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
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 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
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Uncertainty of Cancer
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 > Specialties > The Uncertainty of Cancer
Specialties

The Uncertainty of Cancer

Andrew Schorr
Last updated: February 24, 2015 9:00 am
Andrew Schorr
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE
Andrew with Dick and Carole Crew

Andrew with Dick and Carole Crew near Seattle just before Dick’s stem cell transplant in Summer 2014

Andrew with Dick and Carole Crew

Andrew with Dick and Carole Crew near Seattle just before Dick’s stem cell transplant in Summer 2014

Just two weeks ago, I wrote of losing an old television colleague to liver cancer. From diagnosis to death was less than two months. Today I am writing about the death this past weekend of another old friend and mentor, Dick Crew, who fought diffuse large B-cell lymphoma for about a year. While I have been so fortunate to live with two chronic blood cancers, my friends’ versions of malignancies took them much too quickly and with conditions where we have made less progress. Sadly, despite progress against some cancers, these very heterogeneous diseases remain formidable foes, and we must always be reminded of that.

I wanted to tell you a little bit about my friend Dick and how he made a difference to me and you.

I am writing this today from Charlotte, North Carolina where I worked as a television news and feature reporter 35 years ago. It was Dick who gave me my ticket to bigger things in national television and relocation to San Francisco in 1980. Dick was national executive producer of the PM/Evening Magazine television series that was zooming up in the ratings and proliferating from just five television stations to being featured on 110. My new job was to work with Dick and a small group of great producers to choose what America would see on that program every night and how to promote the stories on the program in a way that millions would want to watch.

Dick was my mentor in underscoring that viewers want to connect with stories about real people who have hopes, dreams, emotions and relationships that are key to their lives. That storytelling is what I learned from Dick. And it is central to what we do at Patient Power.

Dick also was much more thoughtful and organized than I am. He was an enormous help in organizing and positioning the book I wrote with Mary Thomas a few years ago, The Web-Savvy Patient. Dick had earned his PhD in communications and became a university professor. His strategic thinking really helped me, and I will never forget it.

It’s tough to lose a mentor and friend who you have known for 36 years, someone who enjoyed your wedding, someone who lived in three of the cities you lived in. Our lives criss-crossed again and again.

And it’s tough to see how variable the cancer journey can be. We talk so much about people doing better. But that was not Dick’s journey. Modern medicine let him down, as we still have so far to go.

For me, it just reminds me how we need to celebrate every day whether we are living with a diagnosis or not, and to cherish the lessons you get from friends. I know Dick’s teachings live on in what I do every day.

Wishing you and your family the best of health!

Andrew

TAGGED:cancer
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

Asthma Medical Home at Boston Children’s Hospital Wins Innovation Challenge

November 14, 2012
woman with red lipstick smiling
Dental healthWilderness Medicine

7 Ways to Take Better Care of Sensitive Teeth

October 30, 2021
cosmetic dentistry
Dental healthSpecialties

Reconstructive vs Cosmetic Dentistry Differences Explained

April 15, 2024
SpecialtiesWellness

5 Ways a Bad Mattress Negatively Affects Your Health

February 15, 2019
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?