Steve Jobs: The Creative Genius and his Health Struggles

Steve Jobs, the American genius who created a whole new world of technology, died Wednesday.

In 2004, Jobs announced to his employees that he had a successful operation in removing a tumor on his pancreas. Though a prognosis of pancreatic cancer is always grave, he insisted his disease was treatable.

"I will not require any chemotherapy or radiation treatments." said Jobs. "The far more common form of pancreatic cancer… is currently not curable and usually carries a life expectancy of about one year. I mention this because when one hears 'pancreatic cancer' (or Googles it) one immediately encounters this far more common and deadly form, which, thank God, is not what I had."

Two years later, many were startled by Jobs' gaunt appearence at the Apple Computer Worldwide Developers Conference, which renewed speculation of serious illness. "Is he sick, simply grooming others for leadership, or both?" says Leander Kahney from Wired. "He looks very thin, almost gaunt." But Apple denied all the spreading rumors.

Evidence accumulated over the years. A controversial piece in Fortune magazine asserted that Jobs hid his cancer for nine months before informing anyone outside of intimate circles. Upon receiving a new diagnosis, it was claimed, he had no surgery to remove or treat the tumor. Jobs didn’t react to the article.

In December 2008, Jobs announced that he would not give the keynote address at the 2009 Macworld Conference and Expo. The announcement revived the spreading rumors about his health.

Jobs announced a six-month leave of absence. In early January 2009, he told his employees he was being treated for a hormonal imbalance but claimed that this won’t stop him from being the company’s leader. But his condition made him change his decisions. "My health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought," he said.

After Job's liver transplant that year, spokesman Steve Dowling said: "Steve continues to look forward to returning to Apple at the end of June, and there is nothing further to say."

No news related to Jobs' health was heard until January 2011, when Apple announced he would again take a leave of absence. "I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy." said Jobs to his employees. But he was still able to attend Apple events, including the launch of the iPad 2 on March 2.

His leave turned into his final resignation as Apple CEO on Aug. 24. "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come." Jobs told his employees.

The end came Wednesday. Jobs was indeed a tough warrior, fighting his illness alone without asking anyone to save him. But sad to say, his battle is over. Steve Jobs, the American genius, will always be remembered.