Who is, Alex Trebek?

And now, here is the host of Jeopardy...Alex Trebek!

‘It’s 7 o’clock, you girls are not going to watch Jeopardy?’ ‘We’re taping it to watch later mom, it’s not like the old days where you need to watch it right away or else you’ll miss it’.

Like many Americans, Jeopardy was a staple in my household, one of the few things my brother and sisters and I could agree on. Despite our age differences and interests, we loved sitting on the living room couch, watching Alex Trebek quiz contestants on their general knowledge. Even though he had the answers on his card, we knew he was smart and he always had something funny to say.

You are in Jeopardy

When he shared his stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis with the world on March 6, 2019, my heart dropped. I’ll never forget where I was -- in my hospitality bed, 2 months away from my own stage four lung cancer diagnosis with doctors still trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I thought, oh no, pancreatic cancer has one of the worse prognosis and he’s stage four. In a Public Service Announcement, Alex said: “I wished I had known sooner that the persistent stomach pain I experienced before my diagnosis was a symptom of pancreatic cancer.” He went on to list common symptoms of pancreatic cancer which include “mid-back pain, unexplained weight loss, and the yellowing of the skin or eyes.”

I soon began thinking, what if this debilitating cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, insomnia, weight loss, bloody nose, and muscle pain is actually lung cancer? But I quickly dismissed the possibility since doctors kept assuring me I hadn’t met the risk factors for lung cancer. If only they had been right. Turns out just having lungs is enough of a ‘risk factor’ to contract the disease.

'God is not done with you here on Earth yet'

As grim as his prognosis was, Alex Trebek was steadfast in his determination to beat the odds, even joking that he was contractually obligated to stay alive for at least 3 years.

My mom and I share a guilty pleasure -- our love of celebrity gossip. She has an uncanny ability to remember the birthdays of her favorite celebrities. Alex Trebek’s birthday was July 22, 1940. She phoned me the day he passed and neither one of us wanted to be the first one to say it. Finally, I asked ‘did you hear the news?’ ‘Yes’, she said. 'But don’t get scared. God is not done with you here on Earth yet. Everyone’s journey is different and you’re just in the middle of yours’. ‘I know’, I reply, ‘but it’s still sad and feels scary’.

Are we in Jeopardy?

Sadly, this has become our ‘celebrity succumbing to cancer script’. So far we’ve used it for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chadwick Bozeman, Kelly Preston, Eddie Van Halen, and Kobe Bryant (though he was an example of how we never know when it’s our time to go).

I know we’ll have to keep the script nearby since the World Health Organization (WHO) states that cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The Who projects that ‘by 2030 between 10 and 11 million cancers will be diagnosed each year in low- and middle-income countries’. As sobering as the statistics are, our job is to educate ourselves about the risk factors and find resources to help us cope should or a loved one find ourselves dealing with a diagnosis.

This TV game show host brought families together and made us feel smart even if it was just for 30 minutes on weekdays.

Who is, Alex Trebek?

Editor’s Note: We are extremely saddened to say that on May 26, 2021, Angie Brice Hessbruegge passed away. Angie's thoughtful writings and advocacy efforts will continue to reach many. She will be deeply missed.