The spinning wheel of my life stopped at pancreatic cancer.

Imagine receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Or, imagine someone close to you receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Any cancer diagnosis is traumatic but the statistics of pancreatic cancer make it even more so. Because of its location in the body symptoms of pancreatic cancer usually do not become noticeable until the cancer is advanced. For almost all people the diagnosis is simply too late. This is the poignant story of one woman’s journey through terminal pancreatic cancer and the parallel journey of the friend who walked with her as she battled the disease. Alternately told through journal excerpts and first person narrative, this 14-month cancer journey offers insights, wisdom, humor, and the faith of two unforgettable friends. A memoir unlike most, this story is unique because it is told by both women. The reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of a terminally ill individual in one perspective and also the emotions one feels while walking with someone who is dying. However, this is more than just a story about the march through pancreatic cancer. It is a story about life, because we are all more than just our endings. Get to know each woman as they become friends, travel together, volunteer together, and share sometimes comical experiences together. Most of all trust in God’s infinite wisdom even if we don’t understand it because, in spite of all its messiness, life is good. Visit pancan.org to learn more about pancreatic cancer and how you can help.

Pamela Klemm earned her MA in Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and her certification as a Professional Lay Ecclesial Minister from St. Francis Seminary. Her training as a Christian Clown has taken her into hospitals, nursing homes, and shelters. Pam resides in Wisconsin. Beatrice Willing earned her MA in music from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. She taught classroom, vocal and instrumental music for 45 years. After retirement she became a Watercolorist exhibiting her artwork in juried shows and galleries throughout Wisconsin. Bea passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010.