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Nightline aired The Last Lecture: A Love Story For Your Life last night on ABC. For those who may have missed it, Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Professor, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. Less than a year later, the cancer metastasized to his liver and spleen, and he was given six months to live. In September 2007, Pausch said goodbye to Carnegie Mellon and his students with a Journeys Lecture called “How to Live Your Childhood Dreams”. In it, he discussed his life’s journey and the lessons he has learned. Journeys are a Carnegie Mellon lecture series in which faculty members share their reflections on everyday actions, decisions, challenges and joys that make up their lives.
Pausch’s lecture has since made its way to the web and has been viewed by millions of people. Hyperion published a book this week, The Last Lecture, based on his talk.
Pausch writes frequently on his battle with pancreatic cancer. In an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Pausch said [1]:
I’ve never understood pity and self-pity as an emotion. We have a finite amount of time. Whether short or long, it doesn’t matter. Life is to be lived.
You know, life is a gift. Again, it sounds trite, but if you wait long enough, other people will show you their good side. If there’s anything I’ve [learned] that is absolutely true. Sometimes it takes a lot longer than you might like. But the onus is on you to keep the hope and keep waiting.
His talk is inspiring, heartbreaking and filled with the wisdom and clarity that perhaps only a dying man can share.
There is no method for early detection of pancreatic cancer. The disease is asymptomatic and only 7% of cases are diagnosed early [2]. Symptoms may include weight loss, abdominal discomfort, occasional glucose intolerance and, as in the case of Pausch, jaundice (caused by tumors that develop near the common bile duct and cause blockage). Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease, and the 1- and 5- year survival rates are quite low at 24% and 5%, respectively [2].
More information on “Pancreatic cancer” can be found at iMedix and Organized Wisdom. Additionally, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), the first national patient advocacy organization for the pancreatic cancer community, provides public and professional education embracing the urgent need for more research, effective treatments, prevention programs and early detection methods. PanCAN also provides patient services and funds grants for pancreatic cancer research.
UPDATE: July 25th, 2008
Dr. Randy Pausch passed away due to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008.
References
- Dying Professor’s Lecture of a Lifetime. ABC News, Good Morning America. 2008 Mar 21.
- Cancer Facts & Figures 2008. American Cancer Society. Atlanta, Ga. 2008.
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Watching this man playing with his children knowing his days are very limited brought me to tears. I would hate to lose any one of my children but to have them lose me is something I had never thought about. I have plans for my son and my daughter. They need my guidance and my experience.
Seeing his children and knowing what they did not know was hard to view. They will surely benefit from this great mans wisdom and the thousands of people whose lives he has touched.
I am sure I will shed another tear when he finally does pass. God bless him and his family.
He has a blog too, Walter. If you’d like the URL I’ll send it to you.
How inspiring Randy Pausch is! If you liked “The Last Lecture”, another fantastic memoir I just read and highly recommend is “My Stroke of Insight” by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. Her TEDTalk video (ted.com) has been seen as many times as The Last Lecture I think, and Oprah did 4 shows on her book, so there are a lot of similarities. In My Stroke of Insight, there’s a happy ending though. It’s an incredible story! I hear they’re making it into a movie.
Hi Jessica - I couldn’t agree more. I wrote about Jill Bolte Taylor back in March: Nirvana in the Right Hemisphere: A Stroke of Insight. Thanks for your suggestion!