Costly Cancer

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I was devasted by a recent survey printed in USA Today this week. The survey presented information that 1 in 8 folks with advanced cancer turned down recommended care because of the COST. Among lower-income patients 1 in 4 refused treatment. Seriously? We live in the greatest country on earth in my opinion, and yet we're in a place with our healthcare system where people have to decline life-saving treatments due to the price-tag.

I mean, it's one thing if you're shopping at South Coast Plaza in "The O.C."...you know...strolling along, drooling on the windows of Hermes, Chanel, Armani, Versace, etc. And then you think, "Wow, as much as I love these adorable Prada shoes, they are just too expensive, and I can do without." It is a WHOLE other story to be presented with medical treatments that could SAVE YOUR LIFE, and yet you think, " I can't afford this at all, so I have no choice but to decline and live out the rest of my life with dignity" --- or -- "These costs will devastate my family, and I want to make sure that when I die, they have something to sustain themselves, so I choose not to have treatment."

Yes, I am usually peppy and upbeat on this blog because I personally feel that feeding the warrior and fighting this disease is the only way to win -- but --- surveys and articles like these just show how much farther we have to go, folks. We are an awesome nation, but I implore you now as you go to vote in a few weeks, and I desperately will implore whoever is the new President, to start making changes in how we BATTLE this disease. This is war, ya'll. It is not just a war against a deadly disease impacting people around the world, but it's a war to fight for a better healthcare system, to fight for funds that will help with cancer prevention and early detection, etc., etc.

Please, join in the fight. If you are in the local Southern California area, please contact me to join our LIVESTRONG Army and be proactive in this war. If you're not in the local area, please still email me, and I will connect you with a local LIVESTRONG Army in your area. Or, click here to sign up for your local LIVESTRONG Army online.

Nobody in this amazing country should ever go to bed hungry and without a roof over their head...and nobody should have to go to bed with the burden of choosing between their cancer care costs and their lives. There is no price for human life, we should all be able to live out the end of our days the way we choose and with dignity. Let's unite and make change happen. CURES ROCK.

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