On May 14th, after having new and recent issues managing blood sugars, Cynthia was hospitalized for blood sugar levels above 600 and quickly became extremely jaundiced. Doctors did a CT, MRI, and ultrasound which showed both strictures and dilation in the biliary tree going through the head of her pancreas. She was scheduled for stent placement and exploratory surgery the following week on May 21st. Biopsies came back at the end of the week confirming Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Currently, tests have shown that the cancer is localized and has not spread. Thankfully, because the cancer is located in the head of the pancreas, it put a strain on the ducts passing through the area resulting in the jaundice causing noticeable symptoms. Pancreatic cancer symptoms are often minimal, and the disease usually does not cause obvious symptoms until it has progressed, so Cynthia feels very fortunate to have caught it at Stage 1.
After meeting with several oncologists that will be part of her care team, the treatment plan as of now is three months of chemotherapy, surgery (Whipple procedure) if she remains a candidate for surgery, and then three more months of chemotherapy. Soon she will be getting an insulin pump put in to help manage her blood sugars because her pancreas is just not making insulin like it should. While she has had well-controlled diabetes for a couple of decades, she is now having to manage her blood sugars similarly to a type 1 diabetic.
The week of June 23rd will be her first round of chemotherapy. Cynthia will go in on 6/24 for blood work, 6/25 for her first infusion, and 6/27 to have the chemo pump removed. They will then wait one week and repeat the same process the week after.
We will be using this platform as the main update hub, so please check back if you are interested in updates. Your care and prayers are invaluable to Cynthia, and any donations will help immensely with the out-of-pocket and in-home care costs.
Cynthia and her family thank you from the bottom of their hearts and we cannot wait to celebrate beating this disease with you all!!
