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You might say that cancer runs in my family, but not with what I¡¯d call any consistency. There¡¯s been a random case of bladder cancer here, colon cancer there, or melanoma somewhere else. But overall, my extended family has been pretty healthy. So, I was surprised to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.

I went to MD Anderson for my treatment at the recommendation of one of my office staff. Her son-in-law did a fellowship there under , a surgical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal tumors.

My pancreatic cancer treatment was really tough. But I¡¯m cancer-free today. I¡¯m feeling good and back to ranching full-time. If I hadn¡¯t gone to MD Anderson, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. So, if I had to do it all over again, I would.

My pancreatic cancer symptoms

I¡¯ve had problems with ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome for most of my adult life. So, I initially chalked up the abdominal pain I felt for a couple of weeks before my diagnosis to one of those. Then, my doctor prescribed an antibiotic, and I had what I thought was an allergic reaction to it. I started itching all over real bad. 

My wife was putting calamine lotion on my back to soothe the itching one day when she noticed that my skin was turning yellow. I called the doctor. He told me I must have a blockage somewhere and to be there in an hour. Scans revealed a tumor on my pancreas. It was about the size of a man¡¯s thumbnail and looked like a tiny soda can.

My doctor said that pancreatic tumors were rarely benign, but that I might be a candidate for surgery since the tumor was fairly small and didn¡¯t appear to be attached to any blood vessels. I just needed to go someplace with experts who could treat it properly.

My wife and I called MD Anderson and made an appointment.

My pancreatic cancer treatment

At MD Anderson, I had a stent endoscopically installed to unblock my bile duct. The tumor happened to be sitting on it, which caused my symptoms to show up early. Pancreatic cancer doesn¡¯t usually cause symptoms in its early stages. So, to that extent, I guess, I kind of lucked out.

Once I had the stent installed, I started chemotherapy to shrink the tumor under the supervision of gastrointestinal oncology specialist , then had a Whipple procedure under Dr. Tzeng to remove it. Afterward, I had more chemotherapy to kill any potential microscopic cancer cells that might still be floating around, undetected by scans.

I trusted Dr. Tzeng, but I was really worried about the Whipple procedure. My late grandfather had had his stomach removed at another hospital years before and barely survived the operation. I¡¯d heard family stories for years about how hard that experience was for him and how much it changed his life for the worse. I knew my only chance at survival was to have the surgery, but it still took everything I had to go through with it.

The hardest parts of my pancreatic cancer treatment

Dr. Tzeng performed my Whipple procedure on Oct. 9, 2017. It took me quite a while to start feeling normal again afterward. Even now, my digestive system can be fickle. But I¡¯m adapting, and I can eat about anything I want in moderation. Now, instead of having one or two bad days a week, I¡¯ll only have them about once every six months, which is probably no different from a person who hasn¡¯t had intestinal surgery.

Chemotherapy turned out to be the hardest part of my cancer treatment. I was so sick that some days I couldn¡¯t get out of bed until 3 p.m. Even then, I¡¯d just lie there on the couch and breathe. I was too sick to do anything else, even watch TV. I came close to wanting to give up. But then I¡¯d think, ¡°What if the next round is the one that cures me?¡± So, I¡¯d gather my strength and go back for another.

Hold onto hope

Nobody knows how you¡¯re going to respond to cancer treatment, or what¡¯s going to happen to you in the end. The main thing is not to give up hope. It¡¯s easy to feel low when the whole thing starts. You find out you¡¯re sick, and the news always seems to be bad. 

But today, I¡¯m 69 and back to managing our ranch full-time. We have about 400 head of cattle now. We also have two grandkids, both born after my diagnosis. That¡¯s way cool. It took about three years, but now I¡¯m not just alive, but living.

I always wanted a custom-made saddle, but never felt like I could afford it. Then, a few months before my cancer diagnosis, I had a little extra money in my pocket from a business I¡¯d sold. I decided to splurge and ordered one built. Then I found out I had cancer, and I thought, ¡°I¡¯ll never get a chance to use it.¡±

Today, that saddle has a lot of wear on it. And two years ago, I took out a 20-year mortgage to buy another piece of land. That¡¯s not something I ever thought I¡¯d do again. So, hold on to hope. It¡¯s out there.

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