Kelley Fox

She explained her symptoms to her general practitioner, who, after identifying jaundice and testing Kelley’s liver enzyme levels, thought she might have hepatitis and sent her to see a gastroenterologist. The gastroenterologist performed an endoscopy, suspecting gallstones, and the procedure revealed something pressing on Kelley’s bile duct. The doctor recommended Kelley see another gastroenterology specialist, Dr. Kulwinder S. Dua of Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin, who conducted another endoscopy and biopsy.

Dr. Dua agreed that the mass looked “suspicious,” but because of its placement, it was difficult to get a clear picture of Kelley’s condition. She then heard from the office of Dr. Doug Evans, also at Froedtert & MCW, who suggested they do an exploratory surgery to see what was going on.

“I was fortunate in that no one dragged their feet,” said Kelley, of the time between her seeking help for her symptoms and getting into treatment. “They fast-tracked me, and that’s what ultimately saved my life.”

Kelley knew heading into surgery that, if her condition appeared operable, Dr. Evans and his team planned to perform a Whipple procedure, a highly intensive surgery sometimes used to treat pancreatic cancer. What they didn’t know ahead of time was whether the mass was definitively cancer, although subsequent tests – performed after a successful Whipple surgery – determined that it was.

While Kelley was relieved to have the cancer out of her body as she recovered, she found – as many can attest – that learning to eat and digest foods can be an uphill battle after such an intensive abdominal surgery.

“You have to learn how to eat again. You have zero appetite – it’s a strange feeling,” she said. “I really had to force myself to eat and get off the feeding tube. A Whipple messes with you so much – people aren’t always prepared for that level of life change.”

Gradually, Kelley began introducing new foods into her diet, trying to figure out what her body could and couldn’t tolerate. While it is not uncommon for people to develop Type 2 diabetes after a Whipple surgery, this was not the case for Kelley, although she did have low blood sugar for a while and had to learn how to manage it.

As her strength increased, Kelley began having adjuvant chemotherapy, meaning she had it after her primary form of treatment; the Whipple. She underwent six months of chemo and then five weeks of daily radiation, which, in Kelley’s case, proved tougher on her mind and body than the chemo. She also tried to grapple with the mental and emotional side of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, noting that, up until that point, she’d had no major health problems and virtually no medical history at all.

“To be kind of blindsided with this major surgery, and let’s face it, deadly cancer – it really kind of smacks you in the face,” she said. “I only cried once; I told myself after that, no more crying. I figured this was out of my control…there isn’t much you can do but follow your doctor’s orders and pray for the best.”

While Kelley, like many, may never know what caused or contributed to her own pancreatic cancer, she’s learned to live with that – and the understanding that many aspects of a cancer journey are outside of her control.

“It’s a major thing, learning what is and is not in your control,” Kelley said. “Once you get a handle on it, life becomes so much easier. It’s the hardest lesson to learn, but so liberating once you learn it.”

Kelley hopes that, in the future, pancreatic cancer will start earning more funding and media attention, much like breast cancer did in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. In the meantime, she’s helping do her part to raise awareness of the disease and the fact that there are long-term survivors of it, attending fundraising events, appearing on TV and on the radio, and participating in walks and fundraisers for pancreatic cancer research organizations.

“I try to get myself out there,” she said. “I want to show that there are survivors.”

Kelley also urges others facing pancreatic cancer diagnoses to avoid going down the “rabbit hole” of the internet and to do their best to maintain a positive attitude.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years,” she said. “But I’m here for a reason, and I’m going to put it to good use.”