Good News for Applegate

Great news! Christina Applegate has been pronounced cancer-free after undergoing a double mastectomy. Wow.

I have read a lot about mastectomies and other breast cancer treatments, between Bathsheba's Breast and The Secret History of the War on Cancer (which I am slowly but surely plowing through, I promise!). Needless to say, the various surgeries have come a long way, as has a woman's right and ability to choose how far to go with her treatment. Applegate's mother is a long-term breast cancer survivor who had a recurrence many years after having a single mastectomy. So Applegate's attitude was to take no chances on a recurrence. As she says, "I just wanted to kind of be rid of this whole thing for me. This was the choice that I made, and it was a tough one."

I applaud Applegate's proactive approach to her treatment and I am thrilled that the outcome is freedom from cancer. She also says she will start raising money for cancer research (catch her appearance on SU2C!), MRIs (the test that saved her life), and gene testing (she has the breast cancer gene, BRCA1).

Perhaps best of all, Applegate is raising awareness about breast cancer and cancer in general by speaking out. The breast cancer movement has been able to move into mainstream consciousness thanks to fearless women like Applegate, who will talk about their breast cancer candidly and publicly. I hope survivors of other cancers that still have stigmas attached to them (HELLO! Aren't butts just as cute as breasts? Come on, colon cancer survivors! Put the word out there!) will follow the example of these incredible women.

Share your thoughts about Applegate's cancer journey in the comment section!

To read the complete ABC News article and watch the video of Applegate's interview, click here.

Open Letter: Is It Appropriate?

Breast cancer survivor Suzanne Somers has written an open letter to Christina Applegate, published on People.com. I'm a little dubious about this, as "Thighmaster" Somers clearly likes media attention... but she's a cancer survivor, she's been married for 31 years, and she has built a multi-million dollar empire in addition to her decades-long career as a television actress, so I suppose I can't knock her too badly. Plus, there are some good, positive thoughts here:

Dear Christina,

Cancer is scary, and lonely. You can't ask anyone to make decisions for you because it's just too heavy. There is a lot of 'rush to treatment,' when what you really need is time to research and think about how you want to approach this. Take your time Christina, there is no rush. Take your time and think it through. Use your cancer to learn and grow and as a force to work for you. You might choose to take an alternative approach. There are more options than the ones presented to you in the oncologist's office. You will make it. The success and drive you have had in your career will be the same strengths you will use to win over this nasty disease. And I am here if you want to talk to someone who was 'there.'

Sincerely,
Suzanne Somers

A nice gesture, I guess. But is this really appropriate, or is it just to get a little press? I am going to choose to believe that it's a kind, genuine gesture meant to give support from a breast cancer survivor to a newly diagnosed patient. Perhaps this letter will give hope to others as well. So... okay.

Now back to the Olympics!

It's Never Too Early to Advocate, Apparently

Uy. It's way too early here to be awake and functioning, especially for those of us who are currently funemployed (read: taking a hiatus from work and not back in school quite yet). Alas, I was woken up at 7:30 this morning by the recycling truck, of all things. Only in this quaint lil' ol' country would the garbage men be up and at 'em by dawn. Uy yuy yuy.

But anyway, once I failed at my attempt to sleep in, the www came calling, and I stumbled upon a really great blog: Cancer is Boring, written by Brad O'Brien, a lymphoma survivor (multiple times over) in San Francisco. I love his candid, open, fearless attitude. Brad exemplifies survivorship and advocacy. I hope you will take a moment to check out his blog! I know I will keep reading.

Even though Brad and I don't know each other, we have one thing in common - we were both invited by Tara Settembre, a PR gal and cancer survivor herself, to send photos showing why we stand up against cancer. The photos will be used in a montage on the September 5 airing of Stand Up To Cancer. I will post my photos closer to the air date, so you can keep your eyes peeled for me...

Meanwhile, check out Tara's fabulous blog. She has quite the life out in LA!

I have added both Brad's and Tara's blogs to my new blogroll. If you know of any other great blogs by cancer survivors and advocates, please let me know!

Cancer Quote Fri - uh, Saturday!

Ok, so it's not Friday, but it is in the early morning hours of Saturday here in London - and the very wee hours in the States - so here goes.

I just uploaded my photos from my recent trip to the Midwest, and couldn't wait to share this quote from the Richard & Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Plaza in Chicago. It is on the first of a series of bronze plaques that surround the plaza entrance.



The plaque reads:

"Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells. It is the most feared disease in America, because it is not understood, even though it is not the largest killer. If we understood cancer, we would not be as afraid of it. It is estimated that the average individual has a wildly dividing cell six times a day. The immune system recognizes this, kills it, and we never know the difference. When the immune system lets down, even temporarily, and these dividing cells get established to the point that the immune system cannot control them, we have cancer."

