While watching the outstanding Ken Burns documentary, Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies on PBS, I was reminded of all the people we're lost to that horror. Most recently our dear friend Cedwyn who I met and spent time with after Netroots Nation was over. Her flight home was leaving later in the evening and I was spending 1 more night in Detroit to rest before my drive home started in the early hours of the next morning. Her great big smile was magic.
We dined at a fine restaurant at the hotel, spending far too much money quite gladly for a wonderful meal, excellent service, and the continuing pleasure of each others company. We had spent the afternoon walking, sitting, talking, smoking and enjoying the time and nice weather. All seemed well with the world.
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A few months later it seemed all was not well with Cedwyn who was very sick. Later reports and a hasty sewing of a community quilt told of the dire circumstances. And in around 6 months after we had spent that afternoon and evening together, she had left this mortal realm. God-damned cancer. I don't even know what kind she had or when she was diagnosed, but cancer took out another great human being.
I have seen cancer wreaking havoc. As a Registered Nurse, it's something you can't avoid. Watching people wither and diminish into a shadow is hard for family and friends, but also tough on care givers. We know what's coming.
I've also seen us winning some of the battles. My own mother survived colon cancer. Over 40 years since her treatment for cancer, she passed at the age of 86 from respiratory arrest and internal bleeding from an untreated ulcer. The cancer never got her.
I've seen some survive and others be taken by cancer. I've seen the demise of the radical mastectomy to treat breast cancer and it's better replacement by lumpectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy. I've seen cancer go from a disease considered local that could be ended if only enough tissue was cut out, to what it really is: a disease that involves the entire body.
The PBS documentary by Ken Burns tells of the war on cancer, how advances have been made, how cancer is a more complex disease than we thought, and how much effort is being undertaken on future treatments. There are successes and failures, but each life saved is another win in the long war.
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You can view all 3 parts of the documentary at PBS.
I also found it interesting for the last part to discuss the immense cost of cancer treatment with the words "particularly in the United States" because we don't negotiate the cost of drugs. We also don't have universal health care making even early diagnosis possible, much less covering the cost of extensive and expensive treatment. We've made some progress on that front with the Affordable Care Act, but far too many remain uninsured (we NEED Medicaid expansion in the states that have refused it) and ever increasing deductibles and copayments leave people with the choice of losing their homes, not eating, or getting care.
On top of that, research done by the government is underfunded - another point made by Ken Burns - who didn't mention that the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health have both been hit with serious budget cuts and the effects of sequestration. Thanks, Republicans (not). The free market isn't going to solve this problem or it would have been solved already.
Hopefully, they'll feel some shame and restore funding to research and social programs so kids won't go to school or bed hungry and we can improve our ability to diagnose and treat deadly disease. Universal health care would certainly help.
Well, I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.
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This is the first time I've written about Cedwyn. The first time I've felt able to. It was too hard to believe, impossible to believe after seeing that great big smile on her face only months ago.
Fuck Cancer!
RIP Cedwyn. Your smile stays with us.
TOP COMMENTS
April 2, 2015
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From Angie in WA State:
There is simply no other comment which could so clearly align with the heart and soul of this diary. It's delicious, go read it, it'll make you smile for an hour... or more. :-) Comment by OHdog from Can I still cuddle in Indiana? by JeffLieber.
From Belinda Ridgewood:
When Laura Clawson's diary described the latest Tom Cotton statement, polecat had a suggestion. Godwin, yes, but swallow your beverage before reading.
From AJayne:
I am a little shocked and a lot in awe of the message in this comment by Zeta Retuculi in ericlewis0's diary POTUS SPEAKS @2:15PM RE IRAN NUKE DEAL LIVEBLOG SUCK IT, BIBI, COTTON, BOEHNER. Just let that sink in for a moment. Six years after he first took office, Iranian State TV broadcast our President's words to their populace live. (Ed. note: The entire thread is great, too.)
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This comment by kamarvt on the demise of moderation. From Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: IN and AR with dueling narratives on discrimination by Greg Dworkin.
From your cancer-hating host:
I liked this snarky comment by CWinebrinner on what Republican Presidential candidates are really after. From In Iowa, Ted Cruz rallies to defense of anti-gay 'religious freedom' by Hunter.
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