The word cancer sparks fear, the fear of losing in the hearts of loved ones, while the fear of the journey ahead for the one diagnosed. It was in January 2015, when Diana Register got the news of her husband being diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. Hearing the news, her world turned upside down as they visited the hospital, as signs of Jaundice had shown up in Chad, and the couple wanted timely treatment.
A mass on Chad’s pancreas was detected through the tests and scans done, and later the doctors confirmed that it wasn’t Juandice but Pancreatic cancer. Time slowed down, and heartbeats rushed when the couple heard the news. Diana stated how it felt like everything they had ever dreamt of, the future, all the memories, was slipping out of their hands, as Chad, being a perfect husband, was the life of the party. Home did not feel complete without his humour, and the house echoed with his laugh.
The next eighteen months were about sticking together, picking each other up when they fell, and fighting. The battle with cancer was tough; everything from their routines to their lifestyles was changed. Various treatments and doctors were tried to figure out the best one. When you see someone you love in pain, there is this desire in your heart to do everything you can to make them feel better, and this was what Diana was doing. She states how it was not fearing that she would lose her partner only, but also the life they had planned; everything they planned was meant to be done together. She could not afford to lose it all.
Chad was a strong man, as he never gave up on his job and was still as passionate about being a police officer as before the diagnosis. After eight weeks of the surgery, during which he also had to undergo a major Whipple surgery with a grueling and time-consuming recovery, he chose to return even stronger. Chad’s chemotherapy sessions were held away from home, on a 6-hour drive in Seattle, after which he slept for a few hours, and in the next few hours, he was dressing up for duty. The cancer was rapidly spreading in his body from his spine, bones, to all his organs, yet he was unstoppable and served the police till his last breath.
The last time he went on duty was three weeks before his death, and Chad undoubtedly had served as a cop with the determination people only dream about for their jobs. He did not want cancer to affect his life and did not want people to see him as a loser, so he never gave up. Who would serve or choose to go to office when the person’s body was full of tumours? Chad did it all!
After he passed away, Diana has not been able to recover from the deep ache of his absence, and she knows that she might not ever get a chance to escape from this pain. However, since the day he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she states that she dies a little every day. While on most days she tries to get a hold on herself, on others she decides to sob away all the pain, hoping to feel better.
Diana shared her grief and her story of losing her partner so she could urge everyone around her to be kind to each other, especially those who grieve loss. Loss can not be escaped; however, things seem more manageable when there is a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold when you feel lonely. Chad showed his family that you do not have to give up when the road gets bumpy. Always keep moving forward!
