The Last Lecture

This section moves into the latter part of Pausch’s life and includes grim details of his illness. He is facing the biggest brick wall of his life: “Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of any cancer” (57).

After a severe surgery (which entailed the partial removal of organs) and then powerful chemotherapy and radiation, Pausch spent six months at home before visiting the doctor for another check-up. This visit was not good, as Pausch and his wife Jai learned that any future treatments would be about maintaining Pausch’s quality of life while he was still alive rather than prolonging his life. The doctor’s prognosis was three to six months. Oddly, Pausch remembered the phrase that Disney employees used to explain the park’s hours. Rather than telling guests when the park closed, they told them that “the park is open until 8,” responding in a positive way, not a negative one. Pausch reflects, “I knew then. That’s the way the rest of my life would need to be lived” (63).

The next couple of chapters show two sides to Pausch: He is both the “epitome of a person appreciating this day and this moment” (64) and “self-possessed to a fault […] too brash and […] inflexible, contrary, always spouting opinions” (67).