“After some further testing, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which had already spread to his liver, lymph nodes and oesophagus.”
Millie Kohler lost her husband Rod to pancreatic cancer far too soon, today she shares her story and what she and her three daughters have done to remember Rod.
Sadly, my lovely husband of twenty-two years, Rod, who was fit and healthy and full of life, died of pancreatic cancer on 7th February 2018.
He went to the GP with persistent backache in June 2017. After taking an inflammatory marker blood test which came back only slightly raised, he was told to go home and come back in a couple of weeks as this was nothing to worry about.
As he was shortly due to fly out to America for work, he insisted he was referred to a private doctor. After some further testing, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which had already spread to his liver, lymph nodes and oesophagus.
This is the case with many pancreatic cancer cases, and so when he died, I decided I wanted to do something to help raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and its symptoms to help other people achieve early diagnosis and, in turn, hopefully, save lives.
My husband set up a running group with eight mates a few years before and set the bizarre challenge of running twenty-two miles around the Surrey hills once a year. They started at a beautiful spot called Blackdown, Haslemere and ended at a fabulous pub called The Noah’s Ark in Lurgashall for a celebratory lunch with family and friends.
Rod’s Runners, as they are now known, are still going eleven years later. However, they are now much bigger! Still continuing with the twenty-two mile run, people can join in and do either five, six or eleven miles. There is also a five or ten-mile walk, now known as Rod’s Ramblers and an off-road bike of just under twenty-five miles and an on-road bike of forty-six miles, known as Rod’s Riders – all of which end up at The Noah’s Ark, where they do an amazing lunch.
I am very proud of how this has evolved over the years, but I am also so proud of my three girls as they continue the legacy by inviting their friends to take part with them in the various events. This year there were twenty runners doing the twenty-two mile run – ten of the older lot and ten of the younger. May the older lot be overtaken next year!!!
Bring it on!
