Julia Schopick created the website, Honest Medicine, in honour (and memory) of her late husband Tim Fisher, who has been her inspiration ever since they met over a quarter century ago. Tim and Julia’s medical odyssey began on September 15, 1990, with Tim’s first diagnosed grand mal seizure; two weeks later, he underwent brain surgery for a huge, cancerous tumor “the size of an orange.” This was soon followed by chemotherapy and radiation; and throughout the years, there were many complications — seizures, stroke, more surgeries, etc. — from these initial treatments.
The day she realized that Tim’s doctors didn’t have all the answers was the day they started to work together to find treatments that might extend both the length and the quality of his life — and by extension, their lives.
Please take some time off to visit her website, Honest Medicine, for a host of health-related articles.
Of particular interest (in relation to the Breast Cancer Awareness Month) in Julia’s website is an article entitled “Welcome to Cancerland: A Mammogram Leads to a Cult of Pink Kitsch” written by Barbara Ehrenreich:
“It goes on and on, this mother of all mammograms, cutting into gym time, dinnertime, and lifetime generally. Sometimes the machine doesn’t work, and I get squished into position to no purpose at all. More often, the X ray is successful but apparently alarming to the invisible radiologist, off in some remote office, who calls the shots and never has the courtesy to show her face with an apology or an explanation. I try pleading with the technician: I have no known risk factors, no breast cancer in the family, had my babies relatively young and nursed them both. I eat right, drink sparingly, work out, and doesn’t that count for something?! But she just gets this tight little professional smile on her face, either out of guilt for the torture she’s inflicting or because she already knows something that I am going to be sorry to find out for myself. For an hour and a half the procedure is repeated: the squishing, the snapshot, the technician bustling off to consult the radiologist and returning with a demand for new angles and more definitive images.”
You may read the entire article here (opens in a new window), or download a PDF version of it here.
Other interesting articles available at Julia’s Honest Medicine are:
I am really honored by your very touching tribute to me and my site — and of course, to my wonderful late husband Tim. I will be spending more time on your site. It, too, looks very interesting!
Many thanks!
Julia Schopick
http://www.honestmedicine.typepad.com
pelf: Don’t mention it, Julia. I am only doing what I can, in my somewhat-limited capabilities :)
Interesting article.
pelf: I thought so too ;)