{"id":90223,"date":"2024-12-16T09:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T02:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/levanews.com\/?p=45357"},"modified":"2024-12-16T09:37:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T02:37:08","slug":"marathon-runner-diagnosed-with-terminal-cancer-warns-against-ignoring-small-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/marathon-runner-diagnosed-with-terminal-cancer-warns-against-ignoring-small-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Marathon Runner Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer Warns Against Ignoring Small Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>After what he initially believed to be minor health difficulties, a marathon runner who was diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer has advised people not to disregard even slight symptoms. His life has been altered by the startling diagnosis, which has motivated him to spread knowledge about this fatal illness.\n<h6>A Shocking Diagnosis: Terminal Pancreatic Cancer\n</h6><p>Lee Rawlinson, a 51-year-old medical sales representative and avid marathon runner, lives in Essex, UK, with his wife, Faye, and their two children, Darcey, 10, and Marley, seven. On Halloween, Lee was given the heartbreaking news that he had pancreatic cancer, with the disease already having spread to his liver, leaving him with only a few months to live.\n</p><p>Despite the devastating diagnosis, Lee chose to focus on creating \u201cmagical memories\u201d with his family during what he considered his \u201clast Christmas.\u201d The father of two has since shared his experience in hopes of raising awareness about the disease and preventing others from facing the same fate.\n</p><p>\u201cThis will be my last Christmas,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI\u2019m facing the jaws of death. I\u2019m sailing toward it, and I can\u2019t do anything about it. But my fear isn\u2019t death itself; it\u2019s leaving my children and my wife behind.\u201d\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-45360 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/resize-1.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"686\"' height='\"686\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h6>The Early Signs and Signs of Pancreatic Cancer\n</h6><p>When Lee first detected a dull aching in his lower abdomen in January, his adventure officially began. He wrote it off at the moment as discomfort from stress. He had to wait 21 weeks for more tests even after seeing his general practitioner and being referred to a gastroenterologist. His initial urine and blood tests were negative, so there was no follow-up right away.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-45359 size-full src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/resize-2-1024x666-1.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"1024\"' height='\"666\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>By September, the pain had intensified to an unbearable level. \u201cI was taking painkillers daily, but they weren\u2019t helping. It felt like someone was slowly pushing a scaffolding pole right through me,\u201d Lee recalled. A week later, while watching his son\u2019s football practice, the intense pain drove him to seek help at the emergency room at Southend University Hospital. A CT scan soon after revealed the heartbreaking diagnosis: terminal pancreatic cancer.\n</p><h6>Increasing Knowledge about Pancreatic Cancer\n</h6><p>Looking back on his experience, Lee emphasized the importance of paying attention to your body and responding to any unusual symptoms. \u201cI didn\u2019t think much of it when the dull ache started,\u201d he confessed. \u201cBut I wish I\u2019d paid closer attention and pushed for further tests earlier. Early diagnosis could make all the difference.\u201d\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-45358 size-full src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/resize-3-768x1024-1.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"768\"' height='\"1024\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>Lee discovered that his grandfather had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, pointing to a potential genetic predisposition. \u201cThe consultant told me that it\u2019s sometimes just your destiny,\u201d Lee shared. He hopes his experience will inspire others to pay attention to even seemingly minor symptoms.\n</p><p>\u201cIf you experience persistent pain or unusual symptoms, don\u2019t brush them off,\u201d Lee urged. \u201cGet checked out, even if it seems insignificant. It might save your life.\u201d\n</p><h6>Creating Memories Despite Receiving a Terminal Illness\n</h6><p>Despite the challenging prognosis, Lee has dedicated himself to treasuring moments with his family. He surprised his children with a trip to Lapland, aiming to create meaningful and lasting memories. \u201cI want to be there for my kids, even if it\u2019s only in their memories,\u201d he shared.\n</p><p>He also highlighted the urgent need for increased research and support to combat pancreatic cancer. \u201cSurvival rates for pancreatic cancer have barely improved since the 1970s. This must change,\u201d Lee stated. \u201cWe need people to take notice so this disease doesn\u2019t destroy more young families.\u201d\n</p><p>Lee approaches each day with purpose, finding a balance between the harsh reality of his condition and the love and happiness he experiences with his family. He remains a vocal advocate for awareness and the importance of early detection, urging others to act swiftly when their bodies signal that something is wrong.\n</p><p>For confidential support or resources, you can contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or use their 24\/7 live chat feature.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>After what he initially believed to be minor health difficulties, a marathon runner who was diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer has advised people not to disregard even slight symptoms. His life has been altered by the startling diagnosis, which has motivated him to spread knowledge about this fatal illness. A Shocking Diagnosis: Terminal Pancreatic Cancer &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":90224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[670,1441],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-tips-and-tricks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90228,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90223\/revisions\/90228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></strong></em></p>