Our “Cancer Resources” section features a category called “Support Sites” – those sites dedicated solely to providing support to cancer survivors and caregivers like.  These are not the places to go to find information about specific cancers, their diagnosis and treatment, or clinical trials.

~ National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship represents one of the “big guns” in this category because of their strong advocacy position.  Their credo proclaims that “NCCS believes in evidence-based advocacy for systemic changes at the federal level in how the nation researches, regulates, finances, and delivers quality cancer care.” The home page is uncluttered and easy to navigate. Graphic blocks on the home page herald the major programs of the organization.  The Cancer Survival Toolbox stands out.  This program is offered as an on-line audio version that is also available as a downloaded file.  Both are in English or Spaqnish with a Chinese transcript also available.  Yoiu may also order a free CD copy.  Basic skill modules include: communicating, finding information, making decisions, solving problems, negotiating, and standing up for your rights.  There is clearly an empowerment theme here.  Other NCCS publications focus on insurance and self-advocacy.  A Cancerversary feature can connect survivors and family members.  The header menu lets you select information about NCCS, view their various lobbying efforts, or an interactive community page available for telling your own story.  We bloggers sometimes fall into the habit of operating in isolation or maybe from a smaller blogging community. NCCS can remind us that the issues and solutions are much bigger than ourselves.  NCCS National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

~ Cancer Care is another long-term organization, this pone established in 1944.  Readers may find their distinctive logo familiar from their publications found in oncology waiting rooms.  But they are much more than their publications.  They offer counseling support in person or via telephone by oncology social workers.  They offer support groups and workshops, as well as limited financial aid.  This is another well-designed, uncluttered site.  Major navigation is accomplished from the header selections depending on whether the reader is a survivor, caregiver, or healthcare professional.  Some of their booklets, including those on glioblastoma and multiple myeloma, are now available on-line without the need to download as PDF documents.  In true 21st century fashion, some of their workshops are offered as podcasts thru iTunes. Readers can also submit questions for a monthly expert forum.  A calendar on the home page lists upcoming workshops.  Cancer Care has staked out a unique collection of services in cancer support.  CancerCare :: Professional Support for People Affected by Cancer

~ Help With Cancer and What Helps, What Hurts, What Heals are blogging format sites maintained by cancer survivors.  Help With Cancer offers daily bits of news and information from major news outlets regarding cancer issues.  Lori Hope’s site, on the other hand, offers down-to-earth advice and daily pearls of wisdom.  HelpWithCancer.Org and   What Helps. What Hurts. What Heals. – CarePages

~ Families Facing Cancer is a UK site dedicated to giving emotional and practical support.  “We believe that cancer does not affect just one person – those who are also touched by a diagnosis can include those caring for cancer patients, family, friends and even employees. This is what we mean by the cancer fallout zone.” The site is almost wholly the effort of Anne Orchard, and experienced “life coach” and her husband.  Together they run Rainbow Heart Publishing.  Anne’s book Their Cancer – Your Journey lies next to my desk, awaiting review.  Here is a site that you can contribute to by merely filling out a 20 question survey.  So stop by when you have the chance.  While there, check out their unique Resources section for some unusual but helpful links.  The design of the site is very clean and easy to manage.  Sign up for the free newsletter. » Families Facing Cancer – Helping carers to cope with cancer

~ Cancer Survivors Network is a program of the American Cancer Society.  You can open your own personal space to share your cancer story, photos, and other news.  You can also use it as an on-going journal or blog.  There are discussion boards and chatrooms to communicate with others with similar diseases or issues.  Boards are divided into 25 different cancers.  Other boards are tailored for groups with specific needs including military cancer survivors, gays, lesbians, senior survivors and young people.  Cancer Survivors Network

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It’s a sunny autumn day here in the Midwest.  Four-year old Sophie has already called us on the telephone, outlining her plans for the day and especially for this evening,  All Hallow’s Eve.  We went to her pre-school Halloween party yesterday.  Most of the little girls were dressed as princesses, butterflys, or fairies.  Sophie was a fire-fighter.

My Friday healthcare reform posts were interrupted by my illness and recent travels.  With a number of new proposals coming out last week, I wanted to bring your attention to the primary resource on the issue, An online guide to following the health care legislation. – By Timothy Noah – Slate Magazine The article is updated frequently with the latest edition published just yesterday.  It is full of hot links to all the latest information.  You can see the latest House bill, how it compares to previous proposals, summary of various sections, charts on tax provisions, implementation timelines, costs breakdowns.  You can also find information on the Baucus bill, different Committee documents, White House resources.  As always the article lists blogs by columnists, academics, think tanks, public policy consultants and other professional bloggers.  In all there are hundreds of links related specifically to the healthcare reform debate which is why I continue to champion An online guide to following the health care legislation. – By Timothy Noah – Slate Magazine as the best single such resource around.

In less heady news I wanted to comment on the increase in number of “Nigerian” money scams that make it to the website’s mailbox.  I have four different email addresses for various endeavors.  So why the Being Cancer address attracts so many offers to help launder millions of dollars, I don’t know.  Likewise I wonder why it is that nearly half of the people registering at my site have Russian (.ru) email addresses.  Might this have anything to do with the almost 6000 pieces of spam I have received or is it evidence of a thriving cancer blogging community in Russia?  Hmmmm.

Being Cancer has hosted nearly 23,000 visits since April.  The most popular page is Cancer Blogs (and its predecessor Cancer Blog Links).  I am planning a major expansion of that feature.  I may indicate new listings with an asterick or something.  I also plan to start a Cancer Blog Honor Roll for those blogs that have been featured in our Guest Post.  I nearly have more projects related to cancer than I have the time or energy to develop. But I’ll keep plugging away.

