Cancer.
Would somebody somewhere just come up with a cure already?
Two more people I know and admire were diagnosed in the last couple days. Cam Lind and Pastor, Dave Ellingson.
Two others..including my nephew’s wife, Jodi Lund.. who undergoes a double mastectomy this week. Her breast cancer came back after eleven years. And popular Sioux Falls radio D.J. “Cade” who will have surgery next week for a recently discovered brain tumor.
I’ll bet everyone reading this also knows of someone going through the same gut wrenching worry and fear after receiving a diagnosis.
I wonder. What’s it going to take?
Money?
Is finding a cure for cancer a problem that can be solved by throwing money at it?
Seems like that’s what Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association have been trying to tell us for decades but there’s still no cure after all those telethons that hinted over and over that we were “this” close.
Maybe there will never be a cure for cancer. It’s like doctors and pharmaceutical companies say there is no one cancer to wage war against. It attacks in so many forms and the success of treatment varies from person to person.
Radiation, Chemotherapy and outrageously expensive cancer drugs appear to be the only effective way to deal with the multi-faceted disease other than a basic regimen of personal good-health and exercise.
Oh, wait..there’s “Immunotherapy” ..said to be the biggest breakthrough since chemotherapy..aimed at stimulating the body’s own immune system to fight invading cancer cells. They’ve even got the guy who plays Cam from “Modern Family” as a spokesman to raise money for research.
But why do they need celebrities to shill for funds if this is really the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for in the fight against cancer? Where are you Bill Gates..Warren Buffet..Koch Brothers..Walton Clan? Why not step up with your billions and lets do this thing?
Or how about our own government? Could the cost of a couple battleships or Phantom Jet Fighters be keeping us from eradicating this vile disease?
How about this for a presidential campaign slogan ala J.F.K in 1962 only substitute cancer for moon. “I choose to find a cure for cancer before my term is out. Not because it’s easy but because it’s hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are not willing to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”
I don’t know about you but I could relate to a campaign promise like that instead of the same old prattle.
Now there are, of course, conspiracy theorists out there convinced that doctors and drug companies are all in cahoots and opposed to anything that would kill the golden goose.
Lord knows programs like 60 Minutes and other investigative news programs have certainly exposed lots of rotten apples in both those fields but even I don’t believe there’s an organized effort to squash efforts at finding a cure for cancer.
Perhaps it’s my personal frustrations that has brought about this blog..but I do believe more could and should be done besides a cancer society fun run or bake sale.
A higher priority needs to be set by this and other civilized countries to make cancer as distant a memory to our grandchildren as polio is to us.
8 Responses
I just received news that a good friend of mine passed away today from breast cancer. The timing of your writing is uncanny and your writings are exactly how I feel. We have to prioritize and fund the research to find that magic cure and to make sure it is affordable to all when the time comes. One of the places I think we really need to start looking is at our FDA. They are doing amazing things in Europe but we don’t do them here because the FDA needs more time, years to be exact to try things or approve methods that are proven to work already in other parts of the world. I’m tired of losing those I love to cancer!
Can we escape cancer ? Cancer causing properties are in : the air we breath, the food we eat, the water we drink.
It’s everywhere. Then toss in microwaves, radio waves, tv waves, pesticides, medications, the list really is endless.
Growth hormones in meat, genetically modified vege’s and grains. Fertilizer used in farm production. Chemicals.
Work out, try to stay healthy…..still get cancer !
Hundreds of millions have been spent by the government since 1972 . The treatments have improved but the incidence of cancer appears to be growing . It is probably related to our diets, chemicals in the food supply and environment. It is the curse of modernity .
Doug thanks for the mention. I have elected to treat this problem with my usual upbeat and humorous style. I will win this battle, the cure rate is very good. My goal during treatment is to help make each day a little better for the people taking care of me. If I can make them laugh or smile while I am there, that will make my day. I have a lot of stuff to do yet and the BIG C picked the wrong guy to take down. Thanks again. Cam Lind.
As always, well-stated and can we get an AMEN! We’ve done it to ourselves with what we’ve added to our grass, water, food, etc. But yes, we have to work hard to find the cure, and focus our efforts on something like that instead of something meaningless. Just another great Lund at Large!
Nice writing, DOUG!
One small problem, ?? If one find a cure for cancer, it like WORKING your self out of A “JOB” . ” BUT ” that is good news and bad NEWS !! ? But I am afraid, you tackle one bug !! There will be a anther sneaking up to bite you else where later !!
Just wanted you to know that we appreciate you mentioning our dad in your blog. I also wanted to make a correction to his name. It’s Dennis Ellingsen. Thank you.