Health and dis-ease

The site www.chemotherapy.com is owned by Amgen. 

Amgen is a biotechnology, genetic engineering firm (http://www.amgen.com/about/amgen.html)  which markets medications used in the treatment of cancer.  Therefore,  I will  assume that any of its products or general treatment modes in which its medications fall will be favorably reviewed on this site.  Accordingly, one cannot expect totally impartial, unbiased information here.

The page has very attractive, up-to-date graphics and includes these links:  Understanding Cancer,  About Chemotherapy,  Treating Cancer with Chemo,  Chemo Side Effects,  Other Treatments, Tracking Test Results, Insurance Tips,   and more.  These are very useful.  Additionally, there is an option for a  complimentary subscription to the print journal Women and Cancer.  However, it seems that some mail list inclusion may be a condition for receiving this.

I find much of the information to be on the basic side.  However, it is worth a look to see how it may meet your needs.

“God is on OUR side” is a sentiment probably felt by any and every country involved in armed conflict.  God intended us to have enough land for OUR people (Hitler and Austria, United States and western expansion).  God intended that OUR religion dominate and that others disappear (just about everywhere.)  God intended that OUR ethnic group or race dominate and all others get the bleep out or be extinguished from the face of the earth (just about everywhere).  When you read the plain words, don’t they sound about as immature as a two-year-old with the gimmes?  So, why did and do countries adopt the manifest destiny philosophy?

Jingoism is belligerent, aggressive, and selfish nationalism (please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingoism for a fine definition and discussion.)  What a bizarre name it is for the concept!  How about patrarrogance? (Patriotic arrogance) Or egoarroblindagance?  Or xenobigotrism?  The United States certainly was filled with it after 9/11, although it had always been lurking under the surface of the consciousness.  Soon after the attack, copious cars were displaying American flags, especially ones which could be inexpensively purchased and hooked over the window.  Although it truly only proved that people could afford the flag and could figure out how to attach it, it seemed to represent an ugly “me first” attitude about America, its sources for oil, and its willingness to use military force to get what it wants.

However, many years have passed.  I have learned from the experience.  I am not particularly proud of this, but I will be honest:  before the attack on the twin towers, I felt that we were magically protected on our own continental boundaries (sorry, Hawa’ai and Alaska.)   It was as if I believed that a Star Trek force field was up, protecting the mainland.  Therefore, the invasion of 9/11 destroyed a faith I had.  Citizens of other countries probably would laugh at my naiveté, but the events truly led to a loss of innocence for me.  Now I am sadder and hopefully wiser.  (For example, when the four –day ban on air traffic ended, the first time I heard jet engines above, I had these thoughts:  “What is that sound?  Oh, I know that sound: it is the noise of an airplane.  I wonder what it is doing.  I think it will probably crash into the side of my house and into the bathroom where I am standing.”  That sequence NEVER would have occurred to me before Sept 11^th.)

Many of us are wiser.  (Just a few still think that pouring money into the military complex solves all problems.  From them, I get the Internet anti-Democrat jibes and “Pray for the soldiers” emails.)  Most of us are now recognizing that the song “God Bless America” is passé and the new song needs to be “God Bless the World.”

Through a good friend, I just watched a YouTube video which led me to Wiki for more information, which led to a link, which led to another link.  At the end of it all, I came upon a marvelous site:  www.circusofcancer.org.  For those of us who learn by seeing, I highly recommend visiting Circus of Cancer and going through all the chapters in the photo album.  It may enlighten you better than my words have.

I will react to just a few isolated photos and commentary which struck a chord with me.

The accommodations for chemotherapy.  My partner is in the middle of his third round and we have seen good changes at the local hospital where he has received his chemo (treatment is planned by a CLL consortium hospital, but administered close to home.)  For the very first round, he was crammed into a 20 by 50 foot infusion room with no privacy, one visitor chair per patient – all of us sitting hip-to-hip with the patients – and two ceiling-mounted televisions blaring the most obnoxious daytime programs imaginable.  Further insult was that his infusion arm rested on a pillow with a blood stain.  That just heightened the angst of it all.

Happily, for rounds two and three a new wing is finished.  There are spacious areas similar to emergency room areas, with privacy curtains, enough room to wiggle, and individual television sets.  Furthermore, there are many windows and peaceful works of art.  However, the treatment chairs are still pretty much as shown at the Circus of Cancer site.  Nevertheless, as also stated on that site, if one does a little fibbing and finagling, he can score a real hospital bed for the infusion.  As my partner is the CHAMPION of fibbing and finagling, he is very comfortable.

Nurses and personnel for chemotherapy.  Wonderful.  Every single one of them.

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Going to the bathroom during chemo.   This is an activity which we didn’t consider beforehand.  How does a patient go to the bathroom during a possibly six-hour long infusion?  Catheterization?  No.  One must figure out how to sit up, stand up, disconnect the electric monitor, and pull the entire apparatus to the potty.  Then the challenge is how to pull one’s pants down and take care of business without messing up the tubes, needles, and etcetera.  This is why it is a blessing that all the chemotherapy staff are likely to be wonderful, as discussed above.

I am so glad that Kelly Corrigan created the site, Circus of Cancer, which plainly and honestly shares her experiences.  Even more so, I am thankful for her happy state of health.  God bless ya, dear!