Support for LateToSchool

[ADad]

<p>

The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit.</p>

<p>–Mark Twain

</p>

<p>. .</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>Somemom, I feel like a bobblehead!!! And I look simply horrible. I spoke to the five year survivor tonight and he told me two to four weeks before the swelling goes away completely. He also told me that the waist sizes of jeans in his closet range from 32 to 40, owing to purchases as a result of swelling from cancer treatment, so, I felt a little better about having gone out to buy new suits last weekend. </p>

<p>We also talked about survivorship issues; I told him that in the last coiuple of weeks, from somewhere it came into my head that I am now cancer survivor. I do not have a scan that says so, and I am probably months from being in remission, but, today marks the seventh month since diagnosis and initially I was given only weeks to live. For some reason, before, when I tried the definition “cancer survivor” on in my mind, it didn’t seem to fit, but, now it does. I cannot explain why exactly, but I am certain that the positive energy and support coming from this thread is a significant contributing factor. </p>

<p>Thank you very much to everyone who has offered support, it is sincerely appreciated.</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>

posted by latetoschool:</p>

<p>Somemom, I feel like a bobblehead!!! And I look simply horrible. I spoke to the five year survivor tonight and he told me two to four weeks before the swelling goes away completely.

</p>

<hr>

<p>Issa (1763-1828):</p>

<p>

cool and calm
deep in the thorn thicket…
blooming plum

</p>

<p>[Haiku</a> of Kobayashi Issa](<a href=“http://haikuguy.com/issa/]Haiku”>Haiku of Kobayashi Issa)</p>

[mythmom]

<p>LTS: Congratulations on making those prognoses totally irrelevant and not totally beside the point. You are charting your own course through unmapped territory and creating your own narrative. </p>

<p>And that subtle shift – yes, you are a cancer survivor. Congratulations. Will continue to pray for you.</p>

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>Just a reminder, in honor of LTS,
to vote for the lung cancer survivor to play at Pebble Beach.<a href=“https://condenast.eprize.net/golfdigestopen3/index.tbapp?method=loginbefore[/url]”>https://condenast.eprize.net/golfdigestopen3/index.tbapp?method=loginbefore&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also, good news from the Atlantic City Town Council, who finally reconsidered their position to allow smoking in the NJ casinos, even a year after NJ became smoke- free in ALL PUBLIC places EXCEPT NJ Casinos. The casino industry claimed it would seriously impact the profit margins here.</p>

<p>In a bold move, the Atlantic City Council will be voting to force all NJ Casinos to have “enclosed smoking areas”, which will not allow any gaming therefore not requiring any employees to be subjected to the second hand smoke !!
The council will vote at the next meeting.
Let’s hope they side with the employees and not the strong Casino lobbyists.</p>

<p>Hopefully, Lung Cancer awareness awakens the Atlantic City Council to do the right thing.</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>and another</p>

<p>

“Cancer and lung transplant survivor returns to work”</p>

<p>It was almost as though Jerrold Dash was returning from a distant war that left him bludgeoned, but not beaten.</p>

<p>Dash, 34, who does not smoke or drink, received new lungs during a seven-hour operation at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., in March.</p>

<p>But before he could return to his wife and two young daughters in Fort Worth, Dash was diagnosed with diabetes, a staph infection and tissue rejection that put him back in the hospital several times.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, Dash went back to work at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, where he runs software diagnostics for the joint strike fighter. He had not sat at his desk since August 2006, months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.</p>

<p>There was time for a quick group hug and a welcome from Vice President June Shrewsbury before everyone rushed back to work.</p>

<p>“I’m getting a chance to reclaim a little piece of my life,” said Dash, who worked half a day.</p>

<p>The transplant has taken a toll on Dash, who played fullback in college and is a fitness fanatic. It has restricted his exercise program to walking during his recovery. The former Winston-Salem State University athlete has lost 50 pounds since his operation.</p>

<p>Dash has taken several opportunities to advocate for organ donation since his diagnosis in February 2006. Dash was one of two male candidates in the United States with nonsmoker’s lung cancer on the transplant list at the time of his operation.</p>

<p>Members of his family’s church, the East St. Paul Baptist Church in southeast Fort Worth, plan a Jerrold Dash Day at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the church, 5300 Oak Grove Road W., to help offset medical expenses the Dash family incurred during his illness.</p>

<p>“We want to encourage people to be prayerful for Jerrold and his family, but also consider being a donor,” said the Rev. L.S. Wilson, senior pastor.</p>

<p>“I realize that someone had to make a sacrifice to give life, but isn’t that just what our Lord did?” Wilson said of organ donation. “It’s something that we need more awareness of as African-Americans.”

