Discussing Breast Cancer

I’m so saddened by this news. First of all, I’m a HUGE Dirty Dancing fan, watch it every time I catch it while perusing the television guide (favorite line: “I carried a watermelon?!?!?!”).

Also, I admire the fact that Patrick and his wife have had a strong, anti-Hollywood style marriage. If I’m not mistaken (and I might be, so feel free to point it out if I am), they’re rock solid. I LOVE that.

Finally … he’s only 55 years old. I just hate when the concept of living a long life and dying of old age is threatened by cancer. Hate it.

Patrick is undergoing chemotherapy right now and responding well. Reports that his cancer is terminal and he only has five weeks left to live are unfounded. However, pancreatic cancer spreads quickly and is seldom detected in its early stages — so it is high on the list of killer-cancers. (For those of you who are interested, The Mayo Clinic is a great source of information on pancreatic cancer and other cancers, of course.)

Pray for him guys. Pray for his wife and family.

When celebrities come down with an illness, there’s a great amount of publicity that is drummed up for that particular illness. Maybe awareness of pancreatic cancer will increase tremendously as a result. We can always hope, right?

Yes, please do. Not just here, mind you, but over at Newsday (just remember to come back, ya hear?).

Columnist Lauren Terrazzano is a staff member at Newsday. She was diagnosed with cancer two years ago (she was 36 at the time … that makes her a year younger than me). She’s been writing about her life experiences in a new column … Life, With Cancer.

Lauren has my respect and admiration … even my love if you can imagine loving a complete stranger.

I have much in common with her. Neither of us have reached our fortieth birthday. Both of us have cancer. Both of us are writers. But Lauren’s cancer is lung cancer and her cancer is terminal.

She offers this advice in a recent column … “What matters is the present moment. Not two to three months. Or two to three years. Or two to three hours. Just now.”

I can’t agree more. Love you, Lauren. Thank you for blessing us with your words.