This Ultimate Guide is dedicated in memory of

Lisa A. Smith

who passed away on April 15, 2020, from Pancreatic Cancer,

and to the many brave souls who are Surviving Pancreatic Cancer

with love and support from their friends and family. Also, so much gratitude to my amazing friends, family, and medical team who helped me thrive.

Photo Courtesy of Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

Disclaimer I am not a Doctor, Nurse, or medical professional. What I am is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend who has a passion to share my experiences with pancreatic cancer so that they may benefit others during their health journey. I intend to bolster hope for us all. Long live hope.

Hearing the Dreaded News “You Have Pancreatic Cancer.”

On Jan. 4, 2019, a doctor I had never met until that day, lovingly and compassionately held my hand and told me I had pancreatic cancer. To say I was shocked was an understatement. My husband and my parents were with me, and we were all in disbelief. How can a seemingly healthy woman receive this diagnosis?

Everything I had previously heard about pancreatic cancer was bleak and scary. I was blessed that mine was discovered early. We left the hospital in a blur, with so many unanswered and unspoken questions, as well as questions yet to even occur to us.

My doctor phoned me later that evening. He was so kind and told me "not to go down a rabbit's hole" with the news. He explained that there is a surgery - the Whipple procedure - which could eliminate the cancer if I were a candidate for it. That call, and his optimism gave me and my family some much-needed hope at a time when all seemed so very bleak. At age 58, I was not ready to leave the planet. I had so much left I wanted to do.

Before my diagnosis, I had been busy living my life, being active with friends and family, when suddenly I no longer had the energy to do much. For a few weeks, I could only sit on the couch and rest. I thought I had a virus. I went from walking 10,000 steps a day to barely walking from room to room in my home in a short time frame.

I wish I would have had a comprehensive article of hope such as this to boost my spirits in those early days so that I didn’t have to figure it all out from square one.

The statistics are not encouraging yet there is always hope. I knew in my heart of hearts, that cancer would be with me and I would recover and flourish. I hold the candle for hope, love, and encouragement for you too, dear one.

Photo Courtesy of Aaron Burden on Unsplash

After the Diagnosis…Now What?

Give yourself a little time to catch your breath then put together your healing strategy. Choose your mindset, build your medical and emotional support team. You should have great faith in your medical support team and those that you surround yourself with. Remind yourself, that this is the time to receive love and support from others. Allow people to give to you. People want to help, be clear about what you need.

Remember to give yourself grace. You will be learning a whole new vocabulary within a short time frame all while not feeling well. Be gentle with yourself. That is good medicine for you.

Coping with Feelings of Overwhelm, Sadness, or Anger

These feelings are common, normal, and part of the journey. Remember, you have just received shocking news and you need time to process it. Feelings can range from a sense of being down in the dumps to full-blown anxiety or depression. These emotions can run the gamut from one day to the next or one minute to the next.

The good news is that there is help and assistance. You can talk to your oncologist, or health care provider team for recommendations. There are also many online support options. Get the cancer support services you need, for resources in your area visit.

How to Increase Your Odds of Survival

I believe so much of our journey is helped by the power of our positive thoughts and feelings of love and support. I used a lot of positive imagery and exquisite self-care in my journey. Gratitude for the gift of my life, the help, support, and prayers from others helped me survive and thrive.

My faith would carry me through with messages like “Body Calmness” and “All Is Well.” I would meditate on “Body Calmness,” especially when my guts were in turmoil which really helped. The message of “All Is Well” helps me every day to know that I am supported, loved, protected, and held by the Divine. The good news is you are too, dear ones.

Each New Year, I select a word of the year; for 2019 I chose Flourish. To me, flourish meant vibrancy, being firmly rooted, strong, resilient, and thriving. Last year was that for me. Some days when I was feeling poorly, I would ask myself “how can I flourish”? Sometimes the answer was to drink water, nap, rest, meditate, or eat something. Sometimes the answer was to go outside in nature and nourish my soul.

One particularly windy, rainy night in the hospital, the weather provided a great metaphor for my flourishing. I envisioned myself with strong and vibrant roots allowing me to bear the strong winds and rains that were crashing outside. I envisioned myself hanging on while being buffeted and blown by the winds and pummeled by the rain. I survived the onslaught. I prevailed. I flourished.

