What a week. First Elizabeth Edwards and now Tony Snow announce recurrances of cancer that they hoped they had beaten. And as the daughter of a cancer survivor, I know exactly what they’re families are likely to be going through.

My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer when she was about my age (I keep thinking it was about 20 years ago — but it was actually just about exactly 30 years ago.) I can’t remember the exact ‘stage’, but it was pretty advanced.

Back then, most people in the Kansas City area stayed in town for cancer treatment. But my dad went down to the KU Medical Center Library to research the current treatment for colon cancer. He discovered that the most up-to-date stuff was going on at MD Anderson, in Houston Texas. And he just assumed mom’s doctor would send her there if they asked. (Read more) Continue reading →