Amy & Eurico
Amy's Dad, Eurico, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2023. He died in May 2024. Amy reflects on how quickly everything happened and the challenges of processing it all. She talks about her daughter remembering her Avô (grandad in Portugese), and her baby son getting the middle name of Eurico.
My dad – Eurico, felt unwell for most of November 2023. He had multiple GP visits and was told it was IBS/a sickness bug. He visited A&E twice in one week. Once he was just told to go home and rest, he was told he was constipated and told to take some laxatives. The second time A&E sent him to our local walk-in centre which he did in agony. The doctor at the walk-in centre sent him back to A&E to be tested. It was found that he had a perforated bowel and had been leaking waste into his tummy for a while.
Getting the pancreatic cancer diagnosis
After surgery they discovered he had a mass on his pancreas which they later told us was pancreatic cancer. This was just before Christmas in 2023. This was devastating for us. The doctors at the hospital discussed treatment plans with my dad and us. They said that hopefully even though it wasn’t operable at the time, that with some chemotherapy it could reduce the cancer and hopefully become operable. It was amazing to have dad home for Christmas surrounded by family, which he loved.
Eurico and his family
Starting chemotherapy
My dad began chemotherapy in January 2024. He did well the first few times however it quickly started to take a toll on him physically. It was very draining and mentally it was taking an even bigger toll. He didn’t feel like himself, he felt like a burden, he felt weak, he felt scared, we all did.
The nurses at Macmillan were incredible. Our nurse, Michelle, was very comforting when it got hard, and she explained everything. She put up with a lot of phone calls and questions from me about dad and how his treatment was going. I tried to support my mom and brother as much as possible and get information for them. The bad news came which was that dad’s cancer was progressing, and the chemotherapy wasn’t working as the doctors had hoped.
Losing my dad
Dad was in and out of hospital in 2024 and he eventually went back in in May. We had hoped that he would come out after antibiotics and some treatment. But unfortunately, we got a call on Wednesday the 8th of May at 8.30am to ask us to come in because dad wasn’t doing very well. When I arrived at the hospital, I was told that he had passed not long before. He told the doctor who was with him that he thought it was his time, and he went peacefully.
I’m so heartbroken that we didn’t get a positive outcome
In just six short months we had to go through so many emotions. I read up as much as I could on pancreatic cancer and followed all of the social media and the website to read people stories and seeing the hopeful stories I really wanted that for my dad. I’m so heartbroken that we didn’t get a positive outcome for my dad but reading those stories where others family members did makes me so happy that this horrible cancer isn’t taking everyone.
Missing my dad, my children’s Avô
My dad was an incredible dad to me and my brother, husband to my mum and grandad to my daughter who adored him and son who he sadly never got to meet. He deserved to live so much longer and be with us all. I really hope more can be done to help anyone’s family struggling with this type of cancer because it happened so quickly that you just got hit with such a rush of feelings and emotions that you don’t even know how to process it all.
When dad was well enough it was so bittersweet spending time with him. My daughter loved going out for short walks when he could manage. She always talks about her Avô in the sky and that she will fly and get him for me when I miss him (Avô is grandad in Portuguese and my daughter is two). I honoured my dad by giving my son Reid his middle name of Eurico.
January 2025