Upon further Googling, it turns out that Richard and Annette Bloch have named a number of these cancer survivor parks all over the USA. Richard Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block, was a lung cancer survivor (!!!) who died of heart failure in 2004 at the age of 78. After being declared cancer free, he and his wife Annette dedicated their lives to helping people with cancer. The R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation website has some good information; a free e-book for cancer supporters; links to cancer articles and programs; and more. This is an incredibly positive site, clearly reflecting the attitude of its founder.

Ooh, heartwarming stuff! I love it! A great way to start a weekend.

Couric, Curds and Cancer

I was working out in the dinky, musty gym at my mom's apartment complex this morning - much-needed exercise considering the fact that spending time here in the land of cheese curds and bratwurst does not exactly do wonders for my diet - with an old guy on a stationary bike who was watching "The View" on the gym's lone television. Lo and behold, Katie Couric was the first guest! She was there to talk about Stand Up To Cancer. Hooray!

Okay so I just have to say, first and foremost, that it was so great to see Katie on morning television again. As much as I want her to succeed on the CBS Evening News, because she is truly trying to break a barrier being a female anchor in that time slot and I respect that, she really belongs on morning television. Sigh. Well anyway -

Okay I also have to admit that I only caught her about mid-way through her interview, so I didn't get to hear the whole thing but I'm sure it will be posted on YouTube or the SU2C website later today. But anyway -

It just made me happy. Katie talked about the Constellation campaign, where you can name a star for a cancer survivor for just $1. She talked about some other aspects of the program that weren't news to me, but I was delighted to see her this morning.

What is news? In case you haven't heard, there is a stellar line-up being formed for the TV special. In addition to co-hosts Katie Couric, Charles Gibson and Brian Williams, there will be a ton of other great celebs in attendance. Check it: Casey Affleck, Dana Delany, America Ferrera, Danica Patrick, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Sally Field, Christina Ricci, Goran Visnjic, Christina Applegate, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Forest Whitaker, Kirsten Dunst, Neil Patrick Harris, Homer and Marge Simpson (love that they are included in the press release!), Josh Brolin, Salma Hayek, David Cook (whose brother is battling brain cancer), Elle Fanning, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, Jon Favreau, Masi Oka, and Hilary Swank. Phew! The line-up also includes celebrity cancer survivors Fran Drescher, Robin Roberts, Lance Armstrong, and Elizabeth Edwards.

I'm sure they will have many more celebrities join these ranks, and I can't wait to see this list continue to grow.

Good stuff all around! Now back to my cheese curds...

The Doctor Factor Indeed

There is one more article from the June 23 issue of Newsweek that I have to write about, as it strikes a chord with me and I know it would strike a similar chord with many of the cancer survivors with whom I have worked as an advocate. The Doctor Factor is an important article that raises the issue of compassionate care.

I will say right now that I never met my stepdad John's oncologist. From the way John and my mom would describe this guy, he was big, gruff, and all business. I don’t think he was particularly offensive, but he did not exactly ooze bedside manner either. I'm sure he treated John as best he could, though the more I learn about chemo cocktails and New York's more prominent oncologists (who treated many of my colon cancer survivor friends), the more I feel like this guy was just not invested in John's treatment. Though, to give the oncologist the benefit of the doubt, John's cancer might have been so advanced there was really not much that could have been done beyond extending his life the 20 months that his generic chemo did. We never asked what stage he was - John made that choice and we had to support him in it. So, there's a lot I will never know.

What I do know is that many of my survivor friends went to the same handful of doctors, and have great relationships with them. I have never met a survivor who has heard of John’s oncologist. I have met some of these other doctors and they are absolutely wonderful people. Newsweek profiles a few more fabulous-sounding doctors, from D.C., New York and Boston. The article discusses the importance of genuine doctor-patient bonding, and how these relationships enrich the treatment experience for both parties. Compassionate doctors motivate patients to fight harder. Compassionate doctors don't spout pessimistic statistics. Being a compassionate doctor prevents burnout.

So why do so many doctors lack the very bedside manner that never fails to positively contribute to their patients' journey?

I can't imagine what being an oncologist is like, and I could never do it. But, trying to put myself in that position to answer my own questions, I suppose it's easier to not engage. I mean, how many patients do these doctors have, with how many different cancers, at how many stages? How can you possibly invest personally in everyone?