Another key point is to consider cancer as a journey and not as a fight. Cancer had something to teach me. In fact, cancer had lots to teach me.

I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, and more. My cancer diagnosis affected everyone I know to some extent as we are all connected.

I am not alone. You are not alone. So many people were and still are praying for me, sending me love and light and healing goodness and grace for which I am eternally grateful.

Daffodils, a symbol of hope. Butchart Gardens, Victoria BC Canada

Boosting Immune Responses

Living in Hope

Mastery of Thoughts

I choose to focus on healing instead of being “sick.” I choose to focus on Hope. Daffodils are a huge symbol of hope for me. I took the above picture of these beauties from Butchart Garden, in Victoria, BC a few years ago. I called my experience a healing journey with cancer for what it had to teach me and not to dwell on the diagnosis or “fight” with it. I was encouraged to trust, surrender, and embrace the experience.

Many times a day, I meditated or thought about my healing journey. Thoughts included:

· How did I want to feel?

· What could I do in the moment to flourish?

· What did I need?

· What did I want to eat or drink when I felt better?

· What did I want to do and where did I want to go when I felt better?

At the time, I felt like my thoughts were helping me heal; now I see, they were boosting my immune system and activating healing as I become a master of my thoughts.

Support System

I did not heal alone but had a vast support system of family, friends, strangers, my medical team, practitioners, and technicians as well as Divine support. I am so grateful for everyone who helped me or my family along the way.

Sometimes, it was as simple as a stranger holding a door for me because they could tell I could use the help, to as spectacular as a full-fledged miracle and everything in between.

For free cancer support services in your area visit.

I envision myself healthy, whole, and complete. I envision myself being vibrant and radiating health.

It was a big boost for me when I could leave our home and go out into the world and do something “normal” like going to the movies or a play, shopping, or having a meal out. My husband, dog and I had a day of adventure at the beach where we walked along the shore, had lunch, and did a little shopping. It was such good medicine for us all. I held that memory in my heart for a long time.

Cancer taught me to be a better recipient and to truly savor the precious moments in life.

My Healing Journey Map from diagnosis to vibrant health.

I envision a path, my healing path, which only I can walk. I walk this path, but I am not alone. I made a photocopy of the above page of my journal about my healing journey, how I wanted to feel, steps along the way, and brought a copy of it to the hospital with me when I had my Whipple procedure.

Below are some truths that I have discovered or experienced so far in my healing journey with cancer. My journey with pancreatic cancer has taught me that cancer:

· is not a punishment but a life-changing experience with lots of lessons to teach me.

· has its own timeframe and schedule and is helping me learn to surrender and trust more deeply.

· is not my fault, nor a result of something I did or failed to do.

· wants respect.

· is under Divine control, direction, and timeframe.

· is with me for a season, and its lessons will last my entire lifetime.

· had given me a huge heads up of her presence. She gave me a good start to thrive and flourish despite the diagnosis.

· had allowed me to be a grateful recipient of every act of love and kindness, prayers and gifts sent to me and my family.

· had brought me and my beloved immeasurably closer. He is a great caregiver.

· had increased my awareness of self-care, boundaries, respect, and gratitude.

· had helped show me how connected we all are. The ripples of love can be felt across the street and the world.

Relinquishing Control

Another lesson I learned is to relinquish control. A real-life example of this truth is that I had purchased a beautiful calendar/planning system to map out my year, my business, my engagements, and appointments. I was so thrilled to use this calendar and plan out my days efficiently.

When I began my treatments of biweekly chemotherapy, my pretty new calendar was replaced by my oncologist’s calendar which listed all my required blood draws, appointments, and chemotherapy sessions. Receiving this calendar and using it was a real act of relinquishing control. My oncology calendar had become my life plan for the next several months.

Energy Healing Techniques

There are many tools we can use to improve our immune response and a simple one is an energy healing technique called the Thymus Thump. Use it when you’d like to boost your immune system, increase your strength and vitality, or to help your lungs at high elevations. It’s easy, quick and you can do it anytime or anywhere. My friend Pam Bohlken, Energy Healer at Healing in Progress, describes the process, and here’s her video.

