Jean Trebek Receives Love and Support
- Jean Trebek, 56, is going through her first holiday season since her husband Alex Trebek died of pancreatic cancer last November; she shared a family photo on Instagram and received a well of support.
- Alex Trebek went public with his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in March 2019, and fought his illness in the public eye, helping to raise more awareness around this disease.
- Losing a spouse or loved one to cancer is a painful process that can be eased with resources like therapy.
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Alex Trebek’s Cancer Journey
Trebek shared his stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis with the public in March 2019 and continued to bravely battle the disease in the public eye till the time of his death. Trebek helped raise greater awareness around this disease, along with others, such as Patrick Swayze, who battled it publicly, too.
Trebek fought his pancreatic cancer with multiple rounds of chemotherapy treatments. As he underwent treatment, he kept fans and viewers updated on his progress. Approximately 57,600 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Dr. Anirban Maitra, the Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, described this disease and how it presents in an earlier interview. He said, “So the pancreas is an organ in your belly. And this is where pancreatic cancer arises. Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn’t have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas. By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease.”
Challenges to Screening for Pancreatic Cancer
Losing a Spouse to Cancer
Coping with the loss of a spouse or loved one after a cancer-related death is a grief-filled process that takes time. It’s important to be gentle with yourself as you wade through the emotions of grief. Many find that formal resources such as therapy and support groups are helpful when going through this process.
Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability
Camila Legaspi was in high school when her mother passed away from breast cancer. Legaspi said in a previous interview how therapy helped her cope with this tragic loss and keep things in perspective. She said, “Therapy saved my life. I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on.
Related: Learn to Accept Yourself A Huge Part of Living With Cancer
“Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings. The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it’s going to be OK. No matter what happens, it’s going to be OK. There are so many of us that have gone through the same thing that you’re going through. And, together, we’re all going to get through it.”
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
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