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Things we wish we didn't know

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By STEVE OTTO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 9, 2009

Sometimes we learn things that we wish we had not learned. Here are some of your thoughts this week:

"Mr. Otto, I was born in Tampa a little over 58 years ago and have always had a thirst for knowledge and for showing others what a wonderful world of amazing people and things that we live in. In fact I was Mayor Pam Iorio's chemistry teacher (and yes, she was an excellent student).

About one year ago I learned some things I wish I didn't know.

- I learned that my sweet wife of almost 36 years had pancreatic cancer.

- I learned that someone who had never smoked, never drank alcohol and walked three miles a day could get such a horrible disease.

- I learned that we are so blessed to have so many caring doctors and nurses at Moffitt who do their best every day against tough odds.

- I learned that at least 34,000 Americans will die this year from pancreatic cancer (most within six months of being diagnosed with the disease). Karen only lived for three months.

- I learned that the treatments for pancreatic cancer have not improved that much in 40 years.

- I learned what a positive influence my wife had on the teachers and kids where she worked ... (Cambridge Christian School) and what a void she left.

- I learned that the love of my life would die in my arms on Christmas Day 2008, Her last words were 'Help me arrive.'

- November is National Pancreatic Cancer month, Let's make a difference." - Larry Tapia.

•The only thing I can add to Mr. Tapia's poignant letter is that I have a friend who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer six years ago and, after treatment by doctors at Tampa General and USF, appears to have licked this devastating disease. There is hope.

•Don Leggett Sr. wrote in to comment on a column about the disconnect between the American public and the military in the war in Afghanistan

"Steve, In my opinion one of the reasons for so much disinterest in these conflicts is because the general public does not have people in harm's way."

"...Since there is no longer a draft kids can continue to go about their daily lives as if nothing were happening. It was bad enough that our young people were sent off to wars. But they did not, for the most part, have families to support back home, There ought to be another way."

•Commenting on a mass transit column, "Winterblue" e-mails in, "I happen to be for the new rail system. I might be in a minority but I have been in too many cities that have these and use it lots.

What I don't know is why can't stimulus money be used to pay for part of this? It would create much needed employment. Florida is famous for three things - selling orange juice, selling tourism and selling gasoline. Would a change be so awful?"

• I didn't know we were famous for gas, although you wonder about some of the stuff coming out of Tallahassee.

Keyword: Otto Graphs, for more of Steve Otto's musings.

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