I liked to use this technique, and still use it almost every day to keep my immune system in fine working order.

Another energy healing technique I used is the Lymph Bounce. The lymphatic fluid is thick, similar in consistency to toothpaste. If we don’t move the lymphatic fluid around through brisk walking or bouncing, it becomes stagnant which increases the chances of disease. You can stand upright with your feet placed about shoulder-width apart and just bounce by bending your knees and lifting your heels up and down and move your arms several times. The goal is to get our lymphatic fluid flowing freely.

Statistics About Pancreatic Cancer

These following sections feature statistics from various sources including the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, The Lustgarten Foundation, and Cancer.net. The good news is that the statistics are getting better as treatments improve over time. People diagnosed today may have a better outlook than the numbers below indicate according to the American Cancer Society.

How Common is Pancreatic Cancer?

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for pancreatic cancer in the United States for 2020 are:

About 57,600 people (30,400 men and 27,200 women) will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
About 47,050 people (24,640 men and 22,410 women) will die of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers in the US and about 7% of all cancer deaths. It is slightly more common in men than in women.

Surviving Odds and Staging

Duke - Dr. Sherman’s Mascot, hard at work. Photo taken by a friend <3

My oncologist, Dr. Michael P. Sherman, M.D., Ph.D., of Contra Costa Oncology, chooses not to “stage” pancreatic cancer but instead uses 3 measurements of evaluating the tumor by size, location and whether surgery is an option (resectable) or not (non-resectable) or borderline. Mine was borderline.

My case was considered borderline because the tumor had grown into the vein which makes for riskier removal. The protocol was to proceed with chemotherapy and hope that the tumor responded by shrinking it enough that surgery was possible.

Stage I: The tumor is confined to the pancreas and is considered localized. Stage IA tumors are 2 centimeters or less, and stage IB tumors are larger than 2 centimeters. Stage I tumors are usually resectable, the medical term for surgical removal. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for stage I pancreatic cancer is 34 percent.
Stage II: The tumor has spread outside the pancreas to nearby blood vessels, lymph nodes, or both, but it has not metastasized, or spread, to another organ. It is considered regionalized. Stage IIA tumors have moved outside the pancreas but have not spread to major nearby arteries or lymph nodes. Stage IIB tumors may extend outside the pancreas and spread to nearby lymph nodes without reaching major nearby arteries. These tumors are usually considered resectable or borderline resectable, which means they may be candidates for surgery, especially if radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments are able to shrink the cancer first. The five-year survival rate for regionalized tumors, which the ACS says includes mainly stage IIB, is 12 percent.
Stage III: The tumors have spread to major nearby arteries and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, but they have not spread to another organ. Stage III tumors are usually not resectable. The five-year survival rate for regionalized tumors, which the ACS says includes mainly stage IIB and stage III tumors, is 12 percent.
Stage IV: Known as metastatic or distant cancer, stage IV tumors have spread to other organs outside the pancreas, usually the liver or lung but also to the bone, brain, and other organs. The five-year survival rate for stage IV pancreatic cancer is 3 percent.

Famous Pancreatic Cancer Survivors

State 4 Pancreatic Cancer Survivors

Who is Alex Trebek, beloved Host of the Game Show “Jeopardy?”

In early 2019, Alex Trebek, host of the game show Jeopardy, disclosed he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This meant his tumor had spread into other organs in his body. He began chemotherapy treatment and has continued working. At the time of this article, he is in remission. He is also writing his memoirs which are due out in July 2020. He has given hope to many.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2009 (Stage I) and had a second bout in 2018 and continues to serve at the time of this writing at age 87.

Is Pancreatic Cancer Always Fatal?

No. Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a prime example of surviving pancreatic cancer. Some folks have lived more than 20 years following their diagnosis. The good news is that the survival rate is getting better as treatment improves over time. You can read more about those statistics in the 5-year relative survival chart below.

How Long Does a Person with Pancreatic Cancer Have to Live?

Who is the Longest Survivor of Pancreatic Cancer?

There are cases of a few people living more than 20 years following the initial diagnosis. Charlotte Rae lived about 10 years following her diagnosis at age 80, and Richard Blish, of Saratoga, CA was diagnosed in 2009 and still going strong in his late 70’s.

