Making a difference

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and this year I'm making a difference.

I'm participating in a 30 day TLC Challenge to support an organisation called Bedside to Bench as they work to develop a pancreatic cancer nurse network.

Although I admire the people that do, I'm not going to climb Mount Everest or run around Australia or swim to New Zealand. My challenge is a simply a healthy living challenge... in other words, I'm going to concentrate on looking after myself for a whole month.

Phew! I know... a whole month. It's already sounding too hard... but no, I've decided that I don't need to do anything huge, but just something - even if it is a little something.

Raising awareness about pancreatic cancer is something that I've been thinking about for a while now.

In late 2010 I found a cyst by accident. I had a chest x-ray for pneumonia and the technician noticed a shadow. Of course, I didn't know what that could have meant at the time. I had no pain or discomfort so I wasn't too worried.

The shadow turned out to be a neoplastic cyst in my pancreas that had calcified. Further scans suggested the cyst was stable so I decided to wait a while before having surgery.

But luckily, I didn't wait too long.... in the 6 months between my last ultrasound and when I had surgery in late 2011, the cyst had almost doubled in size and had latched itself on to the blood vessel going into my liver. I ended up loosing 70% of my pancreas and my spleen.

Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease... it sneaks up on you. Survival rates are low and research is not well funded.

It may be some time until some of the bigger issues are sorted out and a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research is made that helps increase survival rates.

As a working mum of two energetic boys, I don't find enough time to look after myself. Perhaps after this challenge it won't seem so hard... fingers crossed xx

So, off we go... my challenge starts on 3 November... anxiety about it starts now :)

Help me to help pancreatic cancer patients and their families now. Donate through GoFundraise. Just follow this link http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/SellinP