I received these texts from my daughter this week:
Once again, she was at school when she was texting me. Darn kid. 🙂
She seems to spend a lot of time texting at school. You can read her previous texts here.
Her school is having a “Kick It For Cancer” competition where each team is raising funds for cancer research. Her team really wants to generate the most donations to fight cancer, so they’ve pulled out all the stops. She’s so motivated that she even resorted to asking the old man if I would help. How could I say no?? I’m not a fan of cancer. It has taken far too much from me.
I’m writing this just a few weeks after one of my closest friends and partners was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He’s 48 years old and just started chemo this week.
The crazy part is that he’s the last person you’d think would end up with cancer. He’s in great health. He’s lean. He exercises. He doesn’t smoke and rarely drinks. He has low blood pressure and hasn’t had any medical problems for a decade or two. Despite doing everything right, he’s still fighting for his life right now.
Two months ago he started having stomach pain. He thought this pain was an ulcer. It wasn’t.
It’s hard to understand how random cancer can be. My mother died of lung cancer but she smoked for years. My friend has been very proactive about his health and ends up with one of the most challenging forms of cancer. Why him??? How come it wasn’t me? Am I next? Is one of my loved ones next? These are questions we’ll never be able to answer. Time will eventually reveal these answers and more.
Sadly, we’ve all been touched by cancer. We all know someone who has had to fight for their lives.
I don’t know if we’ll ever find a cure. I am hopeful and do think we are making progress.
If you’d like to donate to Kate’s “Kick It For Cancer Team,” you can find it here:
https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1441025
P.S. When I heard of my friend’s diagnosis, I texted Dr. Brett Osborn asking if he had any advice for my friend. He’s my doctor and one of the smartest guys I know when it comes to health and longevity. Here’s his reply:
I’m including Dr. Osborn’s text for you because I believe his suggestions may be helpful for us, too. Obviously, discuss these suggestions with your doctor to make sure they’re appropriate for you.
