A Very Narrow Line

What does a physician tell a newly diagnosed cancer patient? That is a vital question and paramount in the mind of every physician as cancer is diagnosed or treatment or lack thereof is recommended. If the physician is overly pessimistic or in some cases brutally frank without optimism, the life of the patient is ruined and the chances of recovery is eliminated if there is any truth to the belief that the patient’s attitude has a bearing on their recovery. If the physician is overly optimistic, the patient will not be prepared for an adverse outcome and will not put forth the necessary energy to help Continue reading “A Very Narrow Line”

Beware of Terminal Prognosis

Something new is happening and it is bad! I previously believed that when a physician told a newly diagnosed cancer patient they were terminal, the physician was unaware of what was available to treat that specific disease or was trying to protect their ego by forecasting the worst in which case there was no downside. If the patient fulfilled the prophecy, the physician was right and if the patient got well, they were the hero, accomplishing the impossible. Continue reading “Beware of Terminal Prognosis”

Ten Commandments to Fight Cancer

  1. Recognize you have a life threatening disease.
    Facing the truth is a necessary ingredient to starting on the road to successfully fighting it. The fact that it is not as bad as you imagined it would be, that you feel too good, or whatever, do not deny it. That would get in your way. Never look back. Apply all your energies to conquering it.
  2. Make a commitment to do everything in your power to fight.
    The most difficult single decision you will have to make is Continue reading “Ten Commandments to Fight Cancer”