Great point, Robin, and thanks so much for making it. As a cancer survivor myself, I know that stats -- as well as horror stories -- are not only non-predictors but also hope-busters.
I look forward to reading your golf-playing friend's post.
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Posted: Mar 23, 07 9:13am Most of the commentary on Mrs. Edwards' announcement of her cancer recurrence has been the kind of armchair psychoanalys...  Posted: Mar 23, 07 9:23amMost of the commentary on Mrs. Edwards' announcement of her cancer recurrence has been the kind of armchair psychoanalys... Robin, This is encouraging to read and a terrific reminder. I have to admit, when I read through the accountings today....I felt like the Edwards campaign might be trying to put a positive spin on why he is staying in the race. But listening to you and Lori makes me think that's not the case. None of us knows what could happen to us next week. So if doctors are saying Mrs. Edwards has a hopeful prognosis for keeping her cancer in check, why shouldn't the Edwards live their lives to the fullest. So I say: RUN to both of them. Posted: Mar 23, 07 9:34amRobin, This is encouraging to read and a terrific reminder. I have to admit, when I read through the accountings today..... She's making an interesting choice about how to spend her time, but I wouldn't second-guess her. I guess what I learned from my brief scare is that you never know how you will behave in a particular set of circumstances. Posted: Mar 23, 07 4:13pmMost of the commentary on Mrs. Edwards' announcement of her cancer recurrence has been the kind of armchair psychoanalys... I've been really astonished by the outcry - not about Ms. Edwards and her personal health - but the man-bashing directed towards her husband. It seems like a lot of folks out there think she's been railroaded into "standing by her man" regardless of her own personal health -- and anyone who has read her autobiography will tell you that Elizabeth Edwards doesn't seem like any kind of shrinking violet. And yes, Robin, to your point every patient (and their prognosis) is different, and an unfolding story vs. a decree. From my dear Dad who is here and vital 4 years after his initial diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer that's spread to his liver (he jokes that he's OK as long as he stays one step behind the FDA in their drug approvals), to my dear friend who just celebrated her 5th year cancer-free by jumping into the mud baths naked and prosthetic-free, I'm continually thrilled and amazed that medical technology and the power of positive thinking can help cancer patients lead the lives they want for as long as they can. Posted: Mar 23, 07 5:22pmMost of the commentary on Mrs. Edwards' announcement of her cancer recurrence has been the kind of armchair psychoanalys... Hey: my oncologist said I had a year to live, Robin, based on the data, and my golf game stunk. Otherwise, you're right. We should ignore cold, hard, medical facts in order to endure, even thrive. We're not data. Yet even in 2007, being told your disease is incurable, but treatable, means just that. Bravo to Mrs. Edwards. Living is what we do, until we don't. Posted: Mar 24, 07 8:16amHey: my oncologist said I had a year to live, Robin, based on the data, and my golf game stunk. Otherwise, you're right... There is a wonderful article by a scientist named Stephen Jay Gould that you all should read. It brings out the point that there is always hope no matter how serious the situation and he has a unique way of looking at prognosis and survival. He wrote an article called: The Median Isn't the Message. It is wonderful and can be found here: http://cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html. He was diagnosed with a cancer that had a short median survival (8 months)....he lived twenty years and did not die as a result of that cancer. | ADVERTISEMENT  |
