By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    photo of hands with blue veins
    8 Proven Tips on Finding Difficult Veins
    November 12, 2021
    tips for getting over the pandemic blues
    4 Proven Ways to Get Over the Pandemic Blues
    February 22, 2022
    medical industry innovations
    How is CNC Machining Transforming the Medical Industry?
    June 2, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Stay Safe By Being Aware Of These 2019 FDA Drug Recalls
    September 28, 2020
    6 Ways To Improve Your Immune System
    September 28, 2020
    Medical Claims Adjudication: What You Need To Know About It
    June 11, 2022
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Information Can Help Conquer Fear
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > How Information Can Help Conquer Fear
Public Health

How Information Can Help Conquer Fear

Andrew Schorr
Andrew Schorr
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

I spent one day last week at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  I was there for a checkup, having first visited the center 16 years ago. There are several new buildings now and its much bigger, but the leukemia center is still on the 9th floor and many of the people who work there are still the same – only a bit older, just like me. One of the things I love about the leukemia center is that it hasn’t moved. The waiting room is sizeable but quickly becomes jammed with people.

I spent one day last week at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  I was there for a checkup, having first visited the center 16 years ago. There are several new buildings now and its much bigger, but the leukemia center is still on the 9th floor and many of the people who work there are still the same – only a bit older, just like me. One of the things I love about the leukemia center is that it hasn’t moved. The waiting room is sizeable but quickly becomes jammed with people. They have chronic lymphocytic leukemia or CLL, like me, as well as other types of leukemia. Some look the picture of health. Others wear masks and are pushing IV poles. We’re all crammed together in a way that intrudes on our personal “space.” But so what?  We’re all there because we have a serious diagnosis and we want to see doctors who are among the best. The faces show a mixture of fear, courage and confidence.

I have sat in all these chairs. In 1996, it was the fear chair, I had just been diagnosed and I was afraid I did not have long to live. After all, leukemia is a “terminal” condition right? It was just after getting up from that chair and coming into the exam room with Dr. Michael Keating, a CLL expert, that the fear began to fade because I was being educated. No, it was not aggressive in my case. No, I did not need treatment right away. Yes, my wife and I should consider having a third child. And yes, when I needed treatment there will probably emerge something better – to make a longer life possible.

The other day – 16 years later – I was the one in the confident chair. Dr. Keating had been right. New treatment had come along when I needed it. And it worked. But, last week, there were people sitting around me who were back where I had started. One was a vascular surgeon – a doctor. He was quite worried with the new diagnosis of CLL. While I know many have more aggressive disease than I have had I basically told him what a savvy patient told me, “chill out.” It would be very unlikely he’d be dying anytime soon and that he needed information to understand his specific situation.

More Read

telehealth history
The Evolution of Medicare Telehealth Reimbursement
An Indian Hospital on the Fast Track
Osteoarthritis and Obesity Can Shave 3.5 Years of Healthy Life
Hospital Price Transparency Is Here to Stay
Obesity Treatment Alternatives to Reshape Markets

I told the same thing to a young man sitting across from me with chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML. Here the situation looked even better. An approved medicine had already been working well for months and he felt good. Coming to MD Anderson was to ratify what their local doctor had started. He and his wife were looking for more information from an expert to give them peace of mind. I was happy for them, and knew the doctor with CLL would get there shortly, as well.

The power of information on what you are dealing with can immediately help you conquer your fear. Yes, I was in a whole roomful of people with worrisome diagnoses. It’s scary and our friends and relatives lose sleep over what the future holds for us. But there’s a medicine we can take and we can urge them to take too: information. Step one is get a clear picture of YOUR diagnosis, not that of the person in the next chair who may seem like you, but may not be. Step two is get the latest information from the most reliable sources that relates to that situation. At MD Anderson that usually gets down to what subtype of a disease do you have, how early is it, and is there an existing or experimental medicine that may match up?

Yesterday I interviewed a urologic oncologist who has prostate cancer himself. It has spread. He agrees that few doctors can keep up on all the new developments and what may apply to each patient. A lot is happening in many illnesses, thank goodness. The information is there. But, as he said, “You have to be a student of your disease. You have to strive to be in the know, to know what questions to ask so that the best care is served up for you.”

Back in the waiting room the other day, it developed into a “coffee klatch” like it does almost every day. People don’t hide their fears, they share them. And they share information and a boatload more is served up in the exam rooms by devoted staff. The day goes on, information flows in, and the fear begins to melt just a little bit.

I marvel at the process. It worked for me and I know it will work for you.

Wishing you and your family the best of health,

Andrew

TAGGED:cancerInformation Technology
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

primary care desert
Medical EducationPolicy & LawPublic Health

Primary Care Deserts Do Not Disappear With Nurse Practitioners

September 4, 2013
pioneer ACOs
BusinessFinanceHealth ReformHospital AdministrationPublic Health

Pioneer ACOs: Some Say Risk Not Worth Reward

August 12, 2013

Your Lifestyle Can Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death

July 23, 2011

Ventura County Operation Medical Shelter

July 19, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?