A Dublin woman recounts her experience with pancreatic cancer, detailing her symptoms, diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, and the support she received. She emphasizes the importance of early detection and highlights St Vincent's Hospital as a center of excellence for pancreatic cancer care.
Pancreatic cancer: ‘I just can’t explain what it felt like hearing those words’“There is a clinic in Blackrock village where you can have a walk-in ultrasound, so, although I had a referral, I didn’t need it to go there – so I went off and had it done and the results showed up a blockage in my pancreatic duct. After that, the doctor referred me to a gastroenterologist – even though she thought I was in good health because I was not jaundiced.
“I had no doubt that it would be a very tough surgery and afterwards I was in hospital for three weeks because my stomach was not emptying. I was fed by TPN “The first few months were not too bad and I was still swimming and walking and only felt sick for a couple of days after having my chemo. But that all changed from September when the cumulative effect of the treatment started to kick in. I know that everybody is different, but it is a very rough regime.”The mother of two, who runs a family law firm in Dublin, underwent her last session of chemotherapy in December and says she is doing well and is positive about her recovery.
“Thankfully, I was very lucky with my GP, but I would like for all GPs to be aware of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer and to know that jaundice is not the only sign. For me, the signs that I had pancreatic cancer were pain in lower left back, a cough that would not go away and light-coloured, floating stools. Also, as well as making people aware of what to look out for, I would like to get out there that St Vincent’s hospital is the centre of excellence for all things pancreatic.
Some of the early signs of pancreatic cancer are similar to other health conditions and Prof Grainne O’Kane, consultant oncologist specialising in pancreatic cancer malignancies, said the disease is so lethal that clinical trials should be considered part of the first line of treatment. “Early intervention is critical and aligned to clinical trials will lead to better outcomes,” she says.
Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis Treatment Surgery Chemotherapy St Vincent's Hospital Early Detection Patient Story
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