Happy Birthday, BigDFaust!

Today is a special day for us. Not only is it Derek's 42nd birthday; today also marks one year since Derek first began experiencing the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. When Derek turned 41, if someone had told us that by Derek's next birthday he would be in the home stretch of treatment for stage III pancreatic cancer, that the Chicago Cubs had won the World Series, and that Donald Trump had been elected president, we would have thought you were absolutely crazy. Apparently, a lot can happen in a year.

One Year Ago

Exactly one year ago this weekend, Derek and I were spending a quick weekend away in Florida when Derek felt a little "off" following his birthday dinner. Little did we know that the sour stomach, heartburn and back pain that he would experience daily for the next six weeks would ultimately land him in the emergency room and lead to his cancer diagnosis. In a sense, those persistent symptoms were a blessing. Without them, we would have never known Derek was sick and his tumor could have metastasized to other organs. We feel extremely lucky that Derek's symptoms presented themselves when they did. For so many others, this silent disease is discovered much too late.


Ironically, while we celebrate another year of life for Derek, the world prepares to celebrate World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which will take place next week on November 17th. In celebration of Derek's inspiring battle with cancer, please consider supporting an organization that funds research for Pancreatic Cancer. Contributions from these organizations played a major role in funding research that led to Derek's treatment. Imagine a day when pancreatic cancer is detected early enough that survival rates improve drastically. I hope our story and the awareness it has brought to others will pave the way for more stories like Derek's. 

Today, when Derek blows out the candles on his birthday cake, I think we can all imagine what he will wish for. It's probably the same thing he and I would wish for all of you: health and happiness, love and support, and appreciation for the good in the world. Please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to BigDFaust! We feel so grateful to be celebrating another birthday today, and we look forward to celebrating many, many more.