is the University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and author ofShe's also a two-time breast cancer survivor.A person with breast cancer"is taking on the challenge to advocate for the right treatment at any given time," says Shockney."She also must have goals of care defined for herself. These goals need to be realistic too.
But that doesn't mean all hope is lost. There can still be moments of joy, large and small, for this individual and the family. Simply singing a familiar song together can banish the specter of dementia for a few happy minutes. Looking at family photos together offers a window into the forgotten past and a chance to laugh at goofy hairstyles and clothes from bygone days.
She had no treatment. In a twist of fate, the pain from the cancer took a break. She had a great year. She spent time with family, she took classes, she enjoyed her new hobby of painting. Then the symptoms returned. She suffered great pain. Her doctors prescribed morphine. After a couple of weeks of being barely conscious, she died peacefully.Marc Silver edits global health and development stories for Goats and Soda at NPR and is the author of
My asymptomatic covid is like a petite guerre being waged inside me. I will survive.
NPR’s Marc Silver should talk to actual disabled and chronically ill people about the language we use because WE are the experts, not ableist physicians. Or, better yet, completely avoid writing a stigmatizing and belittling article about a minority group he’s not a part of.
When serious illness strikes, rely on NPR to push a false narrative.
Taxpayer-funded NPR helped hoodwink the nation by dismissing the COVID lab leak theory in 2020 and pushing the mainstream narrative that assured the virus’ origins were natural.
As the mother of a child who died at 13 from Cystic Fibrosis, this article really disgusts me. I don’t know why the reaction, but maybe it’s trying to sugar coat the horror you go through. If it helps someone, cool I guess, but for me, this is a HARD PASS
When an entity like NPR advocates not 'fighting' serious illness, be aware death panels and assisted suicide are their end goal. Pull the plug on NPR.
Well, Mark is wrong.
Losers say there are no winners and losers.
Very well said. We should be careful with our language when it comes to serious illness, as it can be very misleading.
did you see what the head of the FBI said on TV?
what about comedy? or verbal messing around? that's all working for me. Amateur hour. Kinda like America's funniest home videos. Only written on Twitter from my bathtub
Completely agree. My mom died of cancer. There just wasn't a medical answer to the problem. She did 100% of what she could. Miss you Mom. ❤️
If anything it's a draw because if the host dies their illness dies with them.
Wtf why am I following npr?
Hey, look at this. Somebody stole a Norm McDonald bit and made it a compassionate think piece. If Norm hadn't lost his battle with CANCER (first name, Bowel) he could probably sue.
Stop trying to assign what is and isn't acceptable in self-expression. Thank you.
I’m a cancer survivor & cringe at the warrior talk. Also, the “grace of god” talk (where was god’s grace for the people who succumbed?). But the more important thing that people should think about is that “winning and losing” isn’t really the way *war* works, either.
I’ve always felt that I was the battle*field* of a cancer fight. Not the one doing the fighting, but the thing being pummeled, trampled, and bombed.
Well, no. But also, yes. We all die in the end. If people focussed on that more, and whether their personal philosophy saw that as a win or a loss, imagine where we might be as a society.
Saw an obit that said the deceased fought cancer to a draw…that seems right since the disease dies with the person.
Another slow news day.
This is a great story. It reminds me of Atul_Gawande ‘s “Being Mortal” - brilliant guidance for our last days.
Why would care when you’re dead?