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
    Medical device classification and development strategies
    Medical device classification and development strategies
    April 5, 2023
    varicose veins
    Varicose Veins Prevention: 3 Lifestyle Changes to Make Right Now
    May 1, 2022
    Things You Should Know Before Buying Golden Teacher Mushrooms Spores
    Things You Should Know Before Buying Golden Teacher Mushrooms Spores
    September 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 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
    Aaron Carroll Defends Retail Clinics
    December 13, 2011
    Health Wonk Review – Opening Day Edition
    September 11, 2017
    Cigarette Warning Labels May Go Up in Smoke
    January 9, 2012
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Are Your Responsibilities as a Cancer Patient Today?
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 > What Are Your Responsibilities as a Cancer Patient Today?
Public Health

What Are Your Responsibilities as a Cancer Patient Today?

Andrew Schorr
Andrew Schorr
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE
Patients at the Patient Power Myeloma Forum in Barcelona

Patient and Caregiver at the Patient Power Myeloma Forum in Barcelona

Patients at the Patient Power Myeloma Forum in Barcelona

Patient and Caregiver at the Patient Power Myeloma Forum in Barcelona

When I was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 1996, I just wanted the doctor to heal me. I dreamed of a magic wand that a healthcare provider could wave that would take the disease away as suddenly as it had appeared for me (even though it had probably been developing for years, I just didn’t know it!). No such luck, of course.

So what followed was a total disruption to my life. Fear, sleeplessness, psychological counseling, and a long procession of diagnostic tests and years of blood tests, IVs, and generally being a pin-cushion. Many people in white lab coats and uniforms have done many things to me, as they have to so many others.

One might wonder whether our role as patients today is simply to submit—that a passive role is good enough. After all, it requires so much strength to march from appointment to appointment, exam to exam. Go here, go there.

I would argue that today the passive patient, or at least the passive patient and his/her care support team, is likely to get the short end of the stick. Fear will be greater because you will be less knowledgeable about what’s going on and what is possible; you’ll have no chance to ask important questions, no chance to bring up something a provider has overlooked, no chance to sound an alert about a mistake (and there can be many), no chance to get a second opinion, no chance to participate in a clinical trial at another center, no chance to get support from others.

So whose responsibility is it to make you active rather than passive to be sort of an “impatient” rather than a “patient?” Yours! You have that choice. You can say “heal me” and roll over and pretend it’s all a bad dream. Or you can pick yourself up off the floor, put one foot in front of the other, and grab back some level of control. Believe me, it is all to the good, and I have seen that not just in my life but in most of the thousands of patients I have interviewed. The Andrew Schorr unscientific poll results are clear. If you accept responsibility to be an engaged. questioning, information-seeking patient; you have the best chance of doing better and feeling better along the way.

Cancer is not a bad dream. It is real life. Just as you take responsibility for other aspects of what you face, you gotta take responsibility for this journey, too.

Agree or not? Tell me what you think, and we always welcome the publishing of other points of view.

TAGGED:patient responsibility
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

What is Killer Number 1 ?

February 1, 2013
Nurses Who Fight the Flu Shot
Public Health

Nurses who fight the flu shot

January 6, 2016
king for a day
BusinessHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Healthcare Executives – Keep Calm and Be A King for A Day

August 14, 2015

8 Things CFOs Must Know About Health Reform

August 29, 2014
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?