Thanks for visiting Amy’s Purple Warriors page. 

I have been very sick the last two years and I’m only 31 years old. I have been through 4 hospitals and multiple surgeries before I got my diagnosis April 2023 with Stage Two Pancreatic cancer.

I was in my best shape and health going into my pregnancy and I got pregnant in June 2021. I started getting really sick September of 2021. It wasn’t until the end of my pregnancy that I got diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in January 2022 when my lipase in the 5000s and I spent the rest of my pregnancy in and out of the hospital until I was induced. My son is perfectly fine. Thank goodness and he will be 2 in February 2024. With being diagnosed with pancreatitis, I have had to change my diet to a low fat diet for life. Since my pancreas can’t absorb fat, I have to also take medication called creon with meals and snacks.

They ran tests and did MRIs and saw that the tail of my pancreas was inflamed. I got my gallbladder out in March of 2022 to see if it would help. I spent most of 2022 in and out of the hospital with pancreatitis attacks. In July of 2022, they discovered two small cysts around the body of my pancreas.

In December 2022, February 2023 and March 2023, I had pancreatic stents replacement surgery to open my main pancreas bile duct that was narrowed.

February 2023, they discovered that the portion of my cysts that they tested were precancerous and had the cancer genes and KRAS mutation. I also developed chronic pancreatitis like my dad when he was 40 and he got the whipple procedure (opposite of me). His aunt died due to the pancreas at age 49.

April 12, 2023, I got distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy due to IPMN cysts with ovarian like stroma.
April 19, 2023, I got the call from my surgeon saying that I had stage 2 pancreatic cancer. I had to do 12 rounds of horrible chemotherapy called FOLFIRINOX. My last chemotherapy treatmrnt was November 27,2024. Next steps are routine scans every 3 months.
I’m the third generation of pancreas issues but tested for 91 genes but there isn’t great early detection for pancreatic cancer. Survival is crucial to being caught early.

My team is taking steps to end pancreatic cancer at PanCAN PurpleStride on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Any donation is appreciated or if you want to run/walk with my family and I that would be greatly appreciated.

PanCAN PurpleStride is the number one way PanCAN raises money to fund vital research that can bring new treatment options to patients, and gives them free, personalized one-to-one support through PanCAN Patient Services.

Thank you for your support!