*Update: You become a survivor the day that you get diagnosed, for me that day is August 11th.  As with any special day I struggled with how best to acknowledge this MAJOR accomplishment.  So, this time around, I changed my narrative and instead of looking BACK, I decided that I am only going to look FORWARD.    

So, on August 11th 2023, instead of saying that I am a “3 YEAR CANCER SURVIVOR”, I said “TODAY, I’M STARTING MY 4th YEAR OF LIVING with a cancer diagnosis!!!     

    (I also had ice cream for dinner but that is another story )

Please support not only me, but also all of the PanCAN striders on April 27th 2024,  as we participate in the PanCAN PurpleStride honoring all those affected by this horrible disease. 

If you are local, consider this your “draft” notice and sign up to be on my team (Hey Baby.... Take a Walk on the Wild Stride!). If you aren’t local, please consider participating where you live.  It doesn’t take much to make a difference.  

Thank you in advance for helping me make that difference.

Katherine The Great Shieldmaiden (Katie)

On the last day of my chemo treatments, my amazing nurse John from MGH told me to "Learn to be a person again and not a patient" . Its been almost 3 years and I am still learning how to be a person.  

Right before the start of the pandemic I went to Iceland and I had a Viking photo shoot because I thought it was awesome and I teased my mom that the pictures could be used if I ever went missing.  I never imagined that I would soon be channeling my inner Viking Shield Maiden because I was in for the fight of my life...

On August 11, 2020 I was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. Right after my diagnosis my mother was admitted to hospice and on August 30th she lost her own battle with cancer.  I never shared with her my diagnosis. 

Instead I channeled my inner Shield Maiden and with my amazing army of supporters by my side, I have spent the past almost 4 years living with  this horrible disease.

Last year, I asked my friends and family to text me the first 3 words that they think of when they think of me.  The picture is of me, as a Shield Maiden, but it reflects the way that other people see me.  I am finally seeing myself through other people's eyes.  

I have learned many lessons over this past  few years but one that I hope to pass on is the LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Its really easy to ignore symptoms even minor ones, but no one knows your body better than you do and listening to my body saved my life…. Literally.

I’m participating in PanCAN’s PurpleStride, a year-round national movement that funds lifechanging programs and services for pancreatic cancer patients and their families.

Every dollar you give means more patients can benefit from PanCAN’s free, one-on-one support, personalized information, service and resources that can make a real difference in their lives. 

Please make a gift of any size to get me one step closer to my fundraising goal and improving more patients’ lives. 

Patients and families need us now more than ever.

Thank you for your support.

Katherine the Great Shield Maiden