Alternatives

I was at the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center on Wednesday and was "introduced" to the bug in the picture by Jon Traunfeld. The bug is a "Wheel Bug." I learned that in spite of their appearance, they are beneficial as they like to feast on agricultural pests such as Japanese Beetles. Jon told me "If you had a garden full of these, you wouldn't need to use any pesticides."

Which naturally leads me to last nights' presentation of "Stand Up To Cancer." Good concept. Great stuff. I like that they are supporting an initiative to gather together leading researchers to pool their resources and collectively find solutions to halt cancer in its' tracks. I hope it works.

However, I could have done without the drama. I wasn't crazy about the opening sequence. If you didn't see it, the opening sequence was an assortment of celebrities reciting the line, "Cancer doesn't care....." I agree. However, it was a bit dramatic for my taste. Just my opinion.

Later on, Brian Williams made the comment, "Someone once said, chemotherapy is like using a nuclear bomb on a house when you want to turn the lights off in the kitchen." I cringed when I heard that.

I agree that chemotherapy is somewhat of a "nuclear option." But at least it is an option. My perception of chemotherapy now, vs. before I received it as treatment, is different. You must know that before chemotherapy is administered as an option for treatment, the patient is tested to determine their physical ability to receive and bounce back from any form of chemotherapy treatment. It is not administered indiscriminately or randomly. As I have said before on this blog and in person, I am curious to know whether the volume of chemotherapy drugs was equal to the volume of drugs that were given to me to counteract my bodys' reaction to the chemotherapy drugs. That's how far the research has come since the first days of chemotherapy treatment. There are people alive now because of receiving chemotherapy treatments.

I asked my doctor for her insight and wisdom about what to say when I speak at the upcoming events. She replied, "Tell them they need to be comfortable with their doctors and nurses. If they aren't. then it's OK to speak up and say so." I thought those were good words from her. It points out that from day one, the individual who has been diagnosed may feel attacked and vulnerable, but ultimately, the patient is in control of the situation. The cancer doesn't own you. It may change you. But....you own it. It's in your body. It is not natural for it to be there.

Not to say there aren't better treatment options out there; such as using the bodys' natural defense system to fight cancer. I'm excited about that option and I believe it will be standard treatment someday. That is the importance of funding continuing research and that is what "Stand Up To Cancer" is about. However, there is no point in scaring people away from the current treatment methods if those methods are their best option.

Frankly, when I first saw the wheel bug the other day, I wanted to stomp on it because, based on its' appearance, I assumed it was just another worthless critter.