Just Because: Speech Of A Lifetime

While I'm perusing news on politics, crime, economics and interest rates, the entertainment media is abuzz about actor Patrick Swayze's recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It brought back memories of my mentor in journalism school, Martha Brian, who died in the early 1980s from that same disease a mere five months after she was diagnosed. She taught me to listen, to question, and how to challenge readers.

Mr. Swayze's diagnosis, along with the concern I have for the health of Bob The Conservative UAW Guy, also brought to mind an event from last year. It made national news but not everyone saw it. A professor at Carnegie-Mellon University, dianosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, gave his "speech of a lifetime." Actually, the university -- as does other institutions of higher education -- holds these speech of a lifetime events, where notable individuals are asked to give a presentation as if they knew it was the last they would ever present.

Forty six-year-old Dr. Randy Pausch, considered one of the nation's foremost teachers of videogame and virtual-reality technology, gave a presentation that was at once heartfelt, and challenging. If you didn't see it, or read about it, take the time to check it out. It will make you think and remind you of what's important. His presentation's last words, which was videotaped . . . "This was for my kids."

ABC News also covered the event and interviewed the boyish, brilliant professor, the father of three young children.

Yesterday, on Dr. Pausch's personal webpage, he posted the following:

"The good news is that the tumors appear to still be basically held in check. The bad news is that the side effects of the chemo drugs have become too toxic. My kidneys are now performing at well under 50% efficiency (Creatanine is 3.4, and BUN is 54, for those of you scoring the game at home). My blood pressure has soared up to 200 over 100 . . . I may technically have 'high output congestive heart failure,' but that's not nearly as bad as it sounds."

Click on the link above to see the rest of what Dr. Pausch wrote yesterday regarding his condition. Among other things, he is taking himself off chemotherapy. An incredibly brilliant mind trapped in an increasingly sick body.