If you're here then thank you. Please humour me and take a minute to read my story. I want everyone to be aware of pancreatic cancer... 

When I woke up one Thursday last November, I had no idea that it was to be the last time I would ever do so without fear and heartbreak - fear and heartbreak at the thought of losing my guiding star, fear and heartbreak at the reality of having lost her... 
One phone call from my wonderful, crazy, kind mum  turned the world upside down forever. Within just under five months of that call, I lay with her in my arms and kissed her goodbye for the last time. You see-we had no idea that, whilst she carried on as normal, this thing was silently taking over. 

It caused her few symptoms. A bit of sickness, a touch of "heartburn" here and there.  We all get sick, we all get an upset stomach. It went away. She put it down to antibiotics for recurrent infection caused by ongoing kidney issues. 
Did she turn yellow? Actually, no! In fact, mum was never jaundiced. Her tumour was deep in the middle of her pancreas.. it was so sneaky that it kept well away from any ducts it might block! 
It was only after  going to bed one night and waking to find her leg to be swollen and so painful that she couldn't move it that we found out. Apparently, a DVT is often the first real sign of this cancer, but usually already at an advanced stage. 

Tragically, it was already established in her liver. Too late for surgery and she suffered a stroke and heart attack as a result of the blood clots it created. Hence, chemo was very mild and she only made two sessions before developing biliary sepsis in March. . At this point, scans revealed the disease had progressed very rapidly. She lived only three weeks after this. 
Mum was the bravest person I  have ever known. Despite being determined, cancer had the upper hand. To this day, I  think about how I never saw it. Why didn't I demand she see a doctor sooner? I would have done, but the symptoms stopped, she felt fine. Believe me, I was the first to demand medical help for her if needed. 
Mum's story is like a template for pancreatic cancer. There's simply no way of knowing and no way of screening, symptoms are vague, transient and it's not a given that you will get a yellow tinge. Only 7% of patients will survive beyond 5 years & this number has barely changed in over 40 years!!
The only way forward is for research into a means of screening and more widespread education for medical professionals and the public alike. It needs to be identified in time for surgery - currently the only potential for a cure.
Please help us "Change the Numbers" for pancreatic cancer. I cannot bear to think about anyone else kissing their loved one goodbye. 
 Thank you, your kindness is appreciated beyond all measure, Love from Bev xx (btw Mum only ever called me "Dottie" or Beverley )