Nothing Speaks Like Experience…. One Patient’s Story

by Femma Norton My first brush with cancer patient advocacy was 42 years ago, long before the advent of computer and internet literacy with its wealth of information. My father had just been diagnosed with a brain tumour, a condition that was as foreign to us as something that had come from outer space. Very little was known about the disease but what was certain was that the prognosis was dire. At some point into

I could be seen as unlucky: I am a former cancer patient, suffer two other chronic diseases and am getting older. However, I live in a large Canadian city. This means that, should I ever have need, I have good access to palliative, hospice and caregiver services. I have a good family doctor. I have the time, money and literacy to understand and access all treatment options available to me. I do not worry about

by Perry Monaco My entire world changed on August 9th, 2009. My first and only child, Grace Stephanie, was born to my wife, Christy and me in Oshawa, Ontario. We were married for a mere thirteen months but had dreamed about this day for our entire lives. She was perfect and healthy. We couldn’t ask for anything more. What we didn’t know at the time, however, was that I was sick. While taking a shower