Hi all,

I thought I'd turn here for some feedback and support, as I'm terrified that I have PC. To give some background: I am 35 years old, the mother to a beautiful little girl who will be turning 5 in a month. About a year ago, in Dec. 2020, I started to notice that I was losing weight, and that I'd begun belching literally 50 times a day. The belching has continued and doesn't seem to be affected by what or how much I eat; I burp even after taking a sip of water. I ended up getting an endoscopy in May of 2021, which showed some mild stomach inflammation but nothing else, and my GI doctor was convinced that I had no serious concerns thereafter . My weight had stabilized even before my endoscopy, so I wasn't too concerned at that point either.

Fast forward to now. I continue to belch constantly. Even more concerning is the fact that I've lost 20+ lbs. in the last couple of months, and that my weight continues to decrease daily. My appetite has started to decrease, but I've been maintaining my calorie intake. It doesn't seem to make a difference, though--my weight just continues to decline; it's the lowest it's been in over 10 years. I also have loose, pale stools that often float. I've been back in touch with my GI, who has run some labs, which indicate that my direct and indirect bilirubin levels are elevated, that my WBC and neutrophil levels are high, and that my vitamin D level is still low, despite the fact that I've been taking vitamin D daily for the last year or so. It's a more subjective measure, but I can actually see the skeletal muscles in my legs being depleted; I have dimpling in and around my knees that are visible when I'm in a squatting position. I also have dimples in my pelvic area, where it's apparent that my fat stores are totally depleted.

A recent abdominal ultrasound showed no concerns. A contrast CT at the ER last week showed two cysts on my liver but nothing else. At that same ER visit, though, my ketone levels in my urine were off-the-charts high. I read online that this can indicate that one's body is in a state of starvation, and using up all of the glucose it gets and then turning to fat stores for further energy. My understanding of cancer is that it's fueled by glucose, so this is very scary to me.

All of these factors, taken in combination, have left me terrified that I'm suffering from pancreatic cancer and that, moreover, I'm in a state of cancer cachexia. My energy level has declined and my muscles feel easily fatigued. I'm currently awaiting the results of a stool elastase test, and if the levels are abnormal, I will be absolutely convinced that I have PC. My GI has agreed to do a repeat endoscopy, but it's not until April 7, and thus far he's told me I don't need an endoscopic ultrasound to examine my pancreas. Of course, that may change depending upon the results of the elastase test. At this point, I'm so scared and desperate that I'm thinking of reaching out to Roswell Park Cancer Center for a 2nd opinion.

If anyone has any feedback or support to offer, it would be much appreciated. My PCP has been brushing off my concerns, and I'm feeling pretty lost at this point. I'm terrified and extremely saddened at the prospect of potentially having to say goodbye to my beautiful baby girl, and it breaks my heart.

Thank you