May 5, 2006
- Day 3 - Week 5 - Information Overload
The internet has connected the
world. Information from libraries, books, experts,
and papers is a click or two away. This age has
been defined by the democratization of ideas and
information, and we all can benefit.
I am a reader. Nothing quite
like my 94 year old mentor and friend John Seeley
who began every day, up until very recently, by
reading from 4:30 – 6:30 am every day, but I spend
at least an hour a day reading something that
expands my understanding of the world.
Recently, and for obvious
reasons, I clicked on Google and entered – mantle
cell lymphoma. Close to 500,000 entries, a lifetime
of reading and all targeting very few people who
have the disease. Of all the lymphoma cancer
patients, roughly only 2-4% has MCL, but the
daunting number of entries illustrates this is a
disease getting a lot of attention.
In conversation with Dr. Larry
Piro this morning, as I was hooked up for my third
day of round two, I inquired as to the information
on the internet and how I was to process what I was
reading. He assured me that things were changing so
fast that I better check the date of any study I
read. He pointed out that the early estimates of
life expectancy after diagnosis of MCL, of only 3-4
years, were inaccurate for today. When I read those
numbers the other night in the January issue of the
Cancer Institutes newsletter, I took a very deep
breath and hoped those estimates of how long
people live with MCL were not reflective of the
modern advances in treatment. I hesitated to ask,
but I did, in keeping with wanting to know the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you Larry.
Dr. Piro was re-assuring, in
that remission was probable and that when achieved a
new set of protocols would be administered to extend
my life expectancy in a dramatic fashion. What is
dramatic is all in the eye of the beholder. What
might that be, I inquired. “We are looking at 10-12
years.” I responded immediately; well I want 20 or
25. We both agreed this is what we were to shoot
for.
I referenced my father to Dr.
Piro once again and said maybe beating odds is in
the genetic coding of the Kreitler Clan. He had
lung cancer and had his left lung removed at 51 and
died 3 months shy of his 89th birthday.
As I mentioned earlier, when dad got his clean bill
of health at age 56, he bought a boat and named her
Good News.
OK – The Kreitler Compact has
taken on a new dimension. I am 2 months shy of 64.
My compact with each of you is we will celebrate my
64 and 74 birthday, and then my 84 and then my 89th.
Maybe along the way I will acquire an electric/solar
something and name it Good News.
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