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BESTING
PANCREATIC
CANCER
Unexpected diagnoses
Erin’s cancer journey didn’t start with her pancreas,
however. It started with extreme itching — “like fire
ants” — throughout her body, then jaundice and what
a gastroenterologist suspected were gallstones. But the
procedure to remove the gallstones revealed something
else entirely: a tumor on the bile duct.
Removing the tumor required an advanced
procedure called the Whipple.
“Erin’s doctor said he could perform the surgery,
but he wasn’t the best doctor for it and that the
Ambitious.
Hardworking. Dedicated. This
describes Erin Aguirre. Back in 2010, the 32-year-old
North Richland Hills elementary teacher was known
for working late into the night, going the extra mile
for her young pupils.
“I wanted to be the best at my job,” she explains.
That summer, however, Erin was faced with a new
challenge — beating pancreatic cancer. She was taking
on a disease more commonly seen in older adults, with
a survival rate in the single digits.
“I think I just decided that dying wasn’t an option,”
she says. “Just as the medical team was going above
and beyond to take care of me, I was going to go
above and beyond what they asked of me.”
Methodist Dallas’ nationally
recognized pancreatic care
saved Erin Aguirre’s life
In her fight against pancreatic cancer, Erin Aguirre found support
from her husband, Miguel; her fellow teachers, who made her a
personalized patchwork quilt; and the team at Methodist Dallas.
8
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
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❁
Fall 2015