5-year relative survival rates for pancreatic cancer

The following information found on American Cancer Society website

(Based on people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2009 and 2015.)

SEER* Stage 5-year Relative Survival Rate

Localized 37%

Regional 12%

Distant 3%

All SEER* stages combined 9%

Understanding the numbers

These numbers apply only to the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. They do not apply later if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.
These numbers don’t take everything into account. Survival rates are grouped based on how far the cancer has spread, but your age, overall health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, tumor grade, extent of resection, level of tumor marker (CA 19-9), and other factors will also affect your outlook.
People now being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments improve over time, and these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least five years earlier.

*SEER= Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results

What is a 5-year relative survival rate?

A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of pancreatic cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of pancreatic cancer is 50%, it means that people who have that cancer are, on average, about 50% as likely as people who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.

Where do these numbers come from?

The American Cancer Society relies on information from the SEER database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.

The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for pancreatic cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by AJCC TNM stages (stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, etc.). Instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages:

Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the pancreas.
Regional: The cancer has spread from the pancreas to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
Distant: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body such as the lungs, liver, or bones.

Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rates by Age

Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate by Age

Risk Factors about Pancreatic Cancer

The following information is from Cancer.net

Often, the cause of pancreatic cancer is not known. However, the following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer:

· Age. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most people who develop pancreatic cancer are older than 45. In fact, 90% are older than 55 and 70% are older than 65. However, adults of any age can be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

· Gender. More men are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer than women (see Statistics).

· Race/ethnicity. Black people are more likely than Asian, Hispanic, or white people to develop pancreatic cancer. People of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage are also more likely to develop pancreatic cancer (see Family history, below).

· Smoking. People who smoke are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who don’t.

· Obesity and diet. Regularly eating foods high in fat is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Research has shown that obese and even overweight men and women have a higher risk of being diagnosed with and dying from pancreatic cancer. Chronic, heavy alcohol use can also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, most likely by causing recurrent pancreatitis. Learn more about obesity and diet.

· Diabetes. Many studies have indicated that diabetes, especially when a person has had it for many years, increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. In addition, suddenly developing diabetes later in adulthood can be an early symptom of pancreatic cancer. However, it is important to remember that not all people who have diabetes or who develop diabetes as adults develop pancreatic cancer.

· Family history. Pancreatic cancer may run in the family and/or may be linked with genetic conditions that increase the risk of other types of cancer. This is called familial pancreatic cancer. You and your family may be at risk if 2 or more first-degree relatives or at least 3 members of the family have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. First-degree relatives include parents, children, and siblings. ASCO encourages people diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma to talk with their doctor about their family history of cancer. Even without a strong family history, people diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma may want to consider genetic testing for hereditary pancreatic cancer. Learn more from ASCO about understanding your risk of familial pancreatic cancer. Please note that this link takes you to a separate ASCO website.

I did find some data on survival rates based on age but didn’t include it here as it applied to the UK and was from 2013. You can view that data here.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Even when symptoms do develop, "they are not a very good way to find the disease," he says, because they may be confusing to patients and doctors. The symptoms also vary depending on where the tumor is in the pancreas, which consists of a head, body, and tail.

According to the Lustgarten Foundation, the signs, and symptoms of pancreatic cancer that need to be taken seriously include:

Jaundice (with or without itching), dark urine, or light-colored stool.
General symptoms such as back pain, fatigue, or weakness.
Other illnesses, including pancreatitis and new-onset diabetes in an adult.
Digestive problems, such as unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, malnutrition, nausea or vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Blood clots, which may cause pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the leg, chest pain, or trouble breathing.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms to Take Seriously

Jaundice causes a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice may also cause signs and symptoms such as itching (which may be severe), dark urine and light or clay-colored stool.

My sister and I at UCSF Jan. 2019 when I had severe jaundice.

Pancreatic cancer can lead to jaundice when a tumor blocks the bile duct. Bile, produced in the liver to aid digestion, contains a dark yellow substance called bilirubin. If the bile is blocked, it accumulates in the blood, skin, and other tissues, causing jaundice. This is a picture of me (in a hospital gown) and my sister. I had extreme jaundice in this photo and all the symptoms listed in this paragraph.

"The main symptom is abdominal discomfort," Wolpin says. "That sometimes radiates into the back because the pancreas is in the back of the abdomen." The pain may be constant or occasional and can worsen after eating or when lying down. Of course, many conditions other than pancreatic cancer can also cause abdominal or back pain which makes this a challenging symptom to attribute to pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer may cause digestive problems and weight loss. When pancreatic enzymes cannot be released into the intestine, digesting food, especially high-fat foods, may be difficult. Over time, significant weight loss and malnutrition may result. If the tumor blocks the upper part of the small intestine, that can lead to nausea and vomiting.

Treatment

Chemotherapy and surgery if applicable are the common treatments for pancreatic cancer. Another key factor in my healing journey is that I considered chemotherapy a conduit for miracles instead of poison invading my body. I was happy when I could have chemo as it was working to shrink my tumor. I welcomed it.

My chemotherapy began on Feb. 5, 2019. I had Fluoracil chemotherapy referred to as 5 FU’s (which is fun to say!) I had 8 treatments before my surgery. My last chemotherapy treatment was on May 14, 2019.

Chemotherapy Side Effects

I am sharing what my experience was, not everyone will experience the same side effects. I had an almost immediate sensitivity to cold. Touching something cold including room temperature metal faucets, cutlery, or trying to eat or drink anything cool was painful.

I began losing my hair noticeably after the second chemo treatment. I had neuropathy in my hands and feet (loss of sensation) which has improved, I am happy to report.

Also, please be aware that chemotherapy can cause changes in the taste of food and beverages. I love water and was unable to tolerate it for a few months. I could drink hot tea but missed the water which was my favorite. After a few months, water tasted great again.

Before my diagnosis, I loved to eat, and after, eating was a necessity and something I had to force myself to do because nothing tasted “right.” I was able to tolerate bland food best, cream of wheat, toast, English muffins, rice, and potatoes.

I lost 30 pounds in 2 months at the beginning of my journey. During the following months after chemo began and post-surgery, I lost another 20. I did have the weight to lose and have maintained this current weight for the past 6 months.

Surgery

Another part of my healing journey was surgery, the Whipple procedure. As mentioned earlier, it was borderline if I could have the surgery or not due to the tumor encroaching on a vein. I was happy that the chemo worked well enough that surgery was an option for me. Thank you, Dr. Sherman and staff. Hallelujah.

Here is a brief description of the Whipple procedure courtesy of Wikipedia: Is a major surgical operation most often performed to remove cancerous tumors off the head of the pancreas. It is also used for the treatment of pancreatic or duodenal trauma, or chronic pancreatitis. Due to the shared blood supply of organs in the proximal gastrointestinal system, surgical removal of the head of the pancreas also necessitates removal of the duodenum, proximal jejunum, gallbladder, and, occasionally, part of the stomach.

UCSF Parnassus Campus, San Francisco, CA Photo Courtesy of Ronan Furuta on Unsplash

I reframed the word surgery and used the term, Operation Hope. Surgery was too scary of a word for me, and operation felt better in my mind.

I had my Whipple procedure on June 17, 2019, at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF). My surgeon, Dr. Carlos U. Corvera, is a skilled master and such a wonderful man.

He has performed thousands of Whipple procedures, often two per day. The morning of my surgery, I told him, “I have been praying for you”, and he told me “I have been praying for you too.”

I was blessed that he was able to remove the entire tumor without any difficulty at the vein adhesion site, that no lymph nodes were affected and that I had clear margins. Also, another huge victory is that I was able to keep my entire stomach. Amen and Hallelujah.

“If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest of times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way. Let it be hope that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now, and that you are on the path to where you are meant to be...because during these times, hope will be the very thing that carries you through.”

— Nikki Banas

The Importance of Nutrition in Our Health Journey

I thought I ate fairly well because I didn’t eat a lot of meat and my cholesterol levels were low. I was overweight but active, getting my 10,000 steps a day before my diagnosis. When I got pancreatic cancer, I learned that what we eat is so important.

