Cancer is among the most dangerous diseases of our age. The risk varies according to the type of cancer. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival of all common cancers, with a five-year survival of less than seven percent. This is partly due to the fatal condition’s reluctance to show symptoms. Patients may experience no symptoms or it may be difficult to detect signs. Michael, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 63, is among the patients who experience this condition.
“I EXPERIENCED ITCH ALL OVER MY BODY”
“My journey did not begin with any of the usual signs or symptoms,” Michael said in a statement. In the summer of 2016, I decided to retire completely from work and spend time with my beloved wife, Cathy, 46, exploring parts of England and the world we have yet to see. We came back from a short vacation in September. Within a few weeks, I had a very bad itch all over my body.” Michael described the constant itching as when you are bitten by an insect.
“SLEEPING WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE”
This “bad” itch was getting worse and worse, taking over his entire body, from the head to the soles of his feet. He said: “Sleep was nearly impossible, and I fell asleep almost completely from exhaustion. The itching got worse as my skin warmed up.”
Eventually, Michael’s skin also turned yellow, which led doctors to diagnose him with jaundice. Considered one of the main symptoms of pancreatic cancer, jaundice occurs when your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow.
FACTS REVEALED BY BIOPSY
Jaundice can also trigger itchy skin and darker-than-normal urine and paler stools, as in Michael’s case. While Michael’s doctors diagnosed him with jaundice, the real cause came to light later. Thanks to a biopsy, Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He then had surgery where doctors removed the tumor along with his digestive system, including most of his stomach and 30 percent of his pancreas.
“I LOOKED LIKE A RAIL”
He then had surgery where doctors removed the tumor along with his digestive system, including most of his stomach and 30 percent of his pancreas. After barely recovering from this procedure, Michael started chemotherapy.
About the side effects, he said: “At the end of six months of chemotherapy, I looked like a scarecrow with baggy clothing and open-toed sandals, fine hair and scaly, flaking skin. It’s not a pretty sight. But with the unwavering help of my incredible wife, Cathy, I got over it again.”
SYMPTOMS OF PANCREAS CANCER
- Jaundice
- Loss of appetite or weight loss without trying
- feeling tired or having no energy
- High temperature or a feeling of heat or chills
- Diarrhea or constipation or other changes in your stool
- Pain in your upper abdomen and back may feel worse when you eat or lie down, and may feel better when you bend forward.
- Symptoms of indigestion, such as a feeling of bloating.