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Life interrupted

This week has been tough.  

A former co-worker sent out an e-mail on January 15th that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last week.  He was told it had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.  The family was told on Monday the cancer was so advanced there was nothing the medical team could do for him, and he was given a prognosis of just days or at most a couple of weeks.  Sadly, he passed away on Tuesday evening.    

Jeff had a larger than life personality, he was well-liked and respected among the entire staff, he was beyond brilliant, a creative soul, and he cared deeply about the people in his life.  He brought the best out in people, and shared his knowledge readily.  Several years ago he took a year off work, travelling first to France to immerse himself in the French language, and then to Africa where he worked with children teaching English.  


It all seems so unfair, and along with the sadness I'm feeling a lot of anger.  At 54, he was far too young, just beginning to start thinking about retirement and life beyond his work.  To be honest, I wonder why it couldn't have been someone else, someone less kind, less caring, less invested in making the world a better place.  Sadly I can think of several people like that.

Too, with all of the advances in health care I truly don't understand how a cure or treatment even in late stages hasn't been found.  Are the drug companies holding it back because they make more money from the drugs they now deliver?  Cynical of me to think that way, I know, but these days profit seems to come before everything else.

This is the second cancer related death in my circle of family and friends in less than six months.  I suspect this won't be the last.  I just hope the next one won't be happen for a very long time. 

Rest in peace Jeff.  You will be missed.





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