Learning My Mom Could Have Pancreatic Cancer

My mom had always been pretty healthy, so I was shocked to find out she might have pancreatic cancer. March 25, 2015 was my last day working as a bureau reporter for WEAU/FOX 25/48. The station is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but I worked in La Crosse. I didn’t know what was next, but Easter was coming up, and I was looking forward to going home to spend time with my family, which is what I figured I needed most. 

My uncle Pat, who’s my Godfather, passed away on February 18, 2015, which was Ash Wednesday that year. It was also two days before his birthday. Everything happened so fast.  Around the first of the year, my mom emailed me asking me to pray for Pat, because he was seeing gray spots. I wondered if he had a brain tumor. 

My uncle went to doctor after doctor, but none of the tests could find anything wrong. He was finally diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a very rare brain disorder that causes dementia. My heart ached for my aunt, who’s my Godmother and my cousins who were 33 and 32 at the time. After Pat’s funeral, my aunt said she hoped there was good news the next time our family got together.

An Unexpected Phone Call

A few days after my job ended, my dad called and said my mom was in the hospital with the flu and pneumonia. I asked him if she was going to be ok and he said he didn’t know. That year was bad for the flu. I had recently completed a story about how influenza B cases were on the rise in northwestern Wisconsin. I also knew the flu and pneumonia can be deadly, which is why I was concerned when my dad said he didn’t know if my mom was going to be ok. After I got off the phone my with dad I thought, “What if God doesn’t want me to have a job right now, because my mom is going to die?”

My Mom Told Me Pancreatic Cancer is a Possibility

A few days later, I came home for Easter. First, I went to confession at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral in La Crosse. It was my first time going in about five years and I felt so much better afterwards. My mom was still in the hospital, but she seemed to be doing ok. Thankfully, she could home for Easter. She still had to have testing done, but I figured her doctor was being cautious. My mom and I lectored for the Easter Vigil. We also celebrated Easter at my cousin’s house with my mom’s side of the family.

On April 3, my parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. I hoped they had many more. A few days later, my mom told me she probably had pancreatic cancer. I threw my arms around her and sobbed. Now I knew why my dad said he didn’t know if my mom was going to be ok. When she was in the hospital, her doctor discovered her bile duct was blocked and she had a spot on her pancreas. I asked my mom if it was easily treated. She didn’t say it was, but there was treatment if she had pancreatic cancer.  

After we talked, I Googled pancreatic cancer and the results were discouraging. It’s not unusual to die months after being diagnosed. I thought about a former co-worker of mine who died from pancreatic cancer after fighting the disease for eight months. She was only 46 and had a husband and two kids. I also learned Steve Jobs, Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon all died from pancreatic cancer. There didn’t seem to be anything positive about the outlook of pancreatic cancer. I was so scared and cried off and on for several hours that day.  

Searching for Encouragement

I was still crying before I went to bed that night wondering whether my mom had pancreatic cancer. My dad told me to talk with God, so I prayed. He also told me to look at a story he read in “Reader’s Digest.” It was about a man who was diagnosed with inoperable head and neck cancer. The man discovered a church that needed repairs while he was out for a walk. He told the staff he would fix the church, but it would take a while, because of his illness. The man also asked for a key to the church once the work was finished, so he could come whenever he wanted.

As the man worked on the church, his tumors began to shrink. His doctor told him to keep doing whatever he was doing and eventually his cancer was gone. The man received a miracle. I also decided to give pancreatic cancer another Google search, because I needed to hear something hopeful. During my search, I found stories of people who had survived pancreatic cancer. It gave me hope. However, I discovered something in my room, which had a bigger impact on me than my most recent Google search.

Consolation from Our Blessed Mother

My mom often got ready for work in the morning in my room, so she didn’t wake up my dad. She also prayed every morning. I saw a tri-fold brochure about how to pray the Rosary. On the cover, there was a quote from Pope St. John Paul II that really spoke to me. It said, “The Rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and moments of difficulty. To it I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it I have always found comfort.”

I felt God was saying, “Sarah, I know you’re scared and worried your mom might have pancreatic cancer, but here’s something you can do for her.” I later learned Pope St. John Paul II lost his mom when he was almost 9 and had a devotion to Our Blessed Mother. I don’t think I had prayed a Rosary since 8th grade religion class. However, I knew that needed to change. So, I started praying the Rosary almost every day, which I still do. My mom let me take the brochure and one of her Rosaries back to La Crosse. She said I could pray the Rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

At the time, I lived about ten minutes away from the shrine. I was there once during the winter, but hadn’t been back since. When I returned to La Crosse, I often went there to pray one in the chapel. I remember praying the Rosary one day and seeing the sun shine on me through the window. I felt God’s presence. It was hard not knowing if my mom had pancreatic cancer, but I know praying all of those Rosaries helped to give me strength.