 years. Two died ~9 mos after the initial diagnosis. One was in his late 50's the other in his mid 60's. One took treatments (chemo), the other did not. The third was diagnosed at least 20 years ago and is still kicking today in his late 70's. He had surgery on his.

So there is hope if you ever get such a diagnosis.
Click to expand...
The guy who is still alive--they must have found it very early to enable them to do surgery. That would be my hope--some blood test or something to detect it early so that surgery could be done. For my friend who died last night--when she was diagnosed a month ago it was at stage 4, already spread to her liver so no surgery, no hope.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Redbugdave
Death of a spouse...and a different story...
4 5 6
Replies
128
Views
13K
Koolau
Koolau
J
My TULSA prostate cancer adventure
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
Koolau
Koolau
E
should we go to ER ?
2 3 4
Replies
75
Views
8K
Koolau
Koolau
E
Appointment with Mohs Surgeon
2
Replies
46
Views
4K
Koolau
Koolau
M
Solo Vacations
2 3 4
Replies
80
Views
3K
rk911
rk911

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom