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The C word hurts. Do you realize that out of every group of people you know, half will have cancer at one time in their lives? Half. That number is way too large. Now if those odds were in favor of winning the lottery or having a promotion at work, few of us would object. But with those odds, I bet each of you reading this entry either have had cancer or know someone who did. Isn’t that staggering? Heck, I can name about 6 people that I know who have had cancer and the list grows when you get beyond my immediate family and friends.

When someone in your family or a close friend tells the world they have cancer or you are told yourself that you have the “C” word – it hurts. Your life changes immediately. Similar to a tragic media event, you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you “got the news.” Trivial concerns, like remembering to pick up milk on the way home, seem like a waste of time. Questions flood your mind and you are forced into a new world of learning to pronounce tumor types and treatment options. You begin to worry about all aspects of your health and genetic inheritance. How can a disease affect people this way? How can it have such power over us?

There will soon be a day when we have the power over cancer. I can remember when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer about 8 years ago. She had fewer treatment options than today and had little access to information on clinical trials, drugs on the market and support groups. We have made great strides in treating diseases like my mom’s disease…most coming from people with a determination and drive to find a cure.

We need to keep the momentum going, keep these people engaged and funded. Each of us can help make the delivery of the “C” word come across in the same manner as when we are told we have an ear infection or a cold – without too much gloom or finality to the words. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?!