So I sit here at a table in one of the MANY waiting rooms in MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX tonight. If you haven't heard my mother, Pat, was diaognosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. We made the decision very quickly to bring her treatment here in the world renown cancer center. I am just in sheer amazement as to just how huge of a problem cancer really is. I know right now I sound extremely niave but honestly it has only been in the last couple of years that I've really just began to see what is going on in the world of cancer. I believe that my biggest concern with it, as of right now, is just how passe' it has become. I can't even begin to know how many billions of dollars a year are put in to cancer research. Even as I sit here my mom has signed up to be part of a 'clinical trial'. But here is where it gets puzzling to me. Say they found a cure.....well.........not a cure per say but the cause.
(I am putting my hypothesis out there that it isn't just one thing but a huge combination of things that we are doing that is causing this massive epidemic in our world.)
Never the less let's just say that the Dr's found the cause.........and for discussions sake let's say that the cause of cancer (which I DO NOT THINK IT IS, just this anyway) was the use of cell phones. Let's say that due to the explosion in the use of cell phones in the last 20 years that the magnetic fields (which I am just sure really exist but have always heard about) are the cause of cancer. My question then is this............."Would we change?"
Again, I don't think that cell phones are the cause of cancer nor do I base ANY of this off of medical research, though it wouldn't surprise me if they were linked in some fashion at some point. But seriously.....would we change? Would we go "MY GOD, what are we doing?" and then get rid of cell phones all together in one fail swoop?
I don't think we would. I guess that the epidemic we call cancer is a collection of MANY things that we do that we are unwilling to do without. Cars for instance. I don't think we would give up our cars to save lives, even millions of lives a year. I don't see us doing that. *sidenote: yet we complain about a few thousand that die defending our country* I belive that as a society especially in the United States that we sacfifice millions of lives yearly for convience, our lusts, and mostly money!! I am truly sickened with how much we pour into curing a certain disease while trying to dance around KNOWN major contributors to it (i.e. smoking, air pollution, nuclear energy, etc, etc, etc). What the hell is wrong with us? We are so hooked on these things that I really have no faith in the human race to do the right thing when it comes down to it. I really want to add more to this later but my mother is out of her tests and we have been here for almost 14 hrs today, Please coment and let's discuss!!
8 comments
I wanted to second what Kelly said. YOu momis a wonderful lady adn she is in my families prayers.
I don't know if we woudl change our ways. It hink we allhave the attitude of "It won't Happen to Me". I think until we had it hit colose we woulnd't see it as so much of a big deal.
I agree with everything that has been said. The consumption of money into our everyday lives has all of us engulfed in senseless possessions. From experience, I just think it is one group continuously trying to out do/buy/be(what ever the case)better than another group of people.
On another note, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. She is a wonderful woman who blesses many lives. I'm sorry I didn't know you were in Houston, we were there over the weekend,or I would have visited. Please keep us updated on her progress.
Yeah, i'm with you. I am sick of people complaining about the things that they can't help but when they have an opportunity to change the lives of many, they are too comfortable not too. As for the whole cure for cancer thing I worry that with how corrupt things seem to be, if they did find a cure would they let us know right away or would they soak in the profits alittle longer. I have been very upset with how the government has been working latley. I don't think that we would change either and our government that should be pushing us to do these things is doing a lot of nothing (it seems. Maybe i am wrong)
Jason, I am sorry to hear about your mothers illness. Both myself, and my mother send you prayers, thoughts and best wishes for her continued treatment. In reference to the points you made I agree, I think as a society in general we have become more accustomed to treating the symptoms as it were instead of treating the real issues. We have become complacent in this. Definately more research is needed, and more money to fund such research, only then will we find a cure. All of us need to see that our actions shape the world around us, both in large and small ways. Only then do I think we will change what our future will surely become. With that said, I know your mom is at one of the best cancer hospitals in the world and they will do anything and everything they can to help her.
Jason
Sorry to hear about your Mom. She is an awesome lady!
Your family will be in our prayers.