</p>

<p>[Cancer</a> and lung transplant survivor returns to work. | Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX) (August, 2007)](<a href=“http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32548301_ITM]Cancer”>http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32548301_ITM)</p>

[ADad]

<p>Most sincere and heartfelt congratulations on your survivalship!</p>

<p>In the immortal words of St. Paul: Keep on truckin’! </p>

<hr>

<p>Well, not exactly those words :):</p>

<p>

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…</p>

<p>Philippians 3:13-14

</p>

[kelsmom]

<p>ADad, I am not familiar with that passage. It is my new favorite. Thank you for posting it.</p>

<p>LTS, you are definitely a survivor. I will continue to keep you in my prayers, but I plan to imagine you without the bobblehead … I know you will lose it soon (the bloating, not your head!).</p>

[MaryTN]

<p>In my head, I’ve been calling LTS Long Term Survivor for a while now. :)</p>

[mominva]

<p>Very cool, MaryTN! I am about to convert to that in my brain, too :)</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>and another (this one in Sweden)</p>

<p>

“One voice, one vision needed to overcome cancer in Europe”</p>

<p>Despite improved technologies and treatments following a decade of exciting progress in cancer research, Europe is failing to meet the expectations of patient and healthcare professionals on the standard of cancer care according to the first patient programme held by Federation of European Cancer Societies at ECCO 13. The event, involving patients, healthcare professionals and politicians, found that many of these advances do not realise their potential due to diverse stakeholder agendas and no clear way to prioritise in the face of limited budgets. Europe now needs to face the situation of potentially having more technologies/treatments to offer than it can afford and subsequently needs to agree who decides where the money is spent.</p>

<p>In a step to address this issue, the Federation of European Cancer Societies is holding a three-day patient programme to debate what improvements need to be made and of these what constitutes a priority and have to ensure that the right decisions are taken. The meeting provided the opportunity for all interested parties to join together to form a common voice, and highlighted key decision making tools that can be used to improve the outlook for patients.</p>

<p>As Professor John Smyth, Director of the University of Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, UK, stated, “Our first step in addressing the issue of our overstretched healthcare system is listening to the concerns and expectations of healthcare professionals and patients. As politicians are ultimately the people who make the decision about healthcare directives, it is important that they are involved throughout the discussions so as to ensure they can make informed and educated decisions. But when it comes to deciding what priority should be given to improvements in cancer care, the public needs to be encouraged to play their part in order to provide an impartial, unbiased opinion.”</p>

<p>A Decade of Discovery or a Decade of Despair�?</p>

<p>At present there are stark inequalities in patient access to quality care cancer treatment across Europe. A recently published pan-European study highlighted these differences revealing how patients in some countries such as the UK are required to wait significantly longer for access to new life saving drugs, compared to their Austrian, Swiss and Spanish neighbours. The different European nations’ decision making processes concerning which new life-saving drugs should be made available and to whom, in addition to insufficient funds allocated to health are cited as the two main causes for this inequality.</p>

<p>Patients and healthcare professionals are demanding that this inequality is no longer left unaddressed and action is taken to bring Europe’s healthcare systems into the 21st century. Both groups have shared opinions concerning where they think the current inequality in cancer care originates and both have key concerns that they wish the local and national authorities to act upon to meet the high expectations placed upon their healthcare system.</p>

<p>Patients’ Expectations</p>

<p>Today’s modern society means that the medical world is now communicating with the informed patient. For most of Western Europe, patients’ expectations are that all healthcare should be free and immediately available and this includes the availability of all appropriate treatments. Patients want to know everything they can about their illnesses and the treatments available and demand the right for a second opinion. As quality cancer care can mean the difference between life and death, patients feel it is only right that they have a freedom of choice when it comes to how their condition is treated and managed. Participating in the ECCO 13 Patients’ Programme, Anders Jonasson, President of the Lung Cancer Organisation, Sweden and a lung cancer survivor spoke on behalf of many cancer patients across Europe when he commented, “When you are diagnosed with cancer, after the initial feeling of shock and fear subsides, you have this urgent desire to find out all you can about your condition. You become suddenly aware of your own mortality and knowing that your survival chances can potentially depend upon whether or not your local authorities can afford it is simply not good enough. It is becoming patently obvious that if something is not done about it soon, in the future your survival outlook will be largely determined not only by GDP but by your personal wealth in the event that local authorities are unable to afford the required infrastructure and access to treatment, it is up to the individual to find the money. Considering that Europe includes some of the wealthiest and leading nations in the world this is deeply worrying.”</p>

