Why we really have no reason to complain
 

There's a guy at work, nicknamed Bud. About 42, nice guy, gets along with people, worked here several years.
Has a wife, two kids, maybe aged 7 and 10.

He just found out he has stage IV pancreatic cancer.

He's expecting to be dead in six weeks.

Needless to say, his family has imploded while he is in the hospital getting many of his nerves deadened to stand the pain he's started to feel while he is still alive.

At the office, we sent him a couple gifts, and we are setting up a books-on-tape account for him, for whatever he wants to hear.

We are also donating leave so that when his sick leave runs out, he can use that, and his family can receive unused leave/vacation as cash for the future.

Years ago, I talked to Stephan Scharf, who was a Jewish VP at Chrysler and a survivor of the Holocaust at age 15. He told me that the day his camp was liberated by the Allies, he had the idea that a whole new exciting life was unfolding for him.

Bud will never see that:
No kids' graduations
No kids' weddings
No grandchildren
No retirement
No ball games
No nothing

The usual sarcastic smarta$$es at work are silent.
What would they say? What could they say?


This situation has made a lot of people here very thoughtful.

My sympathies for Bud and his family as they cope with the news...

This I hear is the worst type of cancer to have... :( Just tragic... he's younger than me...

Exactly.

Colleague was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a couple of years ago. Not sure what stage, but nobody thought he had much of a chance. After surgery and chemotherapy, he's still around doing well. I wish your friend a similar result.

I had a similar reflective experience recently. Not fun...

wow, a sobering moment for sure. if there is a fund for his family, maybe you could post it here, so that anybody who wanted to do so could contribute.

we never know.....

Pancratic cancer took my grandfather in 1982. I remember it like it was yesterday, him remarking of indigestion and stomach "fullness" It was the tumor pressing against other organs. Docs opened him up, closed him up and said he might last three months. He died two weeks later, at home, Friday August 13, 1982.:(

We had a young attorney client (mid 40's) who died of pancreatic cancer about 10 years ago. When he visited the office for the last time, about two weeks before his death, about all I could say was "Take care of yourself Jeff" Our eye contact said it all.:o

My deepest sympathies to you and your colleague. This kind of thing should remind us that no matter how young and vigorous we feel, ***** happens.

I will pray for your friend. :)

there is nothing to change the world faster than a life or death situation. it is difficult and hard to handle. his family will never be the same. thoughts and prayers for them and his co-workers who hopefully may learn a life's lesson. don't ever take tomorrow for granted......

My condolences for your friend. That would have to be sobering.

It occurs to me more and more that I waste time a little too much. Got to take stock. Anyone know the recommended procedure for diagnosing pancreatic cancer in time? If there is an "in time?"

one of my best friends brother died of pancreatic cancer in 1987,he was 25 and his wife was 6 months pregnant with their child,his youngest sister who was 2 years older died in 1992 of it and his oldest sister died of it in 1994,my buddy is the last of the 4 kids in the family.he's been living in germany for the last 22 yrs and has been tested for a specific gene that supposedly causes it and he does not have this gene.so hopefully for his wife and 3 kids he doesn't.i've been a pall bearer for all three and i don't want his mother to have to ask me to do it again.

I had a friend die of pancreatic cancer too. I may have mentioned it here. IThis year has been a trying one so far too. One nephew in PICU and one uncle with stage 4 T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

My very best wishes to your friend. I really don't know what else to say....

I heard something in the news a few years back about being able to train dogs to smell cancer. Actually works, supposedly though I've hot heard much about it lately.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060106002944.htm