In the emergency room, an additional CT scan was done, showing that the initial findings had progressed. Tumour markers (from blood tests) which were only slightly elevated in January were now significantly elevated, indicative of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Additionally, nodes in the peritoneum (in not so medical terms, the sack that holds the GI organs), which were thought to be inflammatory in nature on earlier scans, had spread. As the pancreas biopsies were not confirmatory, a decision was made to biopsy the nodes.
On April 22, 2022, a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer was received. Although this was the diagnosis that we had spent months hoping would be ruled out by all the tests, after how much pain Connor had been in over the last few months, there was some solace in knowing that now we could start to do something about it. This is not a nice cancer to have but we can say with 200 per cent certainty that Connor is a fighter and has a lot to fight for. Statistically speaking, it’s incredibly rare to have this diagnosis at this age so the plan is to beat the stats on the other side. With his health and support, Connor has incredible strength to fight this.
Connor has approached this disease as only he would. He has only one goal in his mind – to beat this and to be there for his boys. He has approached this battle with his mind, body and soul. He meditates, gets exercise daily, eats well (with some treats!), sees his trainer three times a week, has a cancer coach that he connects with weekly, does acupuncture and massage… the list goes on. He’s also been incredibly clear that he wants to do clinical trials and take an integrative approach to his treatment. We have been inspired by so many exceptional stories and Connor is just that – exceptional.