Scott P. Strochak

I was diagnosed on 1/25/22 with stage 4 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that had metastasized to my liver.  I was 61 years’ old and was in perfect health prior to the diagnosis.  My symptoms at the time required I be admitted immediately to the ICU as I faced: septic shock, a heart attack, liver and kidney failure, and a pulmonary embolism blocking one lung. My oncologist said he had never seen a patient survive the ICU with pancreatic cancer (even without this list of co-morbidities), but I was able to.  I spent five months in the hospital recovering and had to go to rehab to learn to walk again. 

As for the septic shock diagnosis specifically, the cancerous mass strangulating my bile duct prevented bile flow.  My digestive system was constricted causing food particle detritus to accumulate which became infected. I had an initial endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) within three days of admission to the ICU which left blood clots and particulate matter.  Another ERCP was necessary three days later.  I needed a third ERCP two months later.

The ICU did their best and used a broad-spectrum antibiotic but that wasn't enough to specifically target the infection.  Blood work cultured the antigen which expeditiously identified a specific antibiotic to target the infection (I was on that antibiotic for months). 

It was luck, timing, the remnants of residual body energy accumulated from 60 years of treating my body as a temple that provided me the ability to survive.  If I had been using cigarettes, alcohol, and/or drugs and had been abusing my body I wouldn't have survived.

 For my entire life I watched my weight and intake and worked out diligently and monitored my weight and took great care of myself. I was truly fortunate!