4 ~ Friday, February 6, 1987 - North Shore News Bob Hunter @ strictly personal @® I MET an old journalism buddy for lunch the other day, intending to have a few good chuckles, swap notes, gossip, have a few beers, and split. Mainly a staying-in-touch thing. But she wasn’t drinking and her face was gaunt with strain. It turn- ed out her brother was ‘‘sick.”’ ‘*What’s he got?”’ : “Cancer.”” In the miserable silence that followed, a picture of the Beast from Within came vividly to mind. I’m sure we've all seen those photos taken by microscopic cam- eras. It’s an octopus-like thing, spreading its tentacles out across the fields of healthy cells, with everything withering and shrinking at its touch. A mad cell, growing uncon- trollably, devouring from within. An alien worse than anything in any science fiction' movie. It turns ont the Bug-Eyed Monster didn’t come from outer space, he comes from inner space. And, still, no one knows how. Or from whence he comes. Or why. That last part is the worst, I think. It is the final anguish. Why him? Why her? And ultimately, we all fear: why me? As it happens, I have some very good friends who learned not all that long ago that one of their children has an acute form of leukemia. So my oid journalism buddy and I found ourselves looking at each other through eyes filled with tears of empathy. Although her pain was worse because the victim was immediate family — no room for emotiona! distancing — I have been ex- periencing my other friends going through their own horrendous ordeal for months now, and of course I grieve for them deeply. My writer friend and I were glad to be able to talk to each other about all this, because unless you can share it with someone who is really listening, it bottles up and generates a lot of rage. What a Pandora’s Box of wickedness opens when you start to compare notes with people also facing the spectre of cancer! Most of the stories that pour out, initially, are about the god- dam doctors. The medical system. Scandicraft’s _ DISCONTINUED MODELS The scams that must be going on over research funds. I know, | went once with my other friend to talk to the doctor treating his daughter’s leukemia. My friend just wanted to know what was really going on. What were the odds? What was he up against? Questions I would certainly ask- ing if I was in my friend’s shoes. 1 could not betieve the attitude of this doctor. He was patronizing, for openers. And he would not answer questions about other cases, using the spurious excuse it would violate patient-doctor con- fidentiality. He even had the gall to tell my friend that he wasn't ready to meet other parents in 2 similar situation because he hadn’t adjusted enough yet. Talk about playing God and treating adults like imbeciles! My journalism buddy told a similar horror story. The doctor her brother had dealt with had come to meetings with the wrong data in his head, and had forgotten what had been done and what hadn't been done. In a word, he was sloppy and indifferent. In both these cases the doctors INVENTORY OVERSTOCKS... ONE OF A KIND ITEMS .... THEY ALL MUST BE SOLD .... THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES: oWHITE WALL SYSTERIS Complete as shown, 90" wide, 69” high and a full 16" deep. Sale price was $499 SUPER SALE PRICE NOW... || oWHITE BEDROOM SUITES Also complete as shown with queen bed and all seven [ i | ie were evasive when questions were asked about the success rates of their, methods compared to aiter- native methods. Their basic position was that there were no alternatives, that chemotherapy and niassive radia- tion bombardment and surgery and bone marrow transplants were the only answers. It was hard to avoid the distinct feeling that these guys were hugg- ing their information close to their chests as part of some manoeuvre to gain funding from the cancer organizations. I hope I’m wrong, but it sure smells like that to me. In point of fact, there are numerous groups and _ scientists and doctors who offer a wide range of alternative methods of fighting cancer, dipping into yogic traditions, using visualization, self-hypnosis, alpha states, diets, herbs, etc. Nobody suggests that the best orthodox medicai treatment possi- ble shouldn't be given. But it can be augmented by any number of techniques and disciplines. You can even phone a piace where peo- ple will pray for you in relays. Hf you laugh at that, then you're not facing the Beast, are you? 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