Thursday, October 19 Rafting Anyone?

White Water Rafting anyone? Looking for companions...

Photo by Quite Lucid, see Flickr

"Although cancer is usually described as a war and is often discussed— by doctors, institutions, the public, and the media—using military termi­nology, I encourage people to think of cancer as a journey; say, a rafting trip down a river. Sometimes the river can be relatively easy and slow; at other times there are sharp turns and frightening rapids. Like all jour­neys, different travelers begin at different points on the river, with differ­ent levels of knowledge and experience."

In the summer of 1999 I went white water rafting. It was a quite a memorable father and son experience and one that I often think about.
On the raft there was a guide who guided our raft to safety. The were a number of other people in the raft who were part of our crew. Also included were my friends and companions from our neighbourhood with whom we went rafting. Welcome to my 2006 version of white water rafting.

Photo by Ryan J. Bonnell, Flickr

Author Jeremy Geffen will introduce you to my guide, companions and crew.
"In order to get to your destination it is essential to know what sort of river you are traveling on, and where on the river you are starting. You will also need an experienced guide who has navigated this river many times
before: someone who knows its twists and turns, and how to best support you along the way. This guide, of course, is your oncologist, and relationship between you and your doctor is extremely important, journey down the river also requires the participation of your companlions and the crew of your raft. Your companions are your family, friends, and associates. The crew includes the medical support who is involved in your care, including nurses, phlebotomists, laboratory and radiation technicians, receptionists, billing and insurance staff and social workers. "
From The Journey Through Cancer, Jeremy Geffin, MD, ISBN- 0-307-34181-x

More tomorrow...