Last night I saw another tribute to Randy Pausch, the charismatic Carnegie Mellon professor who died recently from pancreatic cancer. Diane Sawyer interviewed the family a few times to document his last months and activities.
Pausch's thoughtful book, 'The Last Lecture' was originally written for his children but became an instant best-seller because of its authentic message about living a righteous life.
Randy was 39 when he got married because 'he hadn't met anyone whose happiness meant more than his'...until he met Jai who became his wife and life partner. But she proved to be one of his greatest challenges as she was not immediately convinced that he wasn't gay. After all, he had an affinity for stuffed animals and he liked to sew! (Not that there's anything inherently gay about that!)
Terminal illness, be damned!
In the face of impending death, Pausch's optimistic attitude was the best antidote! It was as if he was mocking The Reaper, looking physically fit and carrying on normally.
His first symptoms were a flu-like fatigue but shortly after a series of tests, the tumors surrounding his pancreas, were discovered. He went on to explain that since his bile duct was compromised, the fats he consumed were not being processed which caused his stool to be lightweight and floating. That was his second symptom.
Pancreatic cancer is the most deadly because being behind other organs, the pancreas is hidden. By the time one feels any discomfort, the disease is usually progressed. In that regard, Pausch's illness was textbook.
In 47 years, Randy Pausch lived more life than most of us do given much longer. His inspiration and contributions are exemplary but the greatest trait he possessed was 'joie de vivre'. In his own words, he claimed, 'I don't know how to not have fun!'
When his children were finally told of his sickness, his oldest son said, 'My dad taught me that there's no problem that can't be solved.'
Unfortunately, cancer remains one of the few that defies that statement.
