Pancreatic cancer, the not so silent killer

 15 years ago, my mother died from pancreatic cancer. It was sudden and it was fast. Pancreatic cancer is known as a silent killer because people die from it so quickly after diagnosis and are unaware of it prior to that. It is a shock. There’s no time to get used to the idea that your loved one is dying, No time to process their illness let alone their death. And they themselves also have no time to process the illness, Let alone their demise. That it is terminal. Both and those close to them experience this.

I have been inspired by the other walkers in this months 60 miles Walking to raise funds for research for an earlier diagnosis. I have read their stories and cried with and for them. What I have realised is that pancreatic cancer is not a silent killer at all. It is simply not being heard. 

Mum knew something was wrong. A year before her diagnosis, she had a laparoscopy. Nothing was found. Months before her diagnosis, She turned yellow and went to her doctor. He made her a routine appointment at the hospital. Weeks passed. Then The hospital diagnosed cancer with a prognosis of eight weeks.

Often we lamented during those eight weeks that there just wasn’t more time. More time to fulfil a bucket list , more time to build memories, more time to say goodbye. More time to see my baby grow Into a child. But there wasn’t. Yet it is clear that there could have been.

Others are walking for loved ones lost. One is grieving a wife who had lost her appetite, a known symptom of pancreatic cancer, But was diagnosed with depression.

Each delay in diagnosis costs time, Which is very precious when you only have weeks left.

My hope is that the funds raised by this June’s 60 miles for pancreatic Cancer Will fund not just research into an earlier diagnosis, But awareness of earlier symptoms, And frankly, an education for doctors. I hope that there is an end to diagnoses of depression or gallstones for people that have so little time left.