In 2012 my father-in law Ray was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To say we were heartbroken was an understatement. He had all the symptoms and in hindsight had them for a while. Whilst it's the 11th most common type of cancer the statistics for survival are still low - 7 in 100 only will survive 5 years or more. We were devastated. From seeing his GP, to having blood tests, scans and referrals to specialists, the diagnosis to surgery was quite quick. However, we were all anxious about the surgery. Ray by this point was very thin and nutritionally challenged due to the symptoms of this brutal cancer. The initial few days after surgery were really hard for him. He had multiple drains and tubes in place and was in a lot of pain. He was an absolute hero though and powered on, determined to win this battle. He made a good recovery from the surgery and once his body was ready, he started the next stage- chemotherapy. His body took 15 completed sessions before it declined any more - Another battle won! Gradually he began to gain weight, and although he takes a spectacular amount of medication with each meal he's winning. It wasn't until 2016 that he was downgraded to yearly follow up appointments which was such an important milestone for us all. 6 years on and Ray is still in our life thanks to the amazing work cancer research does ....lets beat this together Cancer is happening right now, which is why I'm taking part in a Race for Life Pretty Muddy to raise money and save lives. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work, so please sponsor me now. Donating through this page is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Cancer Research UK.