We sat together in the waiting room at the oncology center and we were both amazed at the numbers of people coming in to be treated for cancer. We’ve commented on this to each other before after reading the church bulletins – that it seems like a lot of people have cancer. We personally know several dozen cancer fighters and cancer survivors.
I think it musta usta have been worse when they told you “you’ve got cancer.” Before they had drugs to treat the stuff. Back then it was like, “well, how long do I have left?” Before that, I guess, people just died and nobody knew it was cancer.
Now? It’s all about chemical therapy and beating the cancer, working toward “cancer free,” or, in the case of multiple myeloma, “managing” the cancer.
Multiple myeloma is one of the tough cancers. A genre of the stuff which resists going away. Still, the doc is optimistic. She’s got a lot of patients, she says, who are years past the discovery and who are managing quite well. The drugs available today are better than the drugs of yesterday, and new drugs are emerging and being tested even today.
The drugs are good. The drugs are potent. For the time being we still have health insurance. There’s no need to despair.
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George, thanks for posting this blog and sharing your thoughts. It is helpful to know what is going on, and also intriguing to hear what goes on in the mind and heart of husband whose wife has cancer. Thanks for your honesty and vulnerability. With love and prayers, James Bergen
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, George and girls,
ReplyDeleteWas so excited when I received your "newsy" (to say the least!) Christmas letter. Then, to actually read what this year has thrown at you all...A huge CURVE ball, to say the least. I'm just now getting "up to speed" by reading every blog in the order in which you wrote them. KUDOS to you, George for being brave, courageous and bold and sharing your dramatic insights with all of us.
As far as taking those powerful drugs...I like to call it "better living through chemistry"! With loving healthy new year HUGS, Barbara Ann Powell (Sue's cousin living in Temecula)