Postby rthornton » Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:56 am
That's an interesting question. I've watched, with great interest, the news stories surrounding Ms. Edwards. In the wake of her announcement, I noticed a flurry of news stories about new approaches to treating cancer, and living with cancer. So she has breast cancer, but many of the aspects of living with cancer, that she will face (and has faced in the past), still apply to those of us with other types of cancer. She still has the uncertainty about her future health, and treatment decisions to make, etc. Being such a high-profile person, maybe her struggle with cancer can have some impact on future policy and funding for cancer research.
As for relating to people with other types of cancer, other stages, ages, whatever, there are many aspects of facing cancer that are the same for anyone affected. But also, I think there are specific challenges that are similar if you narrow the specifics. I can certainly better relate to a mid-30s stage IV colon cancer patient better than I can relate to a child with leukemia or an elderly person with lung cancer. I think that each case is tragic, but the challenges faced by a 10 year old child are definitely going to be different than those faced by a 70 year old patient.
I know what you mean about the ambivalent feelings at the end of your radiation treatment. It's easy to form attachments to the staff and fellow patients when you are in such a situation. If I'm ever at my hospital for a CT/PET or anything, I like to visit the nurses on the oncology floor. Anyway, congratulations on getting through the radiation treatments!
Rodney