A desperately ill teenager suffering from a rare form of advanced cancer has detailed his experience of being terminally ill with just two months to live.
19-year-old Reddit user named Richard posted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) thread this week about his experience with cancer.
The disease is the third deadliest form of cancer in the United States, and less than one percent of patients are under 20 years old.
The condition, which is very difficult to detect, affects only 13 in every 100,000 people, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Despite the grim diagnosis, Richard said he has made peace with his prognosis and is “not afraid” of death.
A 19-year-old Reddit user named Richard posted an Ask Me Anything thread about living with a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest form of the disease in the U.S., with an overall survival rate of 12.5 percent. However, this figure drops to around three percent if the disease is detected late, as is often the case in most cases.
He said he was never “afraid of death” and has always believed that when his time comes, he will be ready. “I did my best not to regret it,” he wrote.
‘I have no regrets or resentments. I am only for what destiny reserves for me.’
Richard noticed “something was wrong” about a year ago. “I was always tired, feeling out of energy and then [I] “I saw blood in my stool,” he said. He noticed that his stool was almost black and at times there was so much blood that she would pass out in the bathroom.
His family sought help from three different doctors, who performed “every test you can imagine” before he finally received the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
By then it was too late.’
Early signs of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, stomach pain, back pain, weight loss, and floating stools.
Most patients are over 65 years old and only 0.2 percent are Richard’s age. The average age of diagnosis is 70 years.
Richard said he delayed seeing a doctor because he thought the symptoms were due to stress, having spent time volunteering and studying at university. ‘But [I] It was terribly wrong,” he said.
Pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest form of the disease in the US, with an overall five-year survival rate of 12.5 percent.
It has been called a “silent killer” as patients rarely suffer symptoms before it has spread to other areas of the body, where it is incurable.
In about 80 percent of cases, the disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage, when the chances of surviving more than five years are reduced to three percent.
Common symptoms include stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, jaundice, dark urine, floating or light-colored stools, fatigue, and itching.
The NCI estimates that 64,000 cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed last year, along with more than 50,000 deaths.
Most patients are over 65 years old and only 0.2 percent are Richard’s age. The average age of diagnosis is 70 years.
Richard noted that they were adopted from an orphanage in Ukraine when he was a toddler, which he called his “best memory,” so he doesn’t know if he has a family history of cancer.
Despite the situation, he has rejected any type of treatment and has chosen to accept the circumstances. “Pain is part of my life,” she said.
In the meantime, he enjoys reading and spending time outdoors, as well as watching documentaries. She doesn’t have a wish list and prefers to continue with her “shy, introverted life.”
At the time of writing, he said he was at home “drinking some sort of beer and relaxing.” I like to appreciate those little moments that life offers you.’
Richard said that in coming to terms with his diagnosis, he is focusing on appreciating the “little moments of happiness” and staying positive.
[I] I told myself to be happy [because] “I deserved it,” he said.
‘My only advice is to become the best version of yourself and never give up. [because] Life is too short to waste.’
