In March of 2021, my family and I had the car all packed and we were ready to go on our first Spring Break trip with our kids. That week I had been dealing with what I thought was acid reflux or really bad indigestion, but by the time we were all packed up the pain was radiating up my chest and back. Since we were leaving the next day for our trip, my wife, Brooke, said I better hurry up and go to the emergency room to figure out what was happening.
I went to a local emergency room and had lots of blood work drawn including a D-Dimer, which measures blood clotting. This test came back abnormal. Doctors were concerned I had some kind of blood clot so they ordered a CT scan of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Lots of blood clots showed up in my abdomen and liver, and the scan showed I had a mass on my pancreas. My uncle was currently battling pancreatic cancer, and my family and I just knew this was pancreatic cancer, too. I had a biopsy on March 25, 2021 and it confirmed that I had pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
I was a 36-year-old father of two children—Asher was five and Everlie was three—and I had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
My wife and I were going to do everything we could to fight this. We got things moving very fast. We met with both an oncologist and a surgeon and had many other tests done. One of the tests was to determine if I had any genetic mutations. When the test came back, it confirmed I had a BRCA 2 mutation. This ran on my Dad’s side of the family and was the reason I developed this cancer at such a young age. We decided on a plan that was very aggressive, and I started chemotherapy treatments as quickly as possible. I made it through three treatments, was able to have surgery, and then finished with six more treatments. In September 2021, after six months of treatment, tests showed no evidence of disease!
Nevertheless, this diagnosis changed my family’s daily lives. We altered our entire diet, and I started taking multiple supplements each day to keep my body functioning as optimally as possible. It wasn’t easy to go to weekly doctor’s visits plus chemotherapy, raise two young children and work full-time, but we believed that if we did everything my doctors recommended, I would have my best possible chance to beat this.
My fight became their fight, too. And we were winning.
I am very grateful that I had more than a year of being cancer free. Unfortunately, in late November 2022, a routine CT scan showed that my cancer had returned, this time in my liver. I began treatment right away with a different drug regimen of Gemcitabine/Cisplatin. Cisplatin was very important to me specifically because of my BRCA 2 mutation, because that mutation is known to respond better to platinum-based treatment. The plan was for me to go through sixteen treatments in the next six months.
This past April of 2023, with only four treatments left, I was told by my doctor that I wouldn’t be getting my Cisplatin anymore due to a nationwide drug shortage. My wife and I were stunned. We couldn’t believe we were this close to the finish line and I couldn’t receive the chemotherapy treatment that was best for me.
I needed to have a chance at the life with my family that I deserve.
We spread the news on social media and were able to connect with Laura from Angels for Change. Laura is an absolute warrior for those needing help accessing life-saving medication. She began reaching out to people right away and was able to connect with the Chief Pharmacy Officer at the hospital where I get treatment. Thanks to Laura, I was able to receive my Cisplatin for the four remaining treatments I needed. My wife and I are so incredibly grateful to Laura and Angels for Change. Through her amazing advocacy, I was able to get the chemotherapy I needed to have a chance at the life with my family that I deserve.