Jeanne Brown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had been feeling increasingly tired and had unexplained stomach issues. For almost a year, she saw multiple doctors without any diagnosis.
She was given various treatments — B12 and other vitamins, supplements, and reflux and sleep medicine — but nothing helped.
“No one could get to the bottom of it,” Jeanne said. “I was so discouraged; something was wrong, I knew it.”
Another doctor’s appointment … this time, blood work showed Jeanne’s liver numbers and glucose were extremely high. Her primary care provider was unavailable, so Jeanne sent her records to her daughter, Julie, who works at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Julie shared the labs with general surgeon Dr. Anit Vettukattil.
“Even at a glance, I knew immediately something didn't make sense,” Dr. Vettukattil said. “Later that day, I had a chance to speak with Ms. Brown over the phone. She had undergone multiple procedures, yet she had not had any imaging the entire year she was being evaluated.”
Dr. Vettukattil discussed Jeanne’s case with colleague Dr. Madhavi Jordan.
“We are both general surgeons … we run complex cases by each other, as good colleagues often do,” Dr. Vettukattil said.
“As specialists ourselves, not everything is within our scope, but Dr. Jordan's response was the same. There was an immediate sense that something was wrong.”
The doctors advised Jeanne to travel to Northside Hospital Cherokee, where Dr. Jordan worked her into her clinic as soon as she arrived and started the evaluation process.
Jeanne was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 29. Having never been hospitalized before, Jeanne felt safe and comfortable.
“Everyone said ‘we’re here for you’ and acted like they’d known me for years,” Jeanne said. “They were caring and communicated everything with me.”
“And the food was delicious,” she added.
After an intense two weeks of tests and consultations with physicians across multiple specialties, Jeanne finally had an answer … stage 3 pancreatic cancer.
Jeanne was not a candidate for surgery. She began chemotherapy but switched to daily radiation and medication after chemotherapy made her very sick. The treatment shrank her tumor from 3 cm to 2 cm, giving her hope.
Now back home in Myrtle Beach, Jeanne is receiving treatment under the care of her local oncologist.
“I feel like I have a fighting chance,” she said.
Jeanne reflected on her previous doctors in South Carolina, who assured her she was fine despite her ongoing symptoms. She had no family history of pancreatic cancer, and genetic testing confirmed her cancer was environmental. Jeanne credited the Northside team for finding her cancer in time and providing excellent care — mentally and physically.
She also thanks her family who has been very supportive every step of the way.
Julie, Jeanne’s daughter, praised Dr. Vettukattil and Dr. Jordan for saving her mother’s life by diagnosing the cancer early.
“Ultimately, Dr. Vettukattil and Dr. Jordan saved my mother’s life by finding that the GI symptoms she had been getting treated for in Myrtle Beach were due to undiagnosed pancreatic cancer, which they were able to catch early enough for her to receive treatment,” Julie said.
Jeanne expressed deep gratitude for the care she received at Northside Hospital Cherokee, stating, “If I could, I would have bronze statues of Dr. Jordan and Dr. Vettukattil. They saved my life.”
After her diagnosis, Jeanne researched the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. What she read others had experienced was everything she also had. “It all fell into place.”
“Having an answer was important. Ms. Brown sought a second opinion and it made the difference,” Dr. Vettukattil said. “Patients are their best advocate and Northside Hospital Cherokee is the kind of hospital that has the resources and people to help patients get answers.&rdquo
“I don’t have strong enough words to describe the care that I received,” Jeanne said. “The physicians and hospital staff were amazing.
“I have a lot of faith. I try every day to stay very positive and I believe in these doctors.
“They gave me a ray of hope — gave me a reason to believe I was going to be here for a while.”
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Read more about pancreatic cancer care at Northside.
* The health story shared here may portray atypical results of survival for this type of cancer, given its severity and stage. Atypical results are considered surviving a cancer that has less than a 50% five-year survival rate. Patients should consult an expert to discuss specific treatment plans and the possible outcomes before making medical decisions.
