Chapter One: Sharing Something Personal
November 22, 2021
[A note from PCNA]
[We are grateful to be sharing the lived experience of Connor and Jen who have documented their personal journey with pancreatic cancer up until Connor’s passing in October 2024, to help other families cope with the challenges of this disease.
This blog article is from a series of content pieces written by these remarkable people.]
Chapter One: Sharing Something Personal
Monday, November 22, 2021
I have something very personal I want to share:last week I was diagnosed with stage II thyroid cancer.Over the last couple of days as I have told friends and loved ones about my diagnosis, something I have heard over and over is that if you’re going to get cancer, this is the one to get. This is the same thing I heard five years ago when I was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer.Although the 98% survival rate is a relief to me, it immediately made me think of those who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – whose wellbeing I fight for every day – and how those are words they likely never hear, even if they are diagnosed in the early stages.I am sharing this with you because that sentiment – that I’m fighting a very treatable cancer – is important context next to a disease that has an 8% long-term survival rate. It starkly illustrates the need for greater funding into early diagnosis, more effective treatment options, and specialized care for pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones. Cancers like breast and thyroidwhen caught at an early stagehave become treatable because of major investments in research, and it is long past time for pancreatic cancer to get on the same track.Every day I speak to people impacted by pancreatic cancer: patients desperate for effectivetreatment options, survivors who want to give back, caregivers looking for support, and more often than all others, those who have lost a loved oneto this disease. These members of our community are countless,some are understandably stillreeling with grief and others are resolved to help us raise the rate of survival so fewer families will have to face the loss they feel. They are a constant reminder of what we are working towards: a survival rate that offers the hopeI am fortunate enough to feel right now.Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to continue sharing my journey, along with someone who is fighting stage II pancreatic cancer, andI hope you will join me. Today, I askyou talk to your loved ones about this disease, share the signs and symptoms with your networks, and consider a gift to researchthat will move this disease in the right direction.Your actions today might just save a life.
Read more from The Stage II Project
