Some Sensitivity

I have stated in other posts in this blog that I had bowel resection surgery to remove a malignant growth from my colon. I was fortunate that the growth was contained and no further treatment was required. Still I now fall into the category of a cancer survivor. Just like Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow, however their outcomes are somewhat dimmer than mine.

I worry, it is apparently a problem all cancer survivors have, that is will it return? In the case of Elizabeth Edwards it sounds like she may survive for many years. I have a sister who's uterine cancer is considered treatable not curable. This spring it is 6 1/2 years since diagnosis. She did have the cancer reoccur but it was treated and now she is about two years cancer free. She lives life fully and her personality is a vibrant as ever, but still she admits to the fear of recurrence.

My point is Tony Snow, President Bush's Press Secretary, has had his colon cancer spread. A small tumor was removed from his abdomen, but it was found his liver is involved. It was not a day and I read in a CNN article that a cancer specialist stated that the type of involvement Snow has results in a fatality 90 - 95% of the time.

How would you like to have your life expectancy debated in the press. I don't know how Mr. Snow will handle his prognosis, I know I would be devastated. You need to come grips with this kind of news. I would want to do it in private not on Page 1.

I have thought about the media and how it jumped on both Edwards and Snow. Who wants to be a public figure when you life expectancy becomes a debatable commentary in America's media mill. Each day I walk around, grateful yet at times fearful. I am still coming to grips with the realization that I should just get on with life and live it as fully as I want. I cannot imagine what is going through Mr. Snow's mind, especially to see in the media already chalk him up as a statistic. Leave people a shred of privacy, or have some sensitivity.

You have to have the ability to hope!