Ted Koppel special

[RandyW]

http://dsc.discovery.com/beyond/player. ... =210014191

Ted Koppel Link and also for collage link called Cancer collage. I have submitted one for Deb. I am having a very bad nite listening to this show tonite. Feel as though I am million miles ahead of where everyone on this program is in their journey. not sure if this is jealous rage emotion or sad emotion but emotional all the same. It is informative and I am glad tht this summit is happening in this forum. edfucation is important and it is good to see someone representing the LC world. Surprised no Katie Couric for colon cancer though. They revealed the numbers of projected deaths by cancer type and it really hurts to see that list.Link to ACS list on projected numbers click here'

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/stt/stt_0.asp

"Life is a terminal Condition" Ted Koppel

[Connie B]

I'm sorry your feeling sad Randy. But I have to say that I walked away from that show feeling like they were interviewing me and that everything LeRoy said, is what I was feeling and saying. I thought it was outstanding and right on as to how MOST cancer patients feel.

This show was mostly about how a patient feels and what they go through on there jouney. I thought it was well presented. As they said in the beginning of the show is we All know one thing and that is we are all going to die. (and they weren't just talking cancer)

I wish there were a lot more shows like it even on regular stations. Being a cancer survivor, it really touched me all that they had talked about. It really hit home. I felt it was reality(reality can be sad or happy) and it was hopeful.

[RandyW]

I did like the show it just made me sad hearing some of the stories. I am overjoyed that it was done and hope more comes from it. Just made me sad though but Liked it immensely

[recce101]

I thought the Koppel show was well done. Probably most of us who watched were hoping something would be brought up that wasn't, but on the whole it seemed balanced. It was sort of neat that the young oncologist with a full year's experience under his belt had to backtrack from his earlier categorical statement that Leroy was going to die from the cancer. That still may happen, but it's far from a certainty. Leroy's blog:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer/

Aloha,

Ned

[beatlemike]

I thought the show was very well presented.I sometimes find it difficult to put my feelings into words and I found many of the things said on the show were things I have felt or went thru.

[wondermom]

I was wondering if anyone was going to post about this show. My mom had called me last night to tell me it was going to be on and that she was going to watch it. I watched it too. I do think it was well done but at the same time it was hard to watch. When Leroy overheard the doctor say he was going to die of the cancer, I could really relate when he said it was nothing he hadn't heard before but to hear it when you are feeling like things are going well is like getting punched in the gut all over again. (Or something along those lines...I can't remember exactly what he said.) I was also glad when Elisabeth Edwards said that she thinks people really need to hold onto hope. I think that is so true. Without hope what do we have? Hope is what gets my family through this. I am a little anxious to see what my parents thought of the show. Parts were kind of grim. I always worry when they watch shows like this. They pray for mom to be "cured" every night.

[fillise]

I called last night and my mom was watching the show. She seemed to be taking some hope from it. I didn't see it but hope to watch it later.

[barbara5452]

Yes I watched it, hit home in more ways then one. I know we are suppose to stay as positive as we can but what really hits home is, yes we take care of the cancer that has surfaced again but way in the back of the mind we all know the odds are against us that it will show again, maybe not this year but it is never done. I know there are those few miracle people out there but deep down inside I do not feel I will be one of them. I feel this will be a constant battle until I or it gives in. Sorry to sound so depressing, I will fight as long as I have the strength and quality of life is good but when do we say enough is enough.

[Welthy]

I caught about 20 minutes of the show late last night. Saw the part where the gentleman talked about hope and reality. Thought that part was pretty good.

Based on that small snippet, the show seemed to be for people who aren't in the thick of this journey. I probably missed the bigger picture, but turned it off because this is what we are living. Kind of a "been there, done that" feeling. It was probably good to educate people who haven't fought the cancer battle.

Was it worth watching the whole thing? Just wondering.

Welthy

[fillise]

I watched the clip where the Oncologist told TK that Leroy was going to die from the cancer. Mom told me last week that her physician's assistant (a very compassinate and caring individual, so I think this was an unintentiolnal slip) told her as they were prepping her for chemo that "we want to make you as comfortable as possible for whatever time you have left." I think she felt a little like Leroy. You "know it" but you heven't taken it out and really examined it in awhile. The first words out of my mom's mouth when the dr. told her it was LC was "I guess I'm a gonner." When her onc. told her he couldn't cure her, but he thought he could control the cancer, she told me that for the first time it didn't seem like a death sentence.

I think the professionals, drs., nurses, PAs sometimes forget that they are dealing with people for whom the clinical information isn't abstract.

Susan

[blaze100]

We all know LC stats are bad, but that doesn't mean it is OK for our doctors to go around proclaiming that we are going to ultimately lose the battle. Leroy's onc was too young, too inexperienced.

I even thought I heard his onc say that EVERY patient in the chemo room would die of cancer. Is that right?

The ablation doc had the right attitude.

We just have to look at the placebo studies to understand that there is real power in positive thinking. Miracles do happen. God can answer our prayers.

