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”

Knowledge Heals – Ignorance Destroys

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 “Knowledge Heals — Ignorance Destroys”

Patient Responsibility

In discussing the idea of mandatory second opinions for newly diagnosed cancer patients (www.blastcancer.org) a cancer support organization came to the conclusion that the patient must be responsible for his/her own body in lieu of another Federal or state regulation. That’s only logical. If I don’t care that much about my life, why should anyone else? We all hate regulations Continue reading “Patient Responsibility”