Monday, October 02, 2006

"The Cancer To Have"

I believe that without exception, all of us whose children have been diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor have been told, "This is the cancer to have."

Last night, another child with the cancer to have departed this earth.

He was cute and he loved his Superman pajamas and his mother always ended her emails with "BE KINDER THAN NECESSARY, FOR EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING SOME KIND OF BATTLE!"

I know they are trying to give you a ray of hope ... but I really hope that doctors/nurses will cease describing this as the cancer to have.

1 comment:

Berrysmom said...

About twenty years ago I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which is also "the cancer to have." I had surgery, did all the requisite follow up, take a little thyroid pill every day, and I'm fine.

But what a weird thing! I remember thinking "why does anyone HAVE to have cancer?" (Folks had said to me "If you have to have cancer, this is the cancer to have.") I admit that I found it comforting in a way, but it was creepy.

I really understand what you mean...

Judy