When Pattie Wojtkiewicz then 58, started experiencing back pain in early 2017, she brushed it off as a muscle issue. But after persistent prodding from a close friend, Wojtkiewicz finally saw a physician assistant – a decision that would ultimately save her life.

“The only symptom I had was pain in my upper back,” she recalls. “It wasn’t excruciating, but it was very distracting. I kept trying to massage it, thinking it was just muscular.”

Wojtkiewicz’s provider ordered tests, and within a couple of weeks, she received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of just 12.8%.

“When my doctor called to say it was pancreatic cancer, I didn't even know what that meant,” Wojtkiewicz says. “Cancer was very foreign to my family. We were more familiar with heart disease."

Dissatisfied with a “death plan” they received from another health care system, Wojtkiewicz and her family sought a second opinion from Nebraska Medicine. They met with surgical oncologist James Padussis, MD, and immediately felt they were in good hands.

“We all looked at each other and said, ‘Do we need to go out in the hallway and discuss this?’” Wojtkiewicz says. “But we didn't have to. We knew we were in the right place.”

Her treatment included multiple rounds of chemotherapy to reduce the early-stage tumor, then surgery, and further chemotherapy after she recovered.

Throughout the process, Wojtkiewicz continued to work as a rug buyer for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Her co-workers, friends and family rallied around her, providing essential support.

“My husband would force-feed me blueberries and bananas, and my daughter-in-law made the best bone broth that kept me going,” Wojtkiewicz says. “Everyone had a role – my husband, my five kids, my work friends, even my vendors who would send me photos and prayers from around the world.”

Medical oncologist Kelsey Klute, MD, was impressed by the level of support Wojtkiewicz received. 

“She had family with her at every single appointment, asking questions,” Dr. Klute says. “You got the sense that she had a whole team helping her along the way.”

As Wojtkiewicz underwent treatment, she formed strong bonds with her care team, which included infusion therapy staff, nurses and physicians. She looked forward to seeing them and catching up on their lives.

“Dr. Klute had her first baby during my treatment,” Wojtkiewicz says. “She went on her maternity leave when I had my surgery. Then she had her second baby during my second-year visits.”

Chemotherapy so significantly shrunk Wojtkiewicz’s tumor that only scar tissue remained when Dr. Padussis performed surgery. After additional rounds of chemotherapy, Wojtkiewicz underwent regular scans, at first, every six months, then annually and now every two years.

Dr. Klute attributes Wojtkiewicz’s outcome to her overall health and the responsiveness of her tumor to chemotherapy. “She happened to tolerate chemotherapy fairly well, and she had a complete response to chemotherapy,” she says. “That's a huge predictor of how likely a patient is to be cured of their cancer.”

She also highlights the multidisciplinary approach taken by the Nebraska Medicine team. “Even in early pancreas cancer, a surgeon can rarely cure it on their own. Systemic therapy, and that team approach, is key.”

In January 2024, seven years after her diagnosis, Wojtkiewicz retired from Nebraska Furniture Mart. While the pace of her daily life has slowed, she is determined to make the most of the additional time she's been given.

“I feel like there has got to be something more that I can be doing because you don’t survive something like this for no reason,” she says. “I’m spending a lot of time with my grandkids, trying to teach them about being grateful and appreciative.”

Wojtkiewicz, along with her family and close friend – who urged Wojtkiewicz to get checked out initially and was by her side the whole journey – actively support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PanCAN. They raised over $10,000 in the first year after Wojtkiewicz’s diagnosis and consistently rank among the top local fundraisers.

This summer, Wojtkiewicz returned to the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center for a routine scan, feeling excited instead of anxious.

“There’s a comfort in coming in and visiting,” she says. “As soon as Dr. Klute said the scan was good, we started talking. I didn't know she had a third baby! We have to catch up on these things because this whole journey wasn't just about the treatment – it was about the people we got to know. And it’s just wonderful.”