USAF Veteran PJ, Author, Entrepreneur, and Survivor of CHF and Pancreatic Cancer

James Moss

• Pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the head of my pancreas
• Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD)
• From stage IV to stage III after treatment

Never in a million years did I guess that I would be diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the head of my pancreas.

My name is James Moss and I have many passions in life: entrepreneurship, cycling, travel, neuroscience, digital marketing, and mentoring, to name a few. I am a former clinician and neuroscientist. I was an undercover detective, opened my own businesses, and even authored a chapter in an award-winning business book (which, coincidentally, is titled Early Lessons in Persistence and Determination). I live in the beautiful state of Florida and have clocked 68 rotations around the sun.

Diagnosis, Surgery, and Chemo

In 2022 I began experiencing acute pain from cramps, oily and light-colored stools, and sudden, highlighter-yellow vomiting. I was having a particularly difficult time because I had recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) and had pneumonia in both lungs. My primary care doctor, Dr. Minh Hang at the VA Atlanta Healthcare, ordered various scans, lab tests, and tissue samples. Then came the diagnosis on November 10, 2023—just one day before Veterans Day. At the time, a new surgeon from Texas had just transferred in and we met and talked. I traveled to Florida from Atlanta, where I’d been hospitalized for CHF for months, during which time I was going through a divorce.

I began treatment at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and the Moffitt Cancer Center (both in Tampa, Florida). My surgeon, Dr. Terry Wright, performed a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD), similar to a Whipple, which took 16 hours. After I recovered from the surgery I had six months of chemotherapy. It weakened my immune system and caused diarrhea, but otherwise it was tolerable.

Getting Back to My Pursuits

Today I am 130 pounds lighter, have a pacemaker/defibrillator installed, and feel a whole lot better. My cancer prognosis dropped from stage IV to stage III. As I write this I am enjoying the next level of my new transition from 3D to 5D mindset perception. Most importantly, I’m getting back to my pursuit of helping others through youth entrepreneurship programs.

What new treatments and clinical trials are available to me?

Learn more