I think I would say treat each patient as an individual. And… recognise that they may have reasons for not wanting to go or take part in trials that you’re not always, you might not be aware of. And that they may have very good reasons that they want to take or not take part in a particular avenue of treatment, for reasons that they don’t always know about, you know. I think it’s very important that they realise, appreciate that each patient is an individual and however much statistics show that this is better than something else, for the individual it’s very important that they have, do, or feel comfortable with what they’re having. In fact I’ve just written a poem, [laughs] I’ve just written a poem about what we would like to tell the oncologists.
Do you want to read it?
Have I got it here? Well, it was just some of the things: however bleak thing are, please give me some hope, otherwise I’ll find it difficult to cope with the treatment I’m having. I am an individual. Despite all the research, there may be very specific reasons why I decide to go down a particular treatment route.
And then there’s other things like: I know there may not be any proof that certain diets or complementary treatments work, but I want to try and help myself in any way possible. It might not cure the cancer but it does make me feel better and gives me back some control.
And it goes on like that: It’s difficult for me to make a split-second decision about what treatment options I decide to have. I might need to go away, think about it and ask others before deciding what to do. The terminology is very alien to me, and it’s a huge responsibility deciding what to do when so much depends on it. I’m not the only one affected by my illness so please don’t threaten me. If I, don’t feel threatened if I want someone to sit with me, for my appointments, and ask questions. I need their support and sometimes they are able to remember things about my health that I don’t, and they are another pair of ears to hear what you tell me.
