Persevering After Pancreatic Cancer

For 81-year-old Antoinette Palace, living an active and healthy lifestyle has always been important. She consistently follows a healthy diet, avoiding red meat, dairy, sugar, and gluten while also engaging in regular physical activities.

Twenty years ago, the company she was working for offered free health screenings. During the screening, they took her blood pressure, which came in at 120/80. She asked them to retake it, since the reading was higher than normal for her. The blood pressure cuff registered the same reading and they advised her to visit her doctor.

Her doctor recommended that she take a mild diuretic and come back in a year. Antoinette was not satisfied with the recommendation; her mother had high blood pressure due to a kidney condition. Antoinette’s doctor ultimately agreed to ultrasound her kidneys and noticed that her pancreatic ducts were obstructed. Ultimately, doctors performed a Whipple procedure after it was confirmed that she had a tumor in her pancreatic ducts. A Whipple procedure is where they surgically remove the top of the pancreas but leave the tail, which is the part of the pancreas that produces insulin.

A year later, it was discovered that she had some scar tissue around her pancreas that would need to be removed. Doctors performed a second Whipple to remove the extra tissue.

Two years ago, Antoinette began experiencing unexpected weight loss and was struggling to properly digest food. Her doctor provided her with medication to help with digestion, but they found a tumor during a PET scan. They decided to biopsy the mass, and after a second biopsy, they found the tumor to be cancerous.

Antoinette knew she would do everything she could to not let the cancer win. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation, which shrunk the tumor by 40%. The tumor was omitting active cells into the rest of her body but fortunately hadn’t spread to her lymph nodes or to her other organs.

Radiation and chemotherapy wouldn’t solve this problem of active cell omission, so her care team recommended that she undergo a third surgery to remove her pancreas and spleen. This procedure was done six weeks ago at AdventHealth Porter, and Antoinette feels so blessed by the care she received while she was there. “So many nurses at Porter who took care of me were exceptional,” said Antoinette. “The nurses in the ICU, on the 3rd floor, and in every unit I was on were incredible.”

While Antoinette is now considered diabetic and must take insulin, she feels fortunate to be considered cancer free. “Even though I went through a lot - including losing my hair to chemo and many other side effects - I look back now and realize what the human body can endure,” said Antoinette. “It’s amazing.”

Antoinette works in retail and believes that it brings meaning and purpose to her life. She used to be an avid runner and weightlifter but now enjoys walking. As she recovers from the surgery, she has a goal of increasing the distance she walks each week in her neighborhood. She loves to workout, belongs to a book club, and has her second great grandbaby on the way. “You have to make a choice on whether you want to live or not,” said Antoinette. “I believe that I still have a lot of life. I feel like no matter what, you have to pick yourself up every day and find out what is going to be good.”

For those who may be facing a cancer diagnosis, Antoinette shares this advice: “You need to align yourself with a good care team and good doctors who will be there for you. At the same time, you have to do a lot of the work mentally. Don’t just accept the diagnosis – you take each day one at a time and put one foot in front of the other. You can’t just roll over and call it the end. Eat right and make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

Antoinette’s nurse navigator Jared Ediger shares: “Antoinette has been a pleasure to help navigate. The positivity that she has brought to each of her recurrences of pancreatic cancer is motivating for anyone that is facing cancer. People like her serve as a reminder to us all, to not get too caught up in the odds and percentages of winning the cancer battle. I am sure there are days that she felt less than motivated to come in for treatment, but she never reflected it in her positive outlook and willingness to show up for the journey.”