I consider myself the luckiest man on the earth EVERY DAY. I have felt this way each day since February 12, 2015. That was the date of my Whipple surgery. Why am I the luckiest man alive?
- I have a great family that has been with me every step of the way.
- Because of my endocrinologist, Dr. Joseph Terrana, I was diagnosed very, very early and thus I was able to have surgery because the cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes.
- Through the prodigious skill of Dr. Gene Coppa and his team, my Whipple surgery was a great success.
- Due to my excellent oncology team headed by Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca and his right-hand person Diana Youngs, my chemotherapy was conducted with compassion and caring – even when the treatments were toughest.
- My friends and fellow cancer survivors continue to be there for me.
- Despite the dire prognosis for those with pancreatic cancer, I was able to dance with my daughter and give a toast at her wedding.
- I have been able to continue working and doing what I love.
- I can exercise and keep myself in the best possible shape. (I actually went to the gym while undergoing chemo).
- And my wife Linda and I have traveled since my surgery, including a “restful” vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; a cruise from Amsterdam down to St. Petersburg, Russia; a visit to Curacao; and a family vacation in Eastern Mexico. With more to come!
