Taking the long view

I’ve been over reading the posts at Blog For Hope, and I just have to  comment from the perspective of someone who’s been in the cancer field for more than 30 years. When I  saw the display of public figures who are participating in the blog and who are sharing how cancer has touched them, my jaw about dropped to the floor. The contrast between the openness and willingness of people to talk now about cancer–celebrities and people commenting alike–and when I first came to work for ACS about took my breath away.

Three decades ago cancer still kept to the shadows. It was still something secretive, perhaps shameful. Individuals and families definitely didn’t talk openly about it. The implications were still so grim that doctors sometimes didn’t tell patients what their diagnosis was. They might tell a "stronger" family member instead. My, how things have changed!

Sometimes it helps to have the long view.