Barb

[recce101]

[ blaze100 ] Leroy's onc was too young, too inexperienced.

I believe the young doctor said he was in the oncology fellowship program, which should mean that he was under close supervision. The powers-that-be at Johns Hopkins must have felt confident enough in him to allow his participation in the special, which they must have known would be generating a lot of interest. And maybe they thought he did great! If so, that in itself is a bit disturbing.

As patients and family members, we know that what goes in the ears can be just as important as what goes in the veins. Physicians, especially those at teaching hospitals, need to realize that too and ensure the young docs under their wing fully appreciate that fact of life.

Aloha,

Ned

[StephanieJane]

I watched it...I thought it was well done and it was certainly very emotional for me, but worth seeing. I know that if my dad were still here, he would have been watching it and I am sure that he would have identified very much with things that Leroy said. I thought he was so articulate and his story was so close to what my dad went through.

It was really hard to watch him sitting in the chemo room getting his infusions. It made me miss my dad so much. I went along to all of his chemo days, and I have some good memories of those long days spent in recliners, just chatting and passing the time. I would give anything for one more day like that.

[tkelley]

I watched most of it last night, I need to finish watching the rest. Sometimes I can only take so much "cancer" talk at one time...anyway, while I was watching it, I did relive all of the moments we have gone through with my dad over the past 5 years. Then I made a choice. I could watch it and be sad or watch it and think about my dad and what he must be and must've been feeling these past 5 years. I walked away from it feeling like I understood my father's journey so much better. Sometimes I get too caught up in feeling sorry for myself and my kids and not really thinking about what is going on in my dad's head.......He hasn't watched it yet, he asked me to tape it for him. I'm curious to see what he has to say about it.

[RandyW]

Recieved this Email from Cancer recoveryinternational .com this evening. Interesting ;

My Dear Friend,

"First, do no harm" expresses an ethic and an idea that extends back to the very beginning of medicine.

Ted Koppel's recent "Living with Cancer" special on the Discovery Channel repeatedly violated that ethic. From the unchallenged pronouncements that cancer was terminal to the underlying assumption that conventional medicine carries the only answers, this 3-hour show did much more harm than good. The major take-aways were discouragement, depression and despair. This show ripped hope away from people with cancer.

You deserve better. If you have a doctor with an attitude similar to the medical oncologist featured on that program, do not walk away from him, RUN! If your dietary strategy is to look for the best hamburger nearest the hospital, CHANGE. If your mind constantly dwells on being a helpless victim, learn how you can CHOOSE HOPE.

My loving reminder to families who are going through cancer is please know there is much more you can do in addition to medical care. Nutrition, exercise, attitude, support and the spiritual journey play immensely powerful roles in getting well and staying well.

If you are one of the millions of people dealing with cancer, and if you wish to learn more, I invite you to our website http://www.cancerrecovery.org/. We have dozens of programs just for you. For those of you who live in the United States, note especially the next one-day seminar on June 2 in Hershey, PA. It's a great way to be introduced to these health-enhancing, life-enriching principles.

Believe it. You can get well. Believe it. You can stay well. Believe it. You can transform cancer into a positive life-changing experience.

Keep looking up,

Greg Anderson, Founder & CEO

Cancer Recovery Foundation

22-year Lung Cancer Survivor

http://www.cancerrecovery.org/

[ernrol]

Randy,

I got the same email. I think I am glad that I did not watch it. It dosn't sound like it would be too encouraging to a survivor.

Stay npositive,

Ernie

[blaze100]

Well it was amazing how many of LeRoy's statements paralleled my own feelings...I especially liked his observation that he felt like he was living in two worlds with one foot in the regular world and one foot in the world of LC.

This Greg Anderson, he the one who wrote the book "50 essential things to do to survive cancer" I think. I read this book front to back when first dx'd. Good book.

Barb

[Welthy]

FYI -- LeRoy did not have lung cancer. He had colon cancer that produced mets four years later. The mets were in his lungs and brain, but were still from the colon cancer.

[Connie B]

None of the people they interviewed were lung cancer patients/survivors.

[blaze100]

Yes, It was probably me that got all confused on that. Can I blame it on the chemo?

Barb

[wendyr]

I am not a LC patient or survivor, merely a caregiver so I cannot speak from the perspective of a person going through treatment. I have never had the experience of having a doctor look me in the eye and tell me I have cancer. I did watch the Koppel special & thought that most of it came across as Koppel's own personal tribute to his longtime friend. Most of the special revolved around Leroy. What his thoughts & feelings were. What he thought of his treatment, his doctors, his chemo nurse etc.

The town hall meeting part could have been expanded and Lance Armstrong should have been given a bigger forum & more time. He is an articulate, outspoken advocate for all cancer patients and cancer research and his talents were not fully utilized.

It was never made very clear that Leroy's cancer in his lung was actually mets from previous colon cancer.

Having said all that, I suppose we should be thankful that at least cancer was getting some attention but since LC is the leading cause of cancer deaths I feel more time should have been spent addressing that issue & the lack of LC research funding.