Dream New Dreams (29 page)

Thank you for agreeing to go out to dinner, Rich. I didn’t know I could love so deeply again. With you I learned to open up my heart, let go of the past, and make a future for us.

There aren’t enough words of gratitude for all my friends and family who pitched in to help my family survive every day and each unique crisis. Many thanks to the Carnegie Mellon community, the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsburgh, the Pausch and Glasgow families, and the Great Bridge community of friends, including my tennis teammates. Your actions renewed my faith.

Bob and Jane Glasgow were a strong presence during this ordeal, giving so much of themselves. Even when asked to do the impossible, Bob tried. I’m sorry I had unrealistic expectations.

For the caregiver who needs help, I would recommend Dr. Michele Reiss’s book,
Lessons in Loss and Living
. Available online for free is the Johns Hopkins caregiver video series called
Walking on Eggshells
, 
www.​hopkins​medicine.​org/​kimmel_​cancer_​center/​patient_​information/​videos/​caregivers.​html
. In addition, many cancer centers and oncology centers offer caregiver support groups and counseling.

For those who are facing pancreatic cancer, I wholeheartedly recommend the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s free Patients and
Liaison Service Program,
www.pancan.org
; 877-272-6226. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network,
www.nccn.org
, produces a free online patient pancreatic cancer guideline (as well as for a host of other cancers) to help patients and loved ones understand the disease and learn what their options are.

I’d like to salute the following organizations, researchers, and their volunteers for their continued efforts to find a cure for pancreatic cancer and to offer hope to patients and their families: