Sometimes it is the little things that "irk" me.

[rapmarks]

Dave , my condolences. after you posted this, my daughters friend was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, lived four weeks, and died st age 48.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave , my condolences. after you posted this, my daughters friend was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, lived four weeks, and died st age 48.

Thank you. So sorry to hear of your daughter's friend. 48 is very young. My brother was 70. Pancreatic cancer is deadly. I've done a lot of research about it since my brother was diagnosed. I learned it is among the top four cancers, in terms of death rates. The pancreas sits behind the stomach, and as the cancer develops, the "arms" of the pancreas grow into the stomach, immediately spreading the cancer to the stomach. By the time the person has any symptoms, it's usually too late for treatment. That was how my brother learned he was even sick. He thought it was bad food, maybe an ulcer, or just an upset stomach. When he finally went to the doctor and they tested him, the diagnosis was that his life was done. He was very shocked. He looked fine, felt fine otherwise, and other than having an upset stomach area, he felt he was fine. And then they showed him the pictures of what his insides looked like. That's when he knew for real his time had come.

Dave

 

[Glynda]

Update: I wanted to post back in this thread and say my brother Bob passed away quietly in his sleep this past Tuesday morning. Despite all odds, he survived 10 weeks after receiving his completely unexpected diagnosis of metastatic stage 4 pancreatic cancer in August. He was never in great pain, but he did suffer with the symptoms of his illness, and the ravages of what the cancer did to him. The mercy of it all is that the suffering has ended, and he is at rest. I'll miss you, big brother.

Dave

So sorry to read that you lost your brother, Dave.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

My sincere sympathies Dave. Sorry for your loss.

 

[geist1223]

What can one say at a time like this. We will have your family In our prayers. In many ways be thankful it was relatively short but he did have time to visit with his child.

I still cry when I think of my Baby Brother, who died on July 4, 2019.

 

[heathpack]

@DaveNW sorry about your brother. Thinking of you.

 

[DaveNV]

Thank you, everyone, for your kind wishes about my brother. I sincerely appreciate them. Bob lived long enough after his diagnosis to say Goodbye to all of his family and friends, and to make his final arrangements. Then it was a waiting game, which was the hardest part. When the end finally came, it was a relief that his ordeal was finally done. My younger brother lives in the same area Bob did, and is handling his affairs. Things had been simplified by the end that it is mostly just signing papers here and there.

If I can offer a suggestion to anyone as a lesson from my brother, it is to not ignore when things aren't "right." He didn't like going to the doctor, so avoided it when he could. In this case it probably wouldn't have ended any differently, but the process may have been very different.

Dave