Pancreatic Cancer

Many of you will know that my lovely dad died last year from pancreatic cancer.  He was diagnosed in July 2020, November 8^th we lost him.  We were all with him holding his hands as he took his last breath, it was awful.  My dad was only 67 and he had many plans ahead of him.  He went to his GP with back pain, a cancer diagnosis was the last thing on his mind.

My dad was always there for me, he was strong, he was everything a dad should be.  Every day I think of him and everyday I want him back with me.

A week ago, I made the decision to join my two sisters walking for Pancreatic Cancer UK.  Unlike other cancers a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually fatal.  Some people are gone in days from diagnosis.

Music

A while ago I bought myself a Blue-tooth headset as I was worried about the amount of time I spend talking on my mobile phone.  I then purchased an MP3 player to go with it.  Last week I went on my first longer walk of six miles and took my music with me.  The joy of the open air, countryside, alone and listening to music is really cathartic.

On Saturday I walked ten miles, something I’m not sure if I’ve ever done in one walk.  I put on my music and walked the long way to visit my dad.  Once at the cemetery I spoke with him and invited him to walk back with me.  I told him that I had my music playing but he is welcome to walk along beside me,  he was a keen walker and I’m sad that he never walked with me around the places that I am now walking.  A missed opportunity and I can never have that back.

I told him that if he had suggested a long walk to me, I would probably have refused, I am too lazy. Walking through the wood I caught my headset on a branch and it came off, not broken but for seconds I had silence.  I wondered if he had played  a part in removing it, or maybe it was just that I walked into a tree.  He would have walked in silence and enjoyed it.

Two hundred miles in one hundred days

I had decided to walk one hundred miles in one hundred days, this was not high enough.  I have changed my aim to over two hundred miles in one hundred days, I’m now not sure how high I should set it.  I’m interested to see just how many miles I can walk.  The children might still only manage nearer one hundred, they are doing their best.

We are on day nine and I’ve managed nearly forty-eight miles.  The children have managed nearly seventeen.   I have been walking in wellies, so my feet really hurt, but I’ve now purchased some walking boots so hopefully I will soon feel more comfortable.

We will continue walking, raising money is important to support research into this terrible disease.  I am back at work tomorrow, after annual leave, so I doubt I will be able to reach one hundred by next Sunday, but I might be near eighty.

Nothing has changed for pancreatic cancer for forty years, now is the time for change!

Here is my just giving page if you would like to donate, thankyou!

Fund raising for Pancreatic Cancer UK

For more on my dad see, Loss of my lovely dad and my writing