Have a great Halloween and weekend!

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Washing the dogs

I am very busy this week promoting a new project that I hope will further unite and highlight our cancer blogging community.  This is very exciting.  Other bloggers I have contacted are excited as well.  I will be writing more about this in the coming weeks.

I just discovered that my Cancer Blog Links page is frozen.  I noticed a problem after I upgraded my Wordpress software.  The page data would not appear in “Visual” format, only in HTML.  This was hassle.  But I figured I could enter new data in HTML code.  This is just more tedious and takes longer.  However, when I tried to enter some new sites, the page was changed in the HTML view but changes were not reflected on the actual page that you see when you click on the tab.  I will go back to Wordpress support forums.  If any of you are techno-savy and have suggestions, please don’t hesitate.

I have some travel plans approaching.  I will have to figure out how to maintain the site from a distance.  Next week I am going to Las Vegas (first time) to speak to a group of people from the biotech company, Genzyme.  They are now the U.S.marketers of my miracle drug, Campath (alemtuzumab).

In a couple of weeks we are traveling to Boston to deliver baby presents from the shower we are hosting here in Indianapolis.  Nathan and Coppelia are expecting twin girls in December.  From there we are flying to Ireland for a week.  We have friends on sabbatical there and so have a place to stay.  I still had enough “miles” from my pre-cancer life to purchase a free ticket.  Hopefully, I will have some interesting posts and photos to share.

Healthcare Overhaul:

Fridays continue to be temporarily devoted to the healthcare debate.  I bring your attention again to the best and most complete resource I have found.  An online guide to following the health care legislation. – By Timothy Noah – Slate Magazine

As I have said before, healthcare reform should involve a lot more than just insurance reform.  In an article on CNN, however, we see how the current payer system imposes changes on how physisicans practice medicine, everything from the inefficiency of multiple, non-standardized forms to how payment for services vare paid for results in multiple visits to the physician’s offices.  How insurers meddle in your medical care – Sep. 24, 2009

On a lighter note, a move by a Canadian cancer organization to extend their appeal for breast health to a younger audience resulted in the racy ad “Save the Boobs”.  A controversy ensued.  To watch this video, one by Susan B Komen organization, and a lively discussion by a group of young women, click on Video – Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

The Wall Street Journal recently published a report suggesting that business leaders, traditionally allied with Republican platforms, are showing signs of breaking ranks.  Many business are supporting some form of healthcare reform because costs for them are just getting too out of control.  Overhaul Divides Business and Its Traditional GOP Allies – WSJ.com

Want some odea of how much money health insurance gianrts make?  Check out this NYT article: How Much Money Do Insurance Companies Make? A Primer – Economix Blog – NYTimes.com

Are prices charged by hospitals for ER services for the uninsured fair?  Look at this “60 Minutes” report:  Hospitals: Is the Price Right? – 60 Minutes – CBS News

Finally from NPR: What The ‘Gang Of Six’ Wants From Health Care Bill : NPR

Complicated enough for you?  It’s a big problem that demands a big solution.  Please educate yourself and contact your representatives in Congress (see “Healthcare Reform” tab for more resources).

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I'm Listening

The viruses (or is it viri ?) are losing ground as I am steadily gaining it.  My body still feels like it would after the first spring weekend working in the garden.  But I spent a lot of time lying in bed thinking of all the projects I would like to get done on the website.  So today I am going to combine the twin Friday themes of cancer news with healthcare reform issues.  I have combed the major news and political outlets for information and opinion on the latest updates.

At CNN I found a pdf downloadable copy of the Baucus plan which was hoped to appeal to both Democrats and Republicans.  Health Care in America – Special Reports from CNN.com.  It runs almost 200 pages,  you might want to read instead the summary of the bill’s main points.  What’s in Baucus’ health care proposal? – CNN.com.  You can also find there a comparison of four proposed plans:  from Senator Baucus , the Senate HELP Committee, the House Tri-Committee, and the House GOP.  Health care proposal mandates coverage, drops public option – CNN.com
If all that reading does not appeal to you there is a video explanation of the public option by CNN”s Elizabeth Cohen.  Would ‘public’ health care insurance progam help you? – CNN.com

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting point-counterpoint op-ed on how the public option might affect the  private insurance industry.  Public option: a private insurer killer? — latimes.com

More on the Baucus Plan can be found from several columnists at Slate.com. John Dickerson talks about misdirected anger since  the plan accomplishes much of what was laid out in Pres. Obama’s speech.  A lot of the anger at Max Baucus should be directed at President Obama. – By John Dickerson – Slate Magazine Another article calls attention to the bill’s focus on the ‘young invincibles’.  How Sen. Max Baucus’ health care bill panders to the young. – By Timothy Noah – Slate Magazine

I know that a significant portion of the cancer blogging community is composed of young cancer survivors (presumed no longer ‘invincible’)   They and other might be interested in a new organization of  ‘young invincibles” who are committed to improving the healthcare situation among that age group.  Go to:  Young Invincibles: Campaign for Health Care Reform

** Political viewpoints aside the same website provides an excellent factual guide – An online guide to following the health care legislation. – By Timothy Noah – Slate Magazine.
The article details a long list of resources starting with the committees and their processes that proposals must pass through before arriving on the floors of Congress. It goes on to list major blogs related the to debate, major columnists, think tanks, news sites, academics, the main lobby groups, and seminal articles related to the debate.  This is an extensive list with links to the resources cited.  The most information in one place that I have found.

So read and consider, consider and decide, decide and take a stand.  Talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends, most importantly, talk to your Senators and Congressmen (contact information on this blog’s Healthcare Reform page).  And have a great weekend.

Take care, Dennis