But how can you not? When I was the coordinator of the NYC chapter of the Colon Cancer Alliance, there were nights when I would come home from running a volunteer meeting and just cry my eyes out. The stories that came out of this one group of people were so surreal, so overwhelming. Stories of miracle responses to chemo, dozens of surgeries, fighting insurance companies. Stories of survival. Stories that bring goosebumps to my arms as I type - because I knew these people. I wanted to know them, wanted to befriend them, wanted to connect with them. And these connections have enriched my life more than anything.

This post is not a tsk tsk to oncologists who lack social skills or choose not to use them with their patients. Everyone handles tough life stuff differently, and the fact that there are people out there who choose to devote their lives to treating cancer patients is miraculous in itself. But I'm glad that Newsweek is making a point that compassionate care does make a difference. Because it does.

SUTV

Ok so I have been poring over the Stand Up To Cancer website and I am loving every bit of it! It has been a long time since a cancer initiative has gotten me so riled up.

There are some fabulous clips, both serious and not-so-serious, in the SUTV section of the website.

So far my faves are the PSA and the Daily Show cast. A to the Mazing.

And I will freely admit that I think part of why I am so excited by SU2C (their clever little acronym) is that so many celebrities are involved - I love the combination of celebs and non-celebs in the PSA, for example. On the one hand, this initiative combines my two passions: cancer and pop culture. But on the more serious other hand, celebrities have incredible power to do good, and it truly warms my heart to see everyone from Tobey Maguire to Susan Sarandon to Lance Armstrong rallying for SU2C.

My fellow colon cancer advocate friends and I would always lament, somewhat morbidly I admit, that no hot, young celebrity has survived colon cancer. There are plenty of young people diagnosed every year, unfortunately. And there are plenty of celebrities who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer (Carmen Marc Valvo, Joel Siegel, Farah Fawcett) too. But colon cancer does not have its Lance Armstrong or its Sheryl Crow or Cynthia Nixon.

So if colon cancer must continue to wait for the celebsurvivor who can take the cause into mainstream pop culture and make it a little more fabulous, at least plenty of celebrities have stepped up - sorry, stood up - for cancer through this amazing initiative.

As Tesco, a supermarket chain here in the UK, has as its motto, "Every little helps."

[Which I always think is missing a "bit"... but whatev. It gets the point across.]

Dry eyes and feeling inspired by "Take One Step - A Conversation About Cancer"

Phew. Made it through this one without emptying another box of tissues. "Take One Step - A Conversation About Cancer" is a half-hour panel discussion tacked onto the PBS special "The Truth About Cancer." Hosted by Linda Ellerbee (who is totally fab and a breast cancer survivor), the discussion features four doctors, three of whom are oncologists, all of whom are also cancer survivors. Linda led a Q&A that was insightful and uplifting, and made me wish that one of these guys had been John's oncologist (who, instead, was a burly dude with no bedside manner or inkling of empathy).

A couple of points really stood out to me, and I know I will be trying to keep these things in mind as I continue my reading and research and the introspection that comes along with it. First, Ellerbee and Dr. Paul Brenner talked about how cancer is ennobling. How cancer shows the "nobility of what it is to be human." It's still a crappy and horrific disease... but it brings out the best in people. It boils life down to its bare essentials and its true priorities. I think the term "ennobling" hits the nail on the head - it captures in one word what I was trying to describe at the end of my post yesterday. And it's so true.

The other most wonderful part of this program came right at the end, when Ellerbee asked the panelists, "How do you restore hope to those who have lost it?" Dr. Brenner replied that he believes in the power of visualization, that he asks patients to write down their life stories, to make a video, to write letters to people they love, to "finish unfinished business."

Then he said, "I ask them to see themselves in health and stay in the present. I ask them to really look at their life because the only thing that really counts in the whole journey through life is love."

Word.

Ellerbee went on to conclude, "Cancer is a part of our past, it is a part of our present because we choose to speak about it and for the same reason will be a part of our future but it is not who we are. Cancer is not who anybody is."

And that's true too. For the first few months after John died, all I could think about, and see in my head, was his diseased, ailing body as it broke down more and more each day until, finally, the cancer won. I was both fascinated, on a very primitive level, and horrified, and overflowing with grief as these thoughts of his decline consumed me. I still think about it from time to time, because witnessing the total breakdown of a human body is just such an odd thing - on the one hand, it's one of the most natural processes in the world (as Dr. Brenner said on the show, "We are all born terminal."); but one the other hand, it is, thankfully, not something you see every day. Now, though, for the most part, when I think about John, it's the pre-cancer memories that are foremost in my mind. Because cancer was just one small part of John's life - granted, it's what ended his life, but the disease in no way defined him. Cancer was just a roll of the dice.