Our story is about Miguel Hernà¡ndez, Marà­a del Rosario’s husband, Anaité and myself dad

This event took place from 11/29/2020 to 12/22/2020

The Discovery

In December 2020 Miguel Hernà¡ndez las diagnosed with urinary infeccià³n but symptoms (mid-back pain, indigestion) were still strong after medication. So he went with a gastroenterologist. He order several exams including: (CA19-9) exam and a tomography and that’s how it was diagnosed.

This is My Story

Our dad took good care of his health. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999 but due to how well he took care of himself he was told he didn’t need the insulin after a while. After that he controlled the high sugar with medicine, not insulin. In 2020 his sugar was high again, he was still on the same diet and medicine, he was not doing the same exercise he did before due to the pandemic. So he started doing exercise at home but the sugar wouldn’t go down. Late November he was told by the doctor to get some new exams and although a few things were not on the normal levels the doctor said it was all ok. Late November the mid-back pain started and indigestion the doctor said it was a urinary infection, but the symptoms were still strong and getting worse. So he went to a new doctor, a gastroenterologist, who ordered several exams including: (CA19-9) exam and a tomography and that’s when the doctor told my mom the news, this was December 17th. Our dad’s cancer was encapsulated on the pancreas tail and it had spread to the stomach. The doctor said not even an ultrasound would had detect it. Another doctor, a family friend told us it was too late and that we had little time, he said he might not make it to the next year, unfortunately he was right. I don’t think we understood how little time we had left, our dad died December 22nd. Not even a week after being diagnosed. He was a wonderful, wonderful man, we had the privilege to be with him all the time. We feel so much comfort that he didn’t suffer for a long time, but of course we wish we had so much more time with him. And that is why we want to share this story. You have to be informed to be able to act on time with this desease and we want to share with others so that other families can have more time with their beloved ones.

The Impact of Time

Time is everything. We had so little time with our dad. The diagnosis was made on December 17th and our dad died December 22. Not even a week from the diagnosis. We often wonder what would have happened if the symptoms started earlier and how much earlier they should have been, for us to be still together.

My Story is about my mother

This event took place from 12/05/2014 to 12/23/2015

The Discovery

My mother was having severe stomach pains. She had a schedule appointment to have a colonoscopy because she was having discomfort so the doctor scheduled her for one. A few days prior to appointment she experienced pain she couldn’t bear so we took her to hospital. Tests were run and that’s when the awful unprepared diagnosis was given. But who could ever be prepared. The location on the pancreas was inoperable unless it shrunk.

This is My Story

This unimaginable journey has made me strive to raise awareness for this horrid disease. I have been a purple stride members the last few years to raise money for a better future and turnout for those dealing with pancreatic cancer.. I hope to make my mother as proud as I am of her

The Impact of Time

Crazy enough even after losing my mother a year after diagnosis I still consider myself lucky because we knew for over a year and was able to spend those precious moments together. I know many aren’t as fortunate because they found out so late. Obviously the outcome wasn’t good because my mother loss her battle but the gift of time is precious. And I cherish my moments with her. Her outlook on life was incredible. She was one of the strongest people I ever met. She rarely ever complained even when I knew she was suffering. She stayed strong until her body couldn’t handle it anymore. She treasured the moments with all her loved ones.

My Story is about My Mother Barbara Kopf

This event took place from 01/30/2011 to 02/06/2011

The Discovery

It was discovered after my mother had to go for a PET scan. She was feeling sick weeks leading up to the discovery of Pancreatic Cancer. The doctors kept telling her it was flu like symptoms and when she wasn’t getting any better she went for a second opinion where they did lab work and other test and that is how it was discovered that she had pancreatic cancer but by the time is was discovered it was already Stage 4 she lasted about a week and unfortunately passed 12 days later after hearing the words cancer

The Impact of Time

The gift of time is precious as you never know what the next day is going to bring, I wish we had more time to research and learn more about pancreatic cancer while my mom was still here we may have seen the symptoms a lot sooner then we did.

My Story is about Amanda Hite

The Discovery

During surgery at Duke.

This is My Story

I found out I had pancreatic cancer on November 14, 2005. I was a 38 year old kindergarten teacher, wife, and mother of two. My daughter was 5 and my son was 14. After having a Whipple procedure. Members of my family stayed with around the clock and kept telling me to keep breathing. I remember staring at the clock and telling myself to hold on for 5 more minutes. I did this over and over for days. I went through chemo and radiation. I kept telling myself to hang on for one more day. My husband, parents, and sisters all helped to take care of me. I believe the experience was just as difficult for them as it was for me. When all of the treatments were over, I had to get on with whatever was left of my life. It was important for me to focus my energy on my children. I tried to protect them from the severity of the situation.

I was definitely depressed and weak, but I wanted my children to have good memories of me. I pulled myself together as much as I could and I used my time to create happy memories for them.

Every year when I went back for check ups, everyone at the hospital seemed surprised that I was still alive.

After my whipple, I had episodes of pancreatitis for years that kept getting worse. About 4 years ago, another less invasive surgery was done that so far has stopped those episodes. It has been 17 years since I was diagnosed. I will probably never be completely free of fear that it will come back one day, but I have more and more days when I don’t think about it at all. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I don’t think so. Physically I will never be the way I was before. But I am a better person. A better teacher, a better wife, a better sister, and a better mother.

The Impact of Time

I started going to my general practitioner for stomach pain, a rash on my stomach, and the beginnings of jaundice. He kept giving me one incorrect diagnosis after another. All of the symptoms worsened. I went back three times insisting that there was a serious problem and I could feel myself getting weaker. I told him I needed to go to the hospital and he said that I did not need to be hospitalized. The next day I told my husband to take me to the emergency room. If I had waited any longer, I would have died.

I was a 38 year old female who didn’t smoke, so I didn’t fit the usual profile for someone with pancreatic cancer. Ultimately, you are your own best advocate. You know your body and if something is wrong. Time is so important. Stand up for yourself and insist on the best care you can possibly get for yourself.

My Story is about This is my story

This event took place from 12/02/2020 to

The Discovery

In October 2020, I began to have discomfort on my right side, associated with digestive problems, sudden diarrhea, and linear mid-back night pains. But nothing that prevented me from going about my daily work and family life, the discomfort would go away if I did stretches or leaned on something warm. The tests were all fine. I got the suspicion that there was something abnormal from the doctor who did my ultrasound in late November. He advised me to urgently have a CT scan with contrast agent. The diagnosis came on December 2, 2020, “pancreatic adenocarninoma.”
When I got the diagnosis, I understood from the way the doctors talked about how important TIME was. “You have to run …One week makes a difference,” they said!
I started chemotherapy on December 21, 2020, and I am still undergoing treatment today. Early detection is so important because this cancer is silent fast and aggressive, so … you have to run!!!

This is My Story

The Impact of Time

The concept of time today for me is “The Time that Remains,” is a concept that each of us should have. My day must be good. It is not always easy because events sometimes are adverse, but I always like to try to find and see something positive in my daily … it is a matter of training!
Today the weather is rich …. Full of family, work, friends, physical activity and research projects.
With the Nadia Valsecchi Foundation, which is part of the coalition, I am organizing the 2nd Purple Walk in my country to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, and I am concretizing a project to support and share about our daily lives among patients that I hope will bear fruit in the future.
I live well in the present and think about the future by setting goals and thinking about new projects that can raise more awareness of the disease, can give resources to research and can make me and other patients feel good.
I live today and have many moments of serenity and happiness.