living under the sword of damocles

I heard something on NPR last week that made me queasy. It was a news report saying that Elizabeth Edwards's breast cancer had recurred in her bones and that Tony Snow's colon cancer had recurred in his liver.

Like 10.5 million other cancer survivors in the US, I thought about the day that I got my diagnosis. I also thought about my fear last summer when I discovered an enlarged lymph node. And then I thought about how grateful I am that the node was just a lumpy consternation, and not a sign that my kidney cancer was back.

I don't know Elizabeth or Tony from a hole in the ground, but I applaud their candor and how it has spurred a national dialog about cancer.

CBS News, the Washington Post, NY Times and USA Today all devoted time and space to the cancer story. Most notably for us Newsweek chose to put a symbol on its cover that has become iconic to the millions of Americans living with cancer - a LIVESTRONG wristband. The issue also includes an essay from Lance Armstrong.

While all of this attention is great we need to make sure that we do not lose this momentum.
Via Lance's Blog