It hasn't been the greatest week or so.
A friend from the group with whom I went through treatment died on Saturday night, following a very difficult last fortnight of her life. Another life cut short by this disease, another mother who has left her children far too soon. A life taken by a disease that, according to the recent misguided advertisement by the UK charity Pancreatic Cancer Action, people wish they had. Linda had known from the start that her prognosis wasn't the best, but she also knew that she could well be on the good side of the statistics. After all, some would be so why shouldn't she be one of them? It wasn't to be, but in the meantime she lived her life fully until she became ill last July.
At the end of last week a friend told me that she had just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease. Fortunately her GP was on the ball and made a very swift referral and she has now started chemo.
And that is how it is in the Land of New Normal. We all know that this disease touches so many, but it is heightened for us living here. All we can do is be thankful for the friendship of those who, like Linda, have shared the journey through treatment with us and hope that we can be of some assistance and support to the friends who, regrettably, have to follow us on that journey.