I have a long way to go in my health journey with nutrition but daily I am making better choices and aim to get as much color on my plate as possible. “Eat the Rainbow” is a goal for me. We now eat mostly organic meats, fruits, and vegetables.

My friend Cheryl Meyer is a Certified Integrative Nutritional Coach and is a wealth of healing information. To find out more about nutrition and living a low toxin life, visit.

Life Expectancy Calculator

This was an interesting online calculator of life expectancy based on several factors. From the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Uncloak and Dagger

Each of us has a unique experience with pancreatic cancer, no two journeys are alike. I am sharing my truth, experiences, and outcomes so that they may benefit others, hence: uncloak and dagger. Again, I am not a doctor nor am I dispensing medical advice. I am sharing what I did to make the journey easier for me and my family.

One of the key factors in my healing journey is that I thought and said that I received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer instead of saying I have pancreatic cancer. It is a subtle difference yet feels so much more like my truth. I believe I have learned so much during this journey with pancreatic cancer.

Photo Courtesy of Jared Rice on Unsplash

5 Ways to Thrive
during Pancreatic Cancer

1. Select a Focus Word – Each year, I choose a focus word for the year. For 2019 it was Flourish. While I was journeying with pancreatic cancer, I would ask myself many times a day what I needed to flourish. Your inner healer knows the way. Sometimes rest is the answer, reaching out to a beloved, cuddling with a pet, sitting outside, or savoring a cup of tea. Listen to your inner wise one. Let your focus word guide you in your choices and thoughts throughout the day.

2. Rest and Meditate - Rest was vital in my healing journey. I would take at least one nap a day, sometimes more. I listened to my body and tuned in to what she needed. I am blessed that I was able to sleep well at night and usually got 10 hours of sleep during those days. What a gift. Your body repairs itself during periods of rest. Meditation is an opportunity to still your mind and body. It is a way to slow down and focus on the important. I focused on flourishing and healing.

3. Find Beauty and Indulge in Exquisite Self-Care – I keep a journal and write about the beauty I see or experience. You can also take photos on your phone of things you find beautiful or look at photos or images of things that bless your heart when you are unable to get out in nature.

Photo Courtesy of Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

Another daily practice is my Epsom Salt bath, often combined with essential oils to help in my healing journey. Epsom salt helps rid your body of toxins. I love to use lavender essential oil as it is a wonderful sleep aid. I think of my bath as soothing, healing waters.

Such a nice visual and a wonderful feeling to soak in the bath before bedtime. I think that is one of the reasons I sleep so well. Self-Care also includes proper hydration, nutrition, and the media content you absorb. Treat yourself exquisitely.

4. Focus on the Positive – What is going right? Celebrate the tiniest of victories or achievements. Envision yourself in the future. What are you going to eat when your appetite returns? What are you going to do when you feel well enough? Who will you spend time with and where? Conjure up these visions vividly and in great detail to help sustain you during the dark and icky times.

5. Gratitude - This journey with cancer is an opportunity to experience immense gratitude. I appreciated the gift of the day (even when I was not feeling well) and trusted that better days were ahead. So many people were and still are sending love and light and prayers, as well as physically doing things for me. I received cards regularly which boosted my spirits. People sent the gift of food or gift cards, which made things easier for my husband and me. I am humbled by such generosity and ever so grateful.

Today

At the publication of this article in May 2020, I am 11 months post-surgery. My most recent report shows “no evidence of disease” and my CA 19-9 cancer marker has been in the teens where 35 or below is normal. I feel fantastic. My appetite and energy level are great. I can do whatever I choose and enjoy daily walks with my dog 5 or more times a week.

I know that I am healed. I am whole and complete. I feel the energy of healing pulsing through me, and I delight in knowing that the future is bright. I am grateful for the love and light being sent my way. What an honor and humbling experience. I am so appreciative.

Please note that each person’s journey is unique, and what I’ve experienced may not occur for the next person. We are all individuals.

I wrote a series of 6 blogs about my journey with pancreatic cancer and you can find them here on my website. They include ways to flourish, how to help yourself and others, cultivate hope, dreams, desires, and more. My intention is that this blog and the others I’ve written about my journey will bless others and give them some hope, comfort, and boost their spirits.