Former Senator Ben Sasse shares his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis and reflections on life.
« There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of Advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come. »
That’s what former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse wrote on social media on Tuesday when announcing that he was diagnosed with « metastasized. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last week » and admitted he is « gonna die. »
« Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do », he said. « I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, ‘Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.’ Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all. »
He continued, « Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. » Sasse, who is only 53, said that over the past year, he’s grown closer with his wife, Melissa, calling her « the best friend a man could ever have. »
The father of three also mentioned some of his children’s most recent accomplishments:
Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak).
