My Story is about my Sister & my Aunt

 

This event took place from 17 November 2008 to 7 March 2017

 

The Discovery

My sister was having pain in her stomach and lower back. She had her gallbladder removed first and the pain continued. Then through blood work they decided to do a scope and they found the tumor on her pancreas.

 

This is My Story

My sister was my first encounter with this disease, we had not experienced it before. She was the first person I loss so close to me. I am the baby sister so she spoiled me. She had 2 young girls at the time of her death they were 9 and 4. Her journey with pancreatic cancer was up and down as she went through 10 months of 6 different chemotherapy and one round of radiation filling her surgery to remove 60% of her stomach, majority of her pancreas, spleen and adrenal gland. She fought but in October of 2009 they stopped everything infusion and treatments she made to her birthday on Dec 3 and her daughter’s birthday on Dec 5 and left us the week before Christmas on Dec 17th.

In 2017 when my Aunt started showing symptoms I knew and I had to be there for my cousins.

 

The Impact of Time

With my sister she was only 42, and it happen and we had one full year with her until Dec 17, 2009. My Aunt was much faster she was diagnosed in February and gone in March 2017. Now I value time spent with family and friends, I cherish and embrace it. I make sure I am there in that moment. No time to waste!

Early detection is so important now that myself, my other sister, cousins and my sisters children are doing genetic testing. I have implemented recommendations from my doctor to stay on focus for early detection.