Lou
I am saddened by how little faith we have in the systems that are currently in place. It seems like everyone so far is in agreement that big name pharmaceuticals are making big profits on treating people. This is undeniable. What is also undeniable is that those treatments are saving lives, and in instances where the life cannot be saved, they are making the quality of life better. And since those companies are in fact companies, they have a right to earn profits and should not be chastised simply because of finacial gains (more on that later). As far as treatment and quality of life, we in the health care profession do our hardest to accomodate these goals and it is in our highest interests to treat the diagnosis of the patient, not just the symptoms (read that last bit as if it were underlined). In some cases, it is prudent to simply treat the symptoms on account that the treatment might do more damage to the patient (i.e. some terminal cancer) or there just isn't a cure (i.e. herpes). Also, you might want to consider that a drug, on average, goes through about twenty years of trials before it is made available to public and even then it is under heavy scrutiny. So those miracle drugs that are coming out now are because of research, money, time, and compassion invested by drug companies while we were kids. Please don't claim things like "no one went out of their way to warn people of [smoking and cancer's] effects until it was too late and profiting a LOT of people." The bottom line is that you don't know what was being done at the time of these epidemic onsets. And you can rest assured that the drugs and treatments that will come for these epidemics are subsequent from the research that took place while these onsets manifested. All in all, treatments and medications serve and will continue to serve a purpose that is patient focused and that purpose is being met.
That which I find hard to believe doesn't lie within our government or corporations or capitalism. It lies within those who venture far enough to cry against those entities without proper knowledge about those entities. I wonder how many people complain about pharmaceuticals and accuse them of profiting off of peoples' illness without actually researching what is being done by those drug companies. It is permissable to have an opinion like the ones that have been stated, but it is unacceptable to state those opinions if you are indeed ignorant on the issue. If you accuse drug companies of wrong doings or short comings, then you better be able to cite those wrong doings and show that you really know what you are talking about, otherwise your opinion loses all validity, and I'll think that you are the kind of person that just talks out of your ass. Likewise with the government. If you state that the government is dropping the ball, than you had better have been watching C-SPAN, or clicking on the Politics and Law links on CNN.com or some reputable source that backs up your claim. Otherwise, understand that it is ok to simply hold your tounge until you can find evidence to support your claim. I don't know why the majority of people are quicker to accuse conspiracy and greed rather than to take time and educate themselves on what the truth may be. Maybe they are lazy and just want something to harp on. Permissable but unacceptable. Please people, don't place yourselves in this catagory.
As your mom, I am indeed thankful and grateful for the drug companies and their efforts to lessen my suffering and they have. As a society, we often want to find blame in others. My lifestyle did not prohibit but perhaps contributed to my cancer. I do not think it is an act of God, although I believe God is using me everyday in this situation.
My cancer is a result of specific cells running rampant in my body. Research has come a long way and I am grateful to benefit from that research and the drugs that are being administered. I am doing very well, even though I realize the drugs pumped into my body each week are a true poison. My hair has disappeared and my skin has thinned a little, but for the most part I am side-effect free. This in and of itself is a major miracle. I say miracle because I believe in miracles. Do I think God will or has provided a miracle in my life? You bet! I am in a world renown cancer facility receiving the best possible treatment by a bevy of learned doctors, nurses, technicians and even housekeeping staff. I don't forget the people who empty the trash and clean the hospital room where I receive my treatments because they keep me disease free in my state of lowered immunity.
As you know, I am a smoker and believe the tobacco companies share a responsibility in my addiction, but not the total responsibility. I am enrolled in a smoking cessation clinic and will have my first meeting on Tuesday, June 26. Please pray for me to be able to kick the habit. Big tobacco is paying for this and it is not costing me a dime.
Our system isn't perfect because we are not perfect. We are falable individuals each with our own agenda. I say we make the Lord our agenda and allow Him to work through us in the society in which we live. He is working continuously in my life and my healing process. Most of all, I know whatever the outcome of my cancer treatment, whether I live one more year or 30 more years, in the end, I will live with my Savior in heaven and that's what really counts. Whoever I can take with me on my way is what counts the most. “How many are you taking with you,” is my question.
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