Words

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - Words matter. I always listen – very, very carefully to every doctor and researcher I ever hear. There are a few key things I like to hear, but sometimes it’s not what they say out loud that matters. 

Recently, a group of us went to the IU Simon Cancer Center to hear from some docs that are in the world of cutting edge science. Just an update to see where the world is right now with cancer treatment and research, and all of the exciting things they are doing to help. It was amazing! There will be a great posting soon on verabradley.org, so please keep checking back to see that.

As I was leaving the lab tours, I saw the note above on a refrigerator. I took a photo and put it up right away on my personal facebook wall, just because it was so.wonderfully.inspirational. It boosted me, made me smile, made me want to hug them all. Then, when I got home and checked facebook that night, I learned that so many people felt the same. It was shared, reposted, commented upon, etc. All comments were the same basic message; "we LOVE to see this." 

Sometimes is just the little comments that give us the energy to keep going. To keep taking our medicines, to keep raising funds, to keep lending helping hands. We do it daily, and not because of the big, grandiose statements but because of the little true words that exist in the hearts of those we trust the most. Go, go cancer research!

Courage

YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA - My friend and co-worker Brett climbs rocks. Not for a living, but for "fun". He and I must own different copies of the dictionary, because that's not my entry under "fun". He told me once about people who sleep in tents hanging from the sides of mountains. Again, "fun".

Several years ago, Brett and I were working on a project and I asked him how on earth he can do that. How he can look right at a steep climb and find the courage to scale it. He said, simply; "I just start climbing. I stop when I get to the top." (He's one of those cool yet totally understated kind of guys.)

It fits though. To so many situations in our lives, if we knew what we were up against and how tough it would be, we might not ever start. I've spoken with hundreds of cancer patients and their families about the journey they face. They are all afraid, all intimidated by the challenge ahead. The same thing applies to any hardship you might face, but it's simple and it's true. And I repeat Brett's words almost every day.

"Just start climbing."

Hang in there, fellow courage seekers. You can make this climb!

History

CAIRO, EGYPT -  Oh my goodness, I thought I was old. (Ha!). Scientists have found a mummy in Egypt that has evidence of cancer. He is 2,200 years old!!! This puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it? 

One of the questions I’m asked quite frequently is "Where ARE we in cancer research – why don’t we have a cure yet?" I find this question baffling, but mostly because I’m not a researcher. That’s like asking Ronald McDonald why the fries take so long to cook; he’s just the guy out front with the funny shoes. He can’t possibly answer such a tricky question!

My answer comes from one of my brilliant docs, and I use it constantly. (Tip: always turn to your genius friends if you need answers. Don’t pretend to know something you don’t come close to understanding.:) He says that this disease has been with us for millennia. Only in the past few decades have we actually found a way to begin the battle.

Chemotherapy didn’t even exist until the 1940’s, did you know that? And the two guys who started it actually worked for the Department of Defense – working on chemical warfare! You never know where the answers for treatment will arise, how it will help, or how long it might take. I suspect that the same answer works for "the cure". All I know is that in the history of all human existence, I am grateful for the last 70+ years of advancements in treatment and research. It’s because of those advancements that I am here to write this little bloggie blog. 

Go go cancer research!