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Tracy Weiser
Written By: Julia Brabant, October, 2025Diagnosed With Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer Ahead of Her 60th Birthday, Tracy Weiser Now Shows No Evidence of Disease
Despite receiving a devastating pancreatic cancer diagnosis at age 59, Tracy Weiser never asked, “Why me?” Instead, she leaned on faith, family, friends and her care team, and today, nearly four years later, she shows no evidence of disease.
When Tracy first started experiencing abdominal discomfort and lower back pain, she thought these symptoms might be the result of either appendicitis or diverticulitis, a condition that can cause inflammation or infection in the walls of the large intestine. Yet, when she visited the local emergency room, tests revealed a tumor on Tracy’s pancreas, prompting her to quip, “I guess it isn’t diverticulitis.”
I didn’t know anyone with pancreatic cancer before this all happened. It was a cancer I never really looked into or researched, like I did breast cancer.
The ER doctor failed to crack a smile, though, recognizing that the road ahead would be a difficult one. The doctor did, however, direct Tracy to Froedtert Hospital & The Medical College of Wisconsin, and within a week, she was on the schedule for a biopsy.
Tracy awoke from the biopsy crying out in pain, with the pain stemming from a stent doctors inserted during the procedure. Test results showed that Tracy had Stage 2 adenocarcinoma, but because her tumor wrapped around a major artery, doctors elevated her diagnosis to Stage 3.
At her doctor’s recommendation, Tracy began chemotherapy in November 2021 using a combination of FOLFIRINOX and Gemcitabine. She’d hoped to wait until early December to begin treatment, as her family had something fun planned, but her care team urged her to start without delay.
About a week into her chemo regimen, Tracy made plans to have dinner with some family and close friends in Downtown Milwaukee. When she walked in, she did so to a chorus of cheers from some 60 of her closest friends and loved ones, all of whom arrived to celebrate Tracy’s surprise party while adorned in her favorite color, pink.
I was always a very happy, grateful person before – I love the small things in life. Now, that’s tripled or quadrupled. All day long, I’m grateful for little things.
“It was outstanding,” Tracy said, of the surprise. “It was a great way to start this process.”
The rest of the fall and winter were less lively, with Tracy experiencing ongoing reactions to the chemotherapy that led to lengthy hospital stays. Her oncologist lamented that Tracy seemed to get “every possible side effect,” with many stemming from the insertion of the stent used to deliver chemotherapy. In one instance, the stent became clogged, causing Tracy’s body to shut down in the middle of the night. Luckily, a close friend called the local ER, and doctors there unclogged the stent, leading to some temporary relief.
Tracy also struggled with other aspects of chemotherapy, losing about 100 pounds over the course of it. While her plan was to stop chemo about a month and a half ahead of her scheduled Whipple surgery, she ended up stopping one session early due to ongoing struggles and side effects.
After completing chemo, tests showed that while Tracy’s tumor had separated somewhat from her vein, it was still dangerously close to a blood vessel, creating a need for radiation. The radiation worked as intended, helping lift the tumor off of the blood vessel enough for Tracy’s surgeon, Dr. Kathleen K. Christians, M.D., to operate.
When they say, ‘Get up and walk,’ they mean it, I didn’t realize that at the beginning, but now I’m a huge advocate for walking. Even now, when I get stomachaches, getting up and walking helps.
Dr. Christians successfully removed Tracy’s tumor, leaving clear margins in the aftermath.
“It was truly a miracle,” Tracy said. “It was beyond a miracle.”
Recovering from the Whipple was difficult, and Tracy spent a week in the hospital before returning home and beginning physical and occupational therapy. On a more positive note, Dr. Christians was able to preserve the functionality of Tracy’s pancreas during the Whipple, so she didn’t become diabetic or insulin-dependent afterward, as many people do.
The next few years proved relatively problem-free, but Tracy continued to have regular scans and tests to monitor her health. Everything looked good for about three years, until a November 2024 test revealed a nodule in the middle of one of her lungs. Tracy’s team determined that the nodule wasn’t lung cancer, but rather, pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to her lung, and performed robotic surgery to remove it.
Tracy’s thoracic surgeon, Dr. Paul L. Linsky, removed five nodules from Tracy’s lung, determining that, while two of them were cancerous, the remaining three were not. About two months later, Tracy received great news – there was no remaining evidence of cancer in her body, so she didn’t need any additional chemotherapy. While she’s thrilled to be showing no evidence of disease, she’s also cognizant of how important it is to continue to have regular scans and bloodwork, which she now has every three months.
Between checkups, Tracy strives to stay active, incorporating exercise and regular walks into her daily routine.
“When they say, ‘Get up and walk,’ they mean it,” she said. “I didn’t realize that at the beginning, but now I’m a huge advocate for walking. Even now, when I get stomachaches, getting up and walking helps.”
Tracy also works with a personal trainer at her local gym to help build back strength and improve her balance. The trainer applauds Tracy’s progress, noting that, a year ago, she couldn’t have dreamed of doing the exercises she does today.
While she’s big on working out, Tracy is also careful about what she eats, finding that certain foods, like dairy products, fried foods, cruciferous veggies or anything with gluten can lead to serious discomfort. And while Tracy has learned to rely on diet and exercise to keep her feeling her best, she’s also learned to lean on her support system, including her wide circle of friends, loved ones and even complete strangers who came out of the woodwork to support her during her cancer experience.
In one incident, she’d collapsed due to illness while out at the local Packers bar. A regular there went above and beyond, helping her get up and get home safely and even going so far as to return later with a warm meal. Tracy was retelling this story to the bar owner four years later, hoping to get a chance to thank the man in person – only to turn around and find him standing right behind her. She wept in his arms.
Now, she’s paying forward the kindness he and so many others showed her by taking part in advocacy efforts in support of the pancreatic cancer community. She’s participated in several fundraising walks, including a PanCAN event in Milwaukee two years ago where she served as the keynote speaker. She’s also become increasingly involved with the Seena Magowitz Foundation, attending its 2025 annual fundraiser alongside more than one hundred other survivors.
“I didn’t know anyone with pancreatic cancer before this all happened,” Tracy said. “It was a cancer I never really looked into or researched, like I did breast cancer.”
While she hopes to help raise awareness about pancreatic cancer and its symptoms, she also hopes to shine a spotlight on aspects of a pancreatic cancer journey that not all doctors address, like the roles nutrition and exercise play in helping people recover.
In addition to focusing on these sometimes-overlooked aspects of a pancreatic cancer journey, Tracy has also developed a deeper appreciation for what others might find mundane.
“I was always a very happy, grateful person before – I love the small things in life,” Tracy said. “Now, that’s tripled or quadrupled. All day long, I’m grateful for little things. God is good; I’ve had lots of miracles happen – miracle after miracle.”
Tracy’s latest scans showed no evidence of disease, but she continues to have regular checkups to keep a close eye on her condition.
