Two Years, Two Diagnoses, Two Chemotherapies, and Two Doctors

Jeanne Jeffries

• Pain on my right side led to diagnosis
• Symptoms included itchy skin and dark urine
• 5-FU chemotherapy switched to Abraxane and gemcitabine

Something was definitely wrong. 

For almost two years, I had been going to the doctor and the ER for pain in my right side. I also repeatedly had the hiccups and burps after meals.  For two years, my skin was extremely itchy and dry.  Sometimes my urine was clear in the morning and darker orange at night, even though I drank plenty of water.

Two Years of Pain

At an ER visit in May 2024, I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. But the official diagnosis was still a shock. It took two years, but I was finally diagnosed at the ER with stage II pancreatic cancer on June 12, 2024.

A Change in Diagnosis

A few weeks after the diagnosis, I met with a surgeon and an oncologist. At this visit they changed my diagnosis to stage IV because I had “suspicious” lesions on my liver. Thus, I was no longer eligible for surgery, only palliative care.

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I was an emotional wreck and my life felt like a rollercoaster . . . . I cried every day as the prognosis for this type of cancer has not been good. But I needed to move onward.

Since I was no longer a candidate for surgery, I started the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemo regimen. It was awful!  I ended up in the ER two weeks after the first dose due to an infected port and sepsis. This resulted in a 13-day hospital stay.

I ended up in the ER again after my second dose. My regimen was then changed to Abraxane and gemcitabine (Gemzar), which I have been tolerating well. The side effects are not as severe and don’t impede my quality of life like the first treatment did.

I did genetic testing and was negative for any genetics of the disease. I was told I have the KRAS mutation and that there is a trial coming soon. It has not been tested on humans yet. I would be interested in participating in any trials that are available now.

A New Doctor and Renewed Hope

I feel like I was misdiagnosed by my first oncologist. They kept referring to suspicious lesions but never did a PET scan or a biopsy. There were also communication issues and other concerns that prompted me to seek care elsewhere. I switched to a new doctor, Dr. Delia Radovich, at City of Hope in Atlanta, Georgia, in January of this year.

Now, I am armed with new information and am holding steadfast to my faith. I have a resolute drive to fight this disease!