The importance of reading

My son just finished his second year at NYU. For the past several days, I have seen him sitting on the patio reading a book. Shocking as it was to see Mack reading for pleasure, it was just as shocking to hear him say, "I think I'm going to start reading more. I have learned so much from this book!"

I said, "Dude, how long have I been telling you about the joys of reading? Not just text book reading from class."

"Okay, Mom, I think I get it now."

As you have heard me quote my mom many a time:  "Where there's life, there's hope."

Boys!

Researching is as fun as reading.  As a cancer patient, researching your disease is critical. My oncologists are the top researchers in treating and looking for answers, but you cannot rely on your oncologist for everything. Oncologists are not gods.  They're just regular folks who might be a little smarter than us, because they got into medical school.  However, oncologists pretty much stick to what they know regarding drugs for cancer. I know we need these drugs, but there is so much more out there that your oncologist just doesn't know about.

That is why you must take control and research on the Internet everything there is to know about your cancer. There are many alternative treatments that you can do along with cancer drugs. The Internet is how I found out about the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, which is treating the necrosis of my jaw. There are other examples of things I found myself.  When I would ask my doctor, he would say, "Go ahead, try it."

And don't forget the important role that intuition plays. When you read about a treatment, there's a good chance your intuition will tell you to follow this path.

I read an article last week titled, "Dogs Trained To Sniff Out Ovarian Cancer.”  I'm sure you want to laugh, but don't. This is an absolutely genius idea. Ovarian cancer is usually a death sentence, because there is no form of early detection.

When the disease is discovered, it is in the late stages. Dogs have been trained to sniff out drugs, weapons, bombs and humans. Now, at the University of Pennsylvania they are learning to sniff out ovarian cancer by smelling slices of ovarian tumors taken from women suffering from this disease. When tumors are developing they give off a gas that the dogs learn to recognize. These dogs in training have been 100 percent successful. You have to read this article. I love research!

Hmm, wonder if Mack might like to read this?  Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.