PBS did a great special, Truth about Cancer.

[Mackey Mouse]

Not sure if anyone saw it. I actually missed it and will see it later, but wanted to share it here.

There is an interview with my DH's oncologist, this doctor carries the weight of the world on his shoulder.. here is that link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/cancer/interviews-ryan.html

 

[safetymom]

Marsha, he sounds like a wonderful doctor. You don't find too many wonderful doctors these days.

 

[lookingforward]

Thanks for the article! I just finished my last chemo treatment for stage 2 breast cancer and I am praying for the "home run" that the doctor talks about with breast cancer treatment. Its been a tough road, but they say my chances are excellent and I am praying that it is true.

What a smart, kind and honest doctor!

 

[Saphire]

Yes, I watched the PBS special tonight. It was really, really good. Marsha, David Ryan is your husband's doctor? He seems just wonderful and the special focused quite a bit on him and his work. Dr. Ryan said that when people ask him what kind of medicine he specializes in and he says Oncology, people ask him how he can do that. I loved his answer...he said "how can I not?" That would be the kind of doctor I would want.

Lookingforward, my very best wishes to you as you enter into your next phase of recovery!

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Yes it is David Ryan... he is a great doctor and a caring man. It took us a while to get use to his bluntness and then we realized it was just the truth and hard to hear....

Hugs to all dealing with this disease and doing battle everyday. Each of us here are facing their own battle be it a disease, depression, loss of a loved one.....we are all here for one reason or another and thankfully we all can help each other through.

 

[annrae]

Yes it is David Ryan... he is a great doctor and a caring man. It took us a while to get use to his bluntness and then we realized it was just the truth and hard to hear....

Hugs to all dealing with this disease and doing battle everyday. Each of us here are facing their own battle be it a disease, depression, loss of a loved one.....we are all here for one reason or another and thankfully we all can help each other through.

YOU ARE SO SPECIAL MARSHA.

 

[Mskanga]

I have been told by some people that my daughter's oncologist comes across as a stuck up but I found him a very compasionate and pasionate person when it comes down to caring for kids with cancer , he is the sarcoma head director in the center where she is treated and the guy really knows his field. There are two people who I owe my daughter's life....him and the orthopaedist oncologist who removed the tumor and did a masterpiece on her leg . I do not regret once having to drive 2.5 hours each way to go to their offices for visits , the way they both treated my daughter was worth every minute I spent driving.
Marsha I am so glad that you have a good doctor also , it makes a HUGE difference.
Lookingforward , I am so glad that you are done and I pray that you stay cancer free for the rest of your life.

 

[cgrobin]

I don't know, but he doesn't come across very caring in the written interview. Or at least understand the survivor's side.

While there are oncologists over prescribing Procrit for the 'rebates', there are those who's blood counts are so low due to chemo that it can be a option to severe anemia, particularly when blood donations are low.

do we really need 5 different anti-nausea drugs? Yet we are spending as much money on these drugs, if not more money on these drugs than we are spending on drugs that actually save lives or extend lives at least. And somehow there needs to be an incentive for companies to develop these drugs that really extend life and rather than just make them a boat load of cash because they may—they figured out some quality of life measure like Viagra or any of the white blood cell boosters.

I don't know what the side effects of the chemo he prescribes is but to dismiss the importance of anti-emetic and white blood cell boosters, just makes my jaw drop.

I have a friend who's nausea has been virtually nonstop for months to the point he periodically is vomiting blood, because the existing anti-emetics don't work for him. As for me, without Neupogen/Neulasta I'd probably be dead.