No time to waste in pancan fight
With the recent passing of prominent American figures such as actor Patrick Swayze and NCAA President Myles Brand, pancreatic cancer has been in the national spotlight, yet many people don't realize the severity of the disease and the urgent need for early detection methods and effective treatment options. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in our country and the most lethal among leading cancer killers with a five-year survival rate of just 5 percent. About 76 percent of patients die within the first 12 months of diagnosis because there are no early detection methods and the disease is often diagnosed when it has spread to other organs. On Feb. 17, 2009, we found out my dad had Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. He was 80. The fight began right away when we found a top surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
My dad was a very strong man! He worked for the last five years at Wrigley Field and loved every minute of it since he was a huge Cubs fan! At every appointment he would ask, 'When can I get back to work?' His goal was to return after his surgery in which they would remove a tumor, his gallbladder, spleen and some lymph nodes. On May 12 he had his surgery and made it through with flying colors. The doctor said he would have to go thought about another five months of chemo once he recovered, but the cancer had not spread. We were all so very happy.
A month later I talked to my dad as I did everyday on my way to work. His voice seemed weaker. After a battery of tests at the hospital, on Monday, June 15, they told us cancer had spread to his liver and he had more tumors! We were all so shocked! We brought him home from the hospital June 17 and were told we only had a few days left. The next day, we all sat by his side holding his hand telling him how very much we loved him, and he just stopped breathing.
We only had four months and one day from when we found out my dad had pancreatic cancer. We hardly had time to understand what was going on, let alone watch him die so quickly.
This is what pancreatic cancer does. It destroys a person and their family in a blink of an eye. We MUST have more funding to save lives. As November nears, and we commemorate National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, now, more than ever we must KNOW IT. FIGHT IT. END IT. Pancreatic cancer has long been overlooked and underfunded. I volunteer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a nationwide network of people dedicated to advancing research and supporting patients. You can be a part of the movement to bring hope to those affected by the disease. Visit pancan.org to learn how to get involved today.
Michelle Seplowin
Hawthorn Woods