Liz Behling Pancreatic Cancer Survivor

Liz, who lives outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developed intense abdominal pain in late 2022 and initially suspected a stomach bug. When her pain persisted and she started dropping weight rapidly without trying, she knew something was amiss and saw her internist to discuss her symptoms.

The internist recommended Liz undergo a CT scan, leading to the discovery of a pancreatic tumor. She met with an oncologist at her local hospital, who started her on chemotherapy using FOLFIRINOX, a combination of cancer drugs. She responded to the chemo at first, but the longer it went on, the more she struggled with side effects, including exhaustion, neuropathy, hair loss and extreme nausea.

“I sat there for every treatment just watching my wife wilt,” said Phil, of his wife’s struggles with chemotherapy. “She was wiped out – it was a tough experience for everyone.”

While the side effects were undeniably rough, the chemo worked as intended, reducing the size of Liz’s tumor substantially. She followed it with targeted radiation, finding radiation to be much more manageable than chemotherapy. After wrapping up radiation, she took a month-long break to build strength after her care team determined her tumor had shrunk enough to become operable.

Navigating Setbacks & Seeking Answers

The hospital scheduled Liz for surgery in November 2023, and partway through the procedure, her husband received a text message.

“The doctor is coming to see you in the waiting room,” the text message said, without providing any additional details. Phil awaited the doctor’s arrival anxiously, not knowing for sure if his wife was alive or dead. When the surgeon finally made his way out, he had sobering news.

“The vascular complications were too great,” he said. “We had to abort the procedure.”

Devastated, Liz and Phil went home, and they later returned to the hospital for a follow-up and staple removal. At this point, the nurse who cared for Liz told the pair there was nothing else they could do for Liz and sent her on her way.

Recognizing the value of a second opinion, Liz and Phil sought one from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the United States’ preeminent cancer care facilities. After about five weeks, Mayo got back to them, concurring with the first hospital and acknowledging that the placement of Liz’s tumor made surgery too risky.

Liz and Phil decided it was time to seek a third medical opinion, and they did so at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin, located relatively close to their metro-Milwaukee home. There, they met with Dr. Alexandria T. Phan, an oncologist, and Dr. Doug Evans, a pancreatic cancer specialist and surgeon, who reviewed Liz’s case before taking it before the hospital’s tumor board. After a thorough review, Dr. Evans returned with the words Liz and Phil had long awaited.

“Yes; absolutely,” the doctor said, of performing a complete removal of Liz’s pancreas, spleen and gallbladder. “We think we can do this.”

Resuming Treatment & Reclaiming Strength

While Liz and Phil were thrilled to find someone who saw hope in Liz’s future, the fact that Liz had halted chemo about six months prior led the team at Froedtert to recommend she restart it. She switched to different chemo drugs, finding the new combination of Abraxane and Gemzar to be easier to manage. She still experienced hair loss and exhaustion, but the nausea was less severe, giving Liz some relief.

After about three more months of chemo, Liz underwent surgery May 10, 2024. The procedure, expected to take about eight hours, wound up taking more like 10.5, with Dr. Evans noting that Liz’s vascular issues were particularly complex. This time around, though, Phil didn’t get vague, anxiety-inducing text messages in the waiting room – instead, he received updates in real time from one of the nurses in the operating room, which he says was much more reassuring.

After about eight days of recovery in the hospital, Liz returned home, where she, like many people who have surgery for pancreatic cancer, had to learn to manage the Type 1 diabetes she developed as a result of the procedure. While, overall, she recovered relatively well (“I have a high threshold for pain!” she noted), learning to manage diabetes proved more problematic, with Liz calling it the most difficult part of her recovery.