My Activity Tracking
526
mi
My target 24 mi
For mam💜
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer. More than half of people die within three months of diagnosis.
Survival rates for other cancers have improved dramatically in recent years. But decades of underfunding mean we still don’t have the tests and treatments to tackle this disease. People with pancreatic cancer have been overlooked and ignored for far too long.
That’s why I’m fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK and I'd really appreciate your support. Your donations will support vital, world-leading research, ensure specialist nurses are there to take more calls and fuel campaigns to drive positive change.
Together, we will bring more than hope to people affected by pancreatic cancer.
My donations could fund...
4
hours with a nurse on our support line
2
hours of early diagnosis research
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Mam's story
Summer 2023 mam started suffering with difficulties in her oesophagus, stomach and back..She felt full very quickly, she felt like there was always food stuck at the top of her stomach, she had a lot of pain in the centre of her upper abdomen and in the middle of her upper back and couldn't swallow properly. After months of waiting and appointments she didn't get any real answers. Due to her already ongoing debilitating rheumatoid arthritis she was pushed to a side to wait for further tests because she was a complex case. Fast forward to February 2024. Mam had another trip to A&E. After suffering with pancreatitis for 9 years, due to her ongoing medication, she was told it was just another flare up, and given fluids, advised to continue a low fat diet..
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March 2024, she's still unwell... More trips to hospital, mothers day spent waiting for scans. She finally finds out the problem is actually gallstones. Stick with the low fat diet and the pain will reduce, her food intake is now 4 pieces of pasta and 1 small chicken breast daily. Her stomach couldn't take more than that a day. She was constantly bloated, feeling sick, in constant pain with her back and her upper abdomen. Dr eventually listens and puts her through for a biopsy. She waits 2 months for this and is still loosing weight and barely eating any food. 6 weeks later, June 2024 The devastating news is given. It's pancreatic cancer and it's in-operable. The tumour is in a part of the pancreas where it's not successful to remove. The tumour is around 2-10cm She's lost 4 stone and is still only eating 4 pieces of pasta and 1 piece of chicken. She's given medication called creon which helps the pancreas break down enzymes, this is hopefully going to allow her to increase her food volume and enjoy lots of normal good food, although shes super scared of eating more and it causing worse symptoms, she trys her best, and its waiting to see a dietician. We see the oncologist at the end of june and all is positive, he explains everything, it's stage 3 but we're hopeful that with chemo and the creon mam will be able to enjoy life again, she wasn't keen on the idea of chemo but she warmed to the idea for her family and her young grandchildren who she adored, So we could start moving forward and have the last 18 months together. One last Christmas, her 50th birthday, one last holiday.. live the last 18 months the best we could and give her the best, what she deserved. She was given 3 weeks to enjoy with her family before the gruelling chemo started.
Sadly 1 week after seeing the oncologist, mam's admitted to the queen's centre of oncology, due to a blockage in her bilary duct casuing jaundice. chemo isn't given to patients with jaundice so a stent is needed to be fitted. 4 long weeks she stays in hospital. Waiting for the stent, 1 unsuccessful attempt but by the end of July She's Allowed home, stent fitted and we can finally move forward, chemo is going to be able to start within 3 weeks when the billirubin levels drop. The billirubin was still at a really high level (215) to be exact.. for chemo it has to be at the highest 50..
Mam comes home and we're so happy, and hopeful she can start to feel a bit better. She looks as beautiful as ever, we have 7 great days of laughter, love, family time and just being together, But she's still in so much pain, still eating the same foods but is still taking the creon which doesn't seem to be having any effect other than more sickness and pain. She tried to build up her strength for chemo.
9 days after being at home feeling drained and tired, she once again takes a turn for the worst. This is the part non of us could begin to imagine.
3rd august Mam's personality has changed, she's delerious, she's confused, she's in so much pain. She's got another blockage in her stomach, and it's septic. 4 days of agony not being able to be with her because of hospital rules, she's a complete different person. She can't speak, she can't move, she can't eat, she can't communicate. But all she wants is to go home.
Doctors explain the fluids and food that's being sat in her stomach have infected her organs, and there not sure on the outcome. Sepsis treatment is given and we find out the tumours are now in her liver and her stomach,and her kidneys are failing. Doctors decide it's time nature takes its cause💔 could be days, could be weeks. Chemo was completely written off now. It was too late💔
As a family we decide to take mam to the most amazing hospice for her final days/weeks.
Mam didn't wake up much, we didn't get chance to hear her voice or see her beautiful smile, but she was comfy and she knew we were with her. She was so brave, so strong and so determined to try her best, despite the pain this disgusting illness caused. After suffering for 8 months in so much pain, with a total of 6 stone weight loss, eating the most boring 2 foods, she was so scared of the pain getting any worse, she was scared of loosing her hair. Despite all of he fears she still smiled every day, for her children and her family. Chemo never became available, she didn't get much time from diagnosis to make any memories because this type of cancer robs every piece of a person it possibly can. It's ruthless, and it invades every part of the body. And it's so rapid!!
From finding out it was pancreatic cancer, to mam's final breath we had 9 weeks and 1 day with her here with us💔 40 of those days she spent in a hospital room, with limited visits and limited amounts of family members..
Mam took her final breaths on 14th August 2024. Aged ,49, 6 weeks before her 50th birthday and 1 day before her wedding anniversary💔
Things need to change were pancreatic cancer is concerned!!
Doctors need to be more aware that these symptoms need investigation. And quickly! If mam had the biopsy in the summer, when she noticed changes things would have been completely different. Even if she had the biopsy done and results in the beggining of the year isntill believe the outcome would have been a positive one..
It's vital Pancreatic cancer is caught early, for any chance of survival.
