Shocking Words From An Oncologist's Mouth!

This is sorta gossipy, so forgive me if I'm coming across with a wrong spirit. But it confirms something many of y'all either actually "knew" or suspected on some level about the American healthcare system.

Yesterday there was a Parents of the Church Youth Group meeting. This is an ad hoc committee of whatever parents believe they belong in this group, in order to feel like they have a say-so in the church youth group doings, even though all decisions have usually already been made by the church PTB, and our job is just to nod our heads in agreement and bring cookies. If you go to a mainstream evangelical Christian church, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

There was a seat open next to one such parent, a local oncologist who is known in town as "The Green ($$$$)Reaper." No joke. They are really cool people, our children hang out together, they give a bunch to foreign missions, the wife drives a really sweet fire engine red 1967 Mustang convertible (she has to import the leaded gas), and they quote Monty Python more often than anyone I know. I took the seat.

I had been thinking about them yesterday, and said so. I said, "I've been studying up on cancer and I'm working on a pretty amazing cancer prevention protocol. Lots of organic, raw fruits and vegetables, lots of fresh air and exercise...." The oncologist interrupted me.

"Good! Did you know that 2/3 of all cancer is preventable?"

I actually thought it was more than that, but I said, "I wasn't aware of the exact statistics, but I figured most cancers were preventable."

He and his wife nodded their heads. The oncologist said, "If people just ate a great diet and exercised regularly they'd prevent most cancer. And quit smoking. By far most of my patients have lung cancer. From smoking. If people would just quit smoking, I'd almost be out of a job."

I said, "And a great diet and exercise gets most of the rest of it? Like bowel cancer?" Come on, I knew the answer, I just wanted to hear it from the expert.

The oncologist said, "Yes- colon cancer... really, almost all of it. But then I'd be out of work if that happened." He chuckled.

I said, "Isn't that kinda the point? To actually cure cancer? Couldn't you trade fields or something?"

He laughed again and said, "Wait till I retire to cure cancer. Then you can cure all you want."

I can't remember what kind of a stupid comeback I had after that. My brain was on TILT. When I read about stuff like this here on CZ and elsewhere, sometimes it's just words. But when you sit right next to it, it can be quite a jolt.

Wings



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