Fear and Language Effect Choices in Cancer Care

How do we take apart the statistics and the estimations about which treatment is effective versus which care is necessary? What are the factors that guide you and your doctor in estimating your first step and then a next step?

The article (link below) below from today’s New York Times discusses the language of mortality rates, recurrence rates, and overtreatment versus unnecessary care. While the writer, Lisa Rosenbaum is using examples from breast cancer; this is an important article for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis or decisions about levels of care and treatment. 

She makes an important distinction between “over-diagnosis” and “overtreatment,” and she explains how fear and perhaps your fear temperament can make a difference in how you interpret what a doc is telling you.

She makes the other crucial point that “overtreatment” is not the same as “unnecessary care.” Again, your temperament—and maybe the doctor’s communication skills—are going to have an impact on your decision-making.

Do take a look at this brief but important article, and please, share this one with folks you know in CancerLand. 

Here's the link:

http://nyti.ms/1KPqOXV

Practicing Discernment

One friend asks, “Should she change jobs?” Another thinks about changing her whole career. A coworker debates, “Should she buy a house or continue to rent?” Someone else talks about graduate school versus yoga teacher training. And then in CancerLand there are so many decisions--which doctor, which treatment, more? or less? or Never?

“A choice between goods” is one definition of discernment. Not right or wrong, good or bad, but a choice between goods.

But how do you “do” discernment?

Years ago my spiritual director gave me this list of tools for discernment:

Prayer

Quiet

Sitting still

Asking God

Listening

Get quiet and listen for the subtle

Think and feel

Wait

Then use your gut, your courage and your integrity.

Another good discernment practice, if you have time, is this:

Fully describe option A to yourself: the graduate program, the classes, location, books, homework, money, and benefits, people. Declare (to yourself) that this is the choice you have made. Live as if that is the final choice—that and only that for two weeks. Pretend to yourself it’s a done deal and go about your life as if that is true. Pay attention to your body, energy, heart and head.

After two weeks again fully commit yourself, but now to option B. Again, make full mental commitment—two whole weeks. Now what do you notice or sense in your body, mind, heart, energy? Write about what you notice and sense. What messages do you get?

Talk to people who have chosen either options –or similar ones—and then pray for a sign.