Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate at just 6 percent, while 73 percent of people diagnosed with the disease die within one year. My Dad was officially diagnosed in October and passed away the following May. From the first signs of pain until his passing was just about a year. Plenty of attention is given to breast cancer and diabetes and other diseases, and Im not saying it isnt deserved. But pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Studies show that by the year 2030 pancreatic cancer will be the second most deadly cancer in both men AND women, surpassing prostate and breast cancer and coming second only to lung cancer. This is largely due to a lack of detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible. My Dad was tested several times. He had countless biopsies and scans and procedures, but it took months and an 8 hour surgery for a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Several doctors in fact told us it WASNT cancer. If better detection tools and processes were in place, his disease may have been caught earlier. He may even still be here. So, by all means, wear pink in October and dont shave your beard for this entire month of November... But also wear purple. Donate. Help spread awareness for this terrible disease that has and will claim the lives of about 39,590 people this year, including my amazing Dad. For me and my brother Steve and sisters Gwen and Nichole who had to say goodbye to our hero. For my son and niece who will never know their Grandpa, and for my nephew Ryan who looked up to him. For my Aunt Karla who had to say goodbye to her big brother and my Grandmother who had to bury her child. But most of all for my mom Lisa, who never left his side until the moment he passed and has spent every damn day missing him since. #pancreaticcancerawarenessmonth #november #pancreaticcancer #purpleforapurpose #wagehope
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 18:04:38 +0000