On August 30, 2008, my 61-year-old mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. That was the day my world changed forever. You see, my mom has always been my rock, my never-waning support, and my biggest cheerleader. She is energetic, selfless, and an incredibly hard worker. Most importantly, she is a great person. She taught Nature at a YMCA camp for 11 years so I could go to camp as a child. She was a Spanish and Italian professor at numerous colleges, teaching sometimes 8 classes in one semester (that’s unheard of!). She was a girl scout leader, world traveler, and a cheerleading coach. She’s balanced our bills, raked the lawn, and still kept lunch dates with her friends. To me, she has been an excellent mother. To her girls, a wonderful friend. And to many, an unforgettable role model and dedicated educator.
After the shock of her diagnosis set in, I’ll admit I was briefly angry (in addition to a slew of other emotions). Yet, it wasn’t long before another set of emotions… hope, positivity, and determination… set in. I set to work, researching pancreatic cancer, reaching out to talented doctors, and learning about our treatment options. Within a few days we got into Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD, and we have been making progress ever since. We began an aggressive treatment plan, a mixture of three chemo drugs, and luckily found a talented doctor that is committed to our success. Throughout this process, I have learned so much about the disease, and gained an incredible appreciation for the work of dedicated doctors and nurses. I have asked a lot of questions, talked to a lot of people, and learned that faith and hope go a long way. I have tried to keep my mom’s spirits up, as she has done for me for 22 years, and moved home to help out. We have our little “traditions” that we do that I insist we keep up (Like our fall hike, which we already took, NYC Christmas trip to a Broadway show, spring craft shows…). I’m going to start organizing pancreatic cancer awareness events for Philadelphia and am participating in a 5K this Saturday (I raised nearly $1,500 in three weeks!).
Yesterday was our first follow-up CAScan since the diagnosis. Good news! The tumor is 25% smaller in just a few short weeks! My mom is responding well to the chemo, has scaled back her hectic teaching schedule, and is trying to maintain a quasi-normal lifestyle. We have been battling an uncaring insurance company (Health Assurance) who refuses to pay for chemo, but we won’t let up. Though I know the road will be long, my optimism outweighs any negative thoughts or scary statistics. I know we will be a success story and I want to spread awareness of this disease… so hopefully, one day, no family will have to go through what we have gone though.
Check this out! https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=276784&supId=233007031
