October 11th, 2024, marked a profound turning point in my life and the lives of my family forever. After enduring over six tumultuous months battling a barrage of health challenges, I found myself in the hospital ER at the start of October, where I spent a heart-wrenching week as doctors conducted rigorous tests and procedures. Ultimately, I emerged with the life-altering diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, a moment that forever changed my perspective and ignited an unyielding resolve within me.
Cancer wreaks havoc on the lives of millions each year in this country, showing no mercy to race, religion, age, gender, or creed. It feels almost cruel that I ought to have been prepared after witnessing my dad, grandparents, and aunts succumb to this insidious disease. Yet, at that moment, I hadn’t even reached the age of 54. I’m still vibrant and bursting with dreams yet to be realized. Like so many others impacted by cancer, I grappled with an overwhelming sense of injustice!
I am now two years removed from the harrowing diagnosis and a year since I endured the Whipple Procedure, an invasive surgery to remove the tumor that invaded my pancreas. The surgery was deemec a success, not only was the malignancy excised, but they also removed 7 percent of my stomach, my gallbladder, the bile duct tree, and the head of my pancreas. As I pen these words, I’ve crossed the one-year mark since that pivotal surgery, yet my digestive system remains a chaotic storm, relentlessly struggling to find its balance. What weighs most heavily on my heart is the merciless advance of the cancer—since that pivotal operation, it has spread with a ferocity and reach that knows no bounds, an unyielding adversary in this ongoing battle.
So, what is the point of this site? To be honest, I’m not really sure. I guess I felt if I could somehow reach people who needs encouragement or help to someone who is going through the same thing I am, I should try to help. If you are here and you are going through this battle, just know that you are not alone. I know that you feel all alone because I feel it every day. My family and friends are always close but they aren’t the ones in the arena every single day facing this unrelenting monster.
