Monday, October 15, 2007
Just when I think....
I am in a good mental space there is an article in the Seattle Times that says, "Colon rectal cancer death rates down". So, I read the article and, of course, it says, "because of prescreening tools that get to the polyps before they are cancerous..... 50 years old"....blah blah blah blah blah. Nothing about me. I am the 1%. I am the one in a million. I am that oddity. And, then, I get frustrated. My condition doesn't sell newspapers. My condition doesn't speak to the masses. I don't matter. Just get screened at 50 and you will be all right. If you have family history get checked earlier and you will be all right. Me, I always got my physicals; I always respected my heath; I always was grateful for it. Me, I got cancer. I "shouldn't" of. The numbers and history weren't there. BLAH BLAH BLAH. But, then I think, the treatment is working, I have hair, I feel better than I have in months, I will beat this, and GOD HELP THE NEWSPAPERS THEN cause they are ticking off the wrong chick who is under 50, who doesn't have family history, but who is going to be the new face of colon rectal cancer - when I am well. I will show them - and I will sell papers and they won't know what hit'em. Don't worry, I am okay - just a little ticked off, but it will pass as soon as I get hooked up and get my hot chocolate for across the street from the cancer center. Opps, Nolan is up - better go.....me
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4 comments:
Angela,
It's okay that you're mad. Mad will beat up the cancer. And, you matter.
I can see you on Oprah right now... and not just in the audience.
To borrow from Bogart in Casablanca "in all the colons and rectums in the world why did that stuff choose mine to come to?" (appologies to Ingrid Bergman). I am afraid there is no answer, there is no logic, it just is. I read an article on line that said advances in treatment are progressing so well that breakthroughs occur weekly. They have developed specific Chemo treatments for specific strains of Cancer. Maggies brother Ward has Cancer, in fact his body is heavily infected. He is already into his nth Chemo protocol and has outlived his original prognosis by over a year. As you may remember Ward was head of Cardiology at the U.W. Medical School and he is becoming something of a cancer specialist because of his own illness. Get mad and fight and when you are well you can go out and advocate for those young people like you who get the disease early in life.
Remember the story of Angela many years ago, 26 years old, there wasn't even Chemo then. Above all fight smart. Love to you and comfort to your family. pat&mag
Your post today reminds me of an afternoon about a week after you told me the news. I was working from home that day and Northwest Afternoon had some "cancer" guy on their talking about the various types of cancer and what you can do to try and detect them early. When he got to talking about colon/rectal cancer, he actually said that colon/rectal cancer is the last cancer you should ever die from because it takes so long to develop and if you get your regular colonoscopy, it will get caught early. He then went on to say that you should start going in regularly for your checks at age 50. I was so livid that he said that and started yelling at him - as if he could hear me (kind of like Emeril's smell-a-vision). I came so close to picking up the phone and calling KOMO to give them a piece of my mind.
But you will show them what's what because when all is said and done, I can envision you having a top selling book that educates the world (and hmmm... maybe that will be your appearance on Oprah).
Stay strong! We all love you lots!
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