You see, Ben is the kind of person whose energy makes a room brighter. Gregarious, warm, and full of humor, he has spent much of his life using his hands to build and create, whether through carpentry, playing harmonica, artwork made from reclaimed fencing, or even helping to construct a food trailer. Just as importantly, he has always shown up for the people around him. Even now, while facing pancreatic cancer, he continues to find ways to contribute, support others, and put love into action.
How It Began
A little over two years ago, in August, Ben noticed subtle changes. He was slowing down, maybe age, maybe working hard, nothing that immediately signaled danger. But when his skin began to itch more than a bite would and his urine turned orange, he trusted his instincts that something might be wrong and Google said it could be jaundice. So he called his doctor who insisted he get a blood test right away. He was helping to unload a trailer of fence boards when his wife came out and said the doctor was on the phone with the test results. They wanted him to go immediately to the emergency room and get a CT scan. The blood test revealed his liver was in distress, and the CT scan soon uncovered the culprit: a tumor on the pancreas was blocking his bile duct and causing jaundice. That urgent symptom turned out to be a blessing, it helped doctors find the cancer earlier (Stage 2) than most pancreatic diagnoses.
Treatment and Fight Forward
His numbers were extremely high and treatment couldn’t wait. Ben began aggressive chemotherapy right away. After months of treatment that successfully shrunk the tumor (by 66%), he was able to undergo a complex Whipple procedure, a surgery so intricate it can last 12 hours. Ben made it through in under six. His surgeon removed most of his pancreas and 11 lymph nodes, three of which tested positive for cancer cells. The surgery was textbook and he did well. After 1 more chemo treatment he felt good and started to rally. He got a couple projects done and started to get back into doing his artwork for the holidays. Even in the most sobering moments, Ben kept a sense of humor. Once showing up to his cancer doctor wearing a rock-star wig just to lighten the mood.
Then, last year, pain returned. Scans revealed metastasis to his liver. More chemo followed over 20 rounds, stronger and harsher than before. This time it took his hair, robbed his energy, and brought constant pain, and he kept going. That’s because it’s who he is.
A Pragmatic Hope
When Ben first learned he had pancreatic cancer — one of the most aggressive and unforgiving forms — he did what any curious, level-headed thinker would do: he opened Google. First he searched how many people die each year from cancer in the United States. The number was sobering: around 600,000 lives lost annually. But then he asked the better question, “How many survive?”
The answer – about 18 million survivors. This grounded him in something real: hope backed by numbers. He even did the math. That meant for every person who doesn’t make it, there are twenty-six others who do. That perspective didn’t erase the fear. But it helped him step into treatment with courage and logic guiding him, not giving into the despair.
Where He Is Now
Recently, Ben spent Thanksgiving in the hospital with pneumonia. The chemo has become harder to tolerate, the exhaustion, the pain, the narrowing sliver of quality time. He meets with doctors this week (December 2025) to decide the best path forward: continuing treatment, or transitioning to palliative care to protect the life he still has strength to live. He doesn’t fear stepping back from chemo. He fears missing precious moments with his wife, Carol, who has stood faithfully at his side.
Ben calls himself a “bootstrap guy.” He is used to being strong, capable, self-reliant. But what he wants most now is time — the kind that feels meaningful. Time to breathe without pain. Time to enjoy the outdoors he loves. Time to be with the people who mean everything. He is 69 years of age and has more ideas in his mind he’d like to create.
What He Hopes For
Ben’s goal is simple and courageous: to savor whatever time he has left with as much quality as possible. Along the way, he hopes his story reminds others to listen to their bodies and seek help early, because early detection gave him two additional years of connection, creativity, and contribution. Two years of moments that mattered.
You can listen to his music here…
*Bandcamp: https://MusicHealsCorvallis.bandcamp.com
* Follow Ben Small on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/album/72Cq8SSbSYGZQnvxHNGNPS