<p>Key issues for healthcare professionals</p>

<p>Physicians place a similar importance upon access to information, recognising the need for regular updates in cancer treatment care and management. This is generally available throughout Europe through evidence-based medicine, journals, meetings and continuing professional development. However, physicians’ expectations also include the facilities with which to deliver optimal cancer care, which are currently not available Europe-wide. Professionals expect to be able to communicate appropriately both with each other and their patients. Doctor-patient communication, however, is challenged both by inappropriate environments and increasing time pressures for consultation discussion. In addition, the possible future shortage of oncologists will make things even more complex.</p>

<p>This feeling was re-iterated at ECCO 13 by Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director at St Thomas’s Hospital, UK who said, “Assigning priorities to the delivery of medical care in general and, given the rapidity of scientific advances, cancer care in particular, is an enormous challenge.”</p>

<p>In the fight for better access to quality care, some of the improvements that healthcare professionals want to ensure; timely access to high quality screening and diagnostic tests, appropriate referral for specialist care, timely access to state-of-the-art services and treatment at all stages of the cancer journey and the provision of support for making informed choices.</p>

<p>Professor Richards added, “Each European nation faces the same challenges - an ageing population and the development of new healthcare technologies, with the subsequent increase in costs. All countries have to maintain a financially sustainable healthcare system whilst responding to the rising expectations of patients. To do this all those involved in designing, delivering and using these services - politicians, healthcare professionals and patients - need to share their knowledge and experience and work together.”</p>

<p>It is important to remember that if European nations invest money into healthcare in the short term, they will awarded with long term financial benefits, as better technologies and treatment care will lead to both healthier people and a larger workforce, resulting in a stronger economy.</p>

<p>The Role of the Politician</p>

<p>One of the most interesting recent developments has been the creation of ‘MEPs against Cancer (MAC) .’ This strategy to be launched shortly has been designed to provide a platform where MEPs will work on cancer-related issues and where they will meet and discuss with patients and health professionals. The campaign signifies a change in approach, highlighting how it is no longer about just pressurising politicians, but involving them in the fight for justice for cancer patients. Thanks to MAC the MEPs will initiate and stimulate debate and support the different Member States and European Commission initiatives.</p>

<p>One of the primary aims behind MAC is to send a strong political signal that immediate and concerted action is needed to reduce cancer mortality rates and improve cancer treatment outcomes. To be launched in November, MAC will be committed to serving this purpose and to promoting action on cancer as an EU priority and harnessing European health policy to that end.</p>

<p>Speaking at ECCO 13, Mr Margaritis Schinas, Head of Cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner in charge for Health and Consumer Protection, wanted to update people on the ongoing elements in terms of long term policies concerning in cancer prevention, in addition to the initiatives for the future. He commented, “These policies include initiatives addressing the development and sharing of best practice in cancer prevention among the Member States. Such areas comprise the ‘European Code against Cancer’ addressing the European Citizen directly on his/her possibilities to prevent cancer, the ‘Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening’ recommending high quality screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer together with the series of ‘EU Guidelines on Best Practice in Cancer Screening’, which have been developed under the ‘Europe Against Cancer Programme’ and which are now followed up by the European Cancer Network with support from the present public health programme (2003-2008). Last but not least the Commission supported the European Network of Cancer Registries, which is presently called the ‘EU Network for Information on Cancer in Europe (EUNICE)’. This network provides the citizen, as well as the Member States authorities, with comparative high quality statistics on cancer incidence and mortality throughout Europe provided by the EUCAN database at the WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon.”</p>

<p>Conclusions</p>

<p>The delegates in the FECS-ECCO 13 Patients’ Programme issued guidelines based on their discussions calling on;</p>

<p>The EU Member States to:</p>

<ul>
<li>Develop national cancer plans</li>
<li>Develop cancer registries</li>
<li>Increase EU-wide cooperation</li>
</ul>

<p>The European Commission to:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Continue to support the Member States’ efforts to coordinate national structures for research, to develop, disseminate and use evidence-based medicine guidelines and protocols for diagnosis and treatment</p></li>
<li><p>Provide assistance through the Public Health Framework for the Europe-wide establishment of cancer registries</p></li>
<li><p>Encourage the EU High Level Group on Health Services and Medical Care to place cancer care amongst the priority pathologies which could benefit from EU collaboration</p></li>
<li><p>Consider that cancer constitutes a priority area for the use of the ‘open method of coordination’</p></li>
</ul>

<p>The European Parliament & particularly MACs to:</p>

<ul>
<li>Act proactively to ensure access to quality care and to support the European Commission and the EU Member States in their activities</li>
</ul>

<p>The EU and national politicians and authorities to:</p>

<p>– Ensure that patients and health professionals will be adequately involved in all the initiatives</p>

