My wife Polly and I visited the Cancer Survivors Park in Jacksonville, FL on the day before my last of 39 radiation treatments at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute. The park is on the route we took to the treatment center so we drove by it each day on the way to treatment. Continue Reading…
Very close friends of ours live in Jerusalem, Israel. He is an extremely important and well known man there. Their son was married to our daughter for many years. Several years ago he needed open heart surgery. His family recommended he go to Baltimore, New York, Boston or Cleveland. Suddenly we heard he had the surgery in Haifa. Continue Reading…
The diagnosis of cancer is possibly one of the first times an individual realizes they are mortal and they might die. They are scared, out of control and need help. One of the first sources from whom they might seek help is the clergy. Because the diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence, this is an opportunity for the clergy Continue Reading…
The diagnosis of cancer literally knocks an individual off their feet. It is probably the first time in their lives they realized they were mortal – that they might possibly die, and from what we have been brought up to believe, in the not too distant future Continue Reading…
Cancer mortality drops for the first time in history! The age adjusted cancer death rate declined from 1990 to 1995 by 3.1% from 135.0 per 100,000 population to 129.8, the lowest it has been since 25 years ago. Further, the decline is accelerating and continuing at about 2% per year. Continue Reading…
What is life? Without a decent quality of life or the prospect of one, life certainly is not worth living. Health, happiness, money, friends, family and numerous other aspects all go into making up quality of life, but the overall feeling is far more important than any single factor. For cancer patients, one component that often totally destroys quality of life is the fear of death. Continue Reading…
The will to live is in itself an energy. It is a desire to fight for life because there is honestly something to live for. The shock and uncertainty of diagnosis cause many people to lose this and suspend living for a few weeks. The will to live will be stronger in patients who find their lives enjoyable and who have things in their lives they honestly look forward to. Continue Reading…
Being diagnosed with cancer is the most traumatic event that can happen to an individual. Someone who has not been there cannot possibly appreciate the gravity of this event. Normally, the diagnosis comes from a visit to a physician for a supposedly innocuous illness while the patient feels relatively healthy. All of a sudden they are told it is malignant which conjures up a vision Continue Reading…
Cancer is a unique disease in many ways.One of them is that it affects the entire family and friends. Another is the fact that support is a vital factor in the recovery process. Therefore, this article is directed toward the family and friends of cancer patients. Continue Reading…
An individual diagnosed with cancer today has slightly better than a 50% chance of being cured. Your goal must be to swing that pendulum as far toward 100% as possible. This must be your aim regardless of the statistics for your particular type of cancer. Continue Reading…