Project Purple Podcast Episode 281 - Surviving Pancreatic Cancer with Dawn Szabolcsi

Dawn Szabolcsi, a Missouri resident, had been dealing with gastrointestinal issues since she was ten. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. Even though she had been to different doctors seeking answers, her symptoms were often misdiagnosed. She continued to experience symptoms similar to IBS and Crohn's disease, but tests never confirmed these diagnoses. Dawn reached a breaking point when her condition worsened, and she found blood in her stool. She was admitted to the hospital, and scans revealed a mass. By chance, she ended up in the office of Dr. Chapman, who discovered twelve lesions on her liver. It was found that the mass was not benign after Dawn underwent a distal resection and splenectomy on November 11th, 2022. Dawn was shocked to learn that she had stage four cancer. In this episode, Dawn discusses her journey and the significance of having a support system. She and, Dino talked about the problems with the healthcare system, particularly in places without high-volume medical centers. Dawn also revealed that she feels lonely as she has yet to meet someone local to her who is going through a similar journey. She hopes to help others with her blogging and YouTube channel. Dawn has a strong support system consisting of her husband, four daughters, grandchildren, and her faith. She tries to maintain her normal lifestyle by continuing to cook for her church community and following her usual routine. Unfortunately, her cancer has spread to her spine which causes her severe pain and limits some of her activities. Despite these challenges, Dawn finds joy in blogging about her journey and wearing Victorian fashion with her newfound attitude of living her best life. She relies heavily on prayer to guide her on her path to healing and recovery. Tune in to this episode to learn more about this unique and inspiring individual and her tumultuous road to a diagnosis and everyday life with pancreatic cancer. To view her vlogs on YouTube, check out her channel at this link:    / @dawnathan86   If you’d like to donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit https://www.projectpurple.org/. If you’d like to follow Dawn on her pancreatic cancer journey and see her lovely victorian fashion, follow her on Instagram here: instagram.com/ladydawnsz/ To learn more about Project Purple, visit https://www.projectpurple.org/ or follow us on social media at these links:   / run4projectpurple     / projectpurple     / run4purple      / @project_purple