Cancer Diagnosis Spurs Darien Husband, Wife to Action

When Nicky Dargis experienced some pain in her back and abdomen last November, she made an appointment with her doctor, initially thinking she might have an issue with her gallbladder.

“My first comment to the doctor was, ‘I don’t have time for gall bladder disease. I only have six days left,’” she said.

After a mass was discovered in her pancreas, a biopsy was scheduled that revealed she had pancreatic cancer.

“I said to the doctor, ‘Can I rephrase that? I do have time for gall bladder disease,’” Dargis said.

Taking action

According to the American Cancer Society, about two out of 10 people with pancreatic cancer live at least one year after their cancer is found. Fewer than four percent will be alive after five years.

Because of where the tumor was located, Dargis, a co-teacher at , had to undergo chemotherapy to shrink it before she could have surgery to remove it without affecting her liver.

In April, Dargis had about 70 percent of the lower part of her pancreas body and tail removed, as well as her spleen.

Her pancreatic cancer diagnosis left her husband, Liu, feeling helpless.

“She’s my life partner approaching 30 years of marriage,” he said. “I don’t want to lose her.”

He let his helplessness spur him into action, and got involved with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which works to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer.

“The only way I knew how to help her was to become a volunteer for PanCan to raise funds, which gives money to researchers to do what they do best, which is find a cure,” he said.

In October, the Darien couple attended PanCan’s seventh annual benefit at Gaelic Park in Oak Forest, where Nijole Dargis was honored.

“She was one of the 17 people in the Chicagoland to have survived this far for 10 months,” said Liu Dargis. “The numbers are really bad.”

Nicky Dargis' diagnosis came on the heels of another tragedy for the Dargis family.

In March of 2010, their daughter, Karina, a junior at who had the developmental neurological disorder Rett syndrome, passed away at age 18.

Finding hope

In the last year, Nicky Dargis has lost 60 pounds due to her illness.

But “it’s a diet I don’t recommend,” she said. “I have the physical appearance I haven’t had since I was 14.”

Liu Dargis has no complaints.

“By God’s will she is more attractive now than the day I married her 28 years ago,” he said.

The couple hope to help raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer.

“This particular cancer is one of the most lethal and one of the least known,” Nicky Dargis said. “Most doctors who come across it just say, ‘I’m sorry that you have this.’ In many people’s cases this cancer is discovered too late. It’s ridiculous that there is a cancer out there that still kills more than 90 percent of the people diagnosed with it.”

According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, of all the cancers tracked by both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic cancer is the only one with a relative five-year survival rate in the single digits. About 94 percent of patients die within five years of diagnosis and 74 percent die within one year.

The Dargis’ are parents to two other children, Rimas, 21, and Lara, 24, who is engaged to be married in 2013.

“I would like to be here for my daughter’s wedding,” Nicky Dargis said.

She lauds the people who have helped her through the ordeal.

"The Hinsdale Central community of family and friends supported me through this entire part of my life and without their help and  generous support I never would have survived," she said.

November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer are vague and treatments are limited, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which is why awareness, research and increased funding are essential.

While Nicky Dargis said pancreatic cancer isn’t necessarily a death sentence, “it’s close enough.”

“We need to start educating people,” she said. “Too many people have lost loved ones too quickly.”

For more information, visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s website.