10-year-old survivor towards new adventures | Corewell Health

Karyn Wolschleger lives for adventure.

As she flies to Europe, the Caribbean, Iceland and New Zealand, she makes life brighter at 64.

That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of time at home either, much of it spent with her grandchildren. But she always has a new trip on the horizon as soon as the last one is in her rearview mirror.

It is more than the desire to travel that propels Karyn.

She has a deep sense of gratitude for all the offers in the world, especially since she was given a second chance at life 10 years ago.

At 54, Karyn began a grueling and unexpected journey – she faced pancreatic cancer.

Defeating it required a long series of treatments to Corewell Health Spectrum Health Cancer Centerincluding chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.

And for Karyn, it also required immense determination, courage, a large support network and a medical team she could trust.

And hope. She clung to the hope that she would survive cancer and find more days to cherish with loved ones.

“Now that I look back, I realize that I was given a whole new life,” Karyn said. “I’m not going to waste a minute of it.”

Seeing Karyn embrace life brings joy to her surgical oncologist Corewell Health, Mathew Chung, MD.

“It’s great,” he said. “That’s why we do what we do – to have a result like this.”

As a 10-year survivor, Karyn shares a message of hope for others facing pancreatic cancer.

“It’s not a death sentence,” she said. “You can pass through.”

A tumor detected

Ten years ago, in her mid-fifties, Karyn felt like she was on the cusp of new freedoms and milestones.

The youngest of her four children, her twin sons, was in college.

She was looking forward to having more time to travel and relax with her husband. She hoped one day to have grandchildren.

And then a CT scan revealed a tumor the size of a golf ball on his pancreas.

“It was a dark moment,” she said. “It was tough, really tough.”

She didn’t know much about pancreatic cancer, but what she did know wasn’t good.

“He doesn’t have the best reputation,” she said.

Her husband, Kevin Wolschleger, MD, a cardiologist at Corewell Health, warned her to avoid internet searches on the subject.

Articles are often based on studies and patients from previous years. They do not necessarily reflect current medical knowledge or the treatments she would receive.

Karyn had a friend whose uncle lived 20 years after her diagnosis. This gave her reason to hope that she too might be a survivor.

Still, she faced a battle.

Even today, the 10-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is “in the range of 10%,” Dr. Chung said.

A new treatment

One of the factors in Karyn’s survival was a treatment approach that was considered cutting-edge ten years ago. Before undergoing surgery, she underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments to shrink the tumor.

“Some of the bigger (cancer treatment programs) were just starting to do this,” Dr. Chung said. “It’s become more the norm now.”

Dr. Chung performed the operation on February 26, 2013. In addition to the tumor, he removed Karyn’s pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, part of her bile duct, part of her stomach, and the first section of his small intestine.

Without her pancreas, she immediately developed type 1 diabetes and learned to adapt to insulin injections and blood sugar checks. But that’s not what stands out most for Karyn.

“That’s when I say I was cancer free,” she said. “That’s what I call my birthday date.”

Throughout treatment and recovery from surgery, Karyn leaned on her husband, children and friends.

“It’s important that you have a support system,” she said. “You need someone to be here, someone you can lean on.”

A recurrence

As she recovered, Karyn continued to see her doctors. At first, she had a CT scan every three months. Gradually, the scans became further and further apart.

About five years ago the scanner detected cancer in his lung – it had spread from his pancreatic cancer.

She underwent CyberKnife treatment, which uses radiation to target and destroy cancer.

“I always get a CT every two or three years,” Karyn said. “Sometimes I have to put it in the back of my head and say I’m going to live my life and not care.”

Make family memories

The past 10 years have been filled with moments that make Karyn grateful to have survived.

She helped take care of her parents, who live nearby.

She watched her twin sons graduate from college and launch their careers.

Two of his children are married.

And she welcomed four grandchildren.

“They are so precious and they mean so much,” she said. “When I was diagnosed, I never thought I would be able to see grandchildren.”

The family celebrated its 10th anniversary^e anniversary as a survivor with a trip to Saint-Martin this winter.

“We’re all creating these family memories,” she said.

Over the years, friends have asked her to speak with others facing pancreatic cancer. And she was happy to share her experience.

“With pancreatic cancer, there is hope,” she said. “You can skip it. I think it’s important for people to understand that.
“Just trust the doctors. And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask them.