Fighting Cancer With My Brother

Laurie McGuane

• Electrical tingling led to my diagnosis
• Distal pancreatectomy
• Gastroparesis

It may sound strange, but the first clue that something was wrong was an electrical tingling sensation on my right side.

I thought that maybe it was a runner’s “stitch.” My doctor thought it might be gallstones and scheduled me for a CT scan. The results were something neither of us expected: stage IIb pancreatic adenocarcinoma. It so happens that my dear cousin passed away from pancreatic cancer, so his daughters stepped in and shared their knowledge of PanCAN with me. I called them immediately and received valuable information to begin my journey. I was ready for the fight.

Side By Side

My diagnosis came in March 2020 when I was in my early 70s. It was the start of the pandemic and everything in my life was upside down. My brother, Jimmy Buffett (yes, that Jimmy Buffett), had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma just a few months before. At least the two of us could go through our treatments together.

I had a distal pancreatectomy, followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX. I had genetic testing but there were no mutations that would change my treatment plan.

My surgery was performed by Dr. Peter Allen at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina. My original oncologist, Dr. Jim Abbruzzese at Duke (now retired), wrote my chemo prescription, to be used at Livingston HealthCare in Livingston, Montana, which is about an hour from my home in McLeod. Since then I have had a number of different oncologists in Montana. In fact, I just started with a new oncologist for my surveillance.

Jimmy moved his whole household to Montana for a time so we could be together during treatment. Funnily enough, our scans coincided with each other every three months. We became each other’s champions and supporters. We shared our victories and pitfalls throughout the entire process.

I was lucky not to have too many adverse reactions from the treatment. I was able to maintain my activities, like riding my horse and doing ranch chores, only slowing down in the last months of chemo. I was inspired by my brother, who continued performing for as long as he could. However, Jimmy’s side effects became unmanageable. He eventually had to stop touring, which was frustrating because he enjoyed it so much.

Still Enjoying Life’s Simple Pleasures

Unfortunately, Jimmy passed away in September 2023. Everything he sang about in his songs—life’s simple pleasures like margaritas, islands, and sailing, kept me focused on a positive outcome for myself.

I am now in year four of my own recovery. I have had some bouts of gastroparesis (a paralysis in the stomach), which is not pleasant. But mostly I am well and lead a normal life. I am an active volunteer with PanCAN. I raise money via their regional walks and have my own team called LaLa’s Lopers!

If I could pass any advice on to others, it is this: Do not ignore the warning signs!  Once diagnosed, do your research and connect with organizations like Let’s Win and PanCAN. Talk with survivors. Walk, walk, walk. And always enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Learn more