<p>Cancer Facts</p>

<p>One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and approximately one in four deaths in the EU are from cancer.</p>

<p>After cardiovascular disease, cancer is currently the leading cause of death in Europe. In 2004 there were an estimated 2,886,800 cases of cancer diagnosed in Europe. The most common forms of cancers diagnosed were lung (381,500, 13.2% of all incident cases), colorectal (376,400, 13%), and breast (370,100, 12.8%).</p>

<p>Among males in 2000, the highest cancer incident rates in the EU were in Hungary, a statistic that reflects the high incidence of lung cancer in Hungarian men. The lowest cancer incident rates were in Greece and Cyprus.</p>

<p>In the EU in 2000, the highest cancer incidence rate among women occurred in Denmark, which reflects the fact they have one of the highest incident rates of female breast and ovarian cancer in the EU. The lowest female cancer incident rate was in Cyprus and Greece.</p>

<p>5% of Europe’s total healthcare expenditure is allocated to cancer, with only 10% budgeted for cancer treatments.

</p>

<p>[ECCO</a> 13 - One voice, one vision needed to overcome cancer in Europe](<a href=“http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/32955.php]ECCO”>http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/32955.php)</p>

[BunsenBurner]

<p>LTS, I finally finished reading all the latest posts on this thread and I just could not keep from crying. You have to write your life story!!! And it should end “To be continued…” because it will continue! </p>

<p>Today our local paper published a story of a 17-yr old girl who is going to compete in the summer Paralympic games in Beijing. The story made me think about you. Two years ago, when this girl was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, Make a Wish foundation was worried that they could not grant her wish of going to the games - the girl was given just a few months to live. She was dying of brain cancer… Two weeks ago, she earned a spot on the team by winning the trials and breaking two American records in her events:
[Tenacious</a> teen with brain cancer determined to achieve Olympic goals | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2004362450_kelleysub21.html]Tenacious”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2004362450_kelleysub21.html)</p>

<p>This girl is an “outlier” in the cancer statistics. “Outliers” beat the odds because they do not give up their dreams. You are an “outlier”, too.</p>

[ADad]

<p>

Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.</p>

<p>Chester W. Nimitz

</p>

<p>. .</p>

[soozievt]

<p>I love the idea of LTS standing for “Long Term Survivor”! It is very fitting indeed.</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>Thank you, I totally forgot about that - how appropriate, especially now. I saw my primary oncologist yesterday; I will do scans in about three weeks; meanwhile, he told me that from his clinical observation the new chemo is working; things are clearing out; all counts are normal, including liver and kidney function, for which I am grateful. Of course, small cell can become resistant/refractory in a day, but, if it does, we have a plan.</p>

<p>I do still feel yucky but I am assured this will improve. Best of all, he accelerated my tapering off the steroids - only seven more days of this horrible drug, then I’m done with it, and hopefully forever. </p>

<p>I do want to thank everyone very much for their contributions to this thread. I think I may have posted this before, but it’s worth repeating, I am not the only person benefiting. It’s not unusual for me to receive a PM that says “I was just diagnosed” or “I am going through something like this too”. Or, the PM will indicate a family member is going through treatment. I had two new such PMs over the weekend and so I wanted to make sure that it is known how much positive, informative contributions deposited here are read, studied and appreciated by a larger audience of persons in need.</p>

[churchmusicmom]

<p>What wonderful news, LTS!!! I also appreciate your reminding us that there are many others going through similar things. As usual, your first thoughts are of others.</p>

<p>Hope your week is a fantastic one.</p>

[Karen_Colleges]

<p>Yes, this is my favorite thread! We are all participating in something very special here.</p>

<p>I especially enjoyed reading the posts today, from the ‘plum in the thicket of thorns’ Haiku, to the passage about ‘keep on truckin’, to the great news from LTS!</p>

<p>Thank you all for the inspiring words. I have learned a lot from all of you. </p>

<p>BTW, LTS, many of your latest posts have been especially moving and eloquent. Just wanted to reassure you that the WBR didn’t affect your writing!</p>

[JEM]

<p>LTS, it is **great **to learn the positive news conveyed by your primary oncologist. What a lift it must have given you and your dear D.
CONGRATS to you and your well-chosen team on this progress!
I love how your LTS name has been transformed (to Long Term Survivor) in everyone’s minds! :)</p>

[NYMomof2]

<p>What wonderful news, LTS! I’m sure you will be feeling much better very soon, and good riddance to those steroids!</p>

[ADad]

<p>Great News!</p>

<p>

It’s the same each time with progress. First they ignore you, then they say you’re mad, then dangerous, then there’s a pause and then you can’t find anyone who disagrees with you.</p>

<p>Tony Benn

</p>