Good work, as always, Brian!

Great email, Anita!

I did end up sending my email off to FOX News, but got no response. I'm not surprised.

As some of you may know, I was one of the first HPV+ OC patients to go public in 2008 with the cause for my cancer. It was not easy at the time; I was on Good Morning America and The Doctors. Both programs did their darndest to put a sensationalist spin on the story. I tried my best not to feed into it. It was difficult to go public with the story, but I would do it again if need be. I did it because people need to KNOW. Doctors need to KNOW. And clearly, the general public still needs to know, despite the efforts of Brian Hill and the OCF, and OC patients!
There was a 2-3 year delay in my treatment because a unilaterally swollen tonsil in a young healthy woman was deemed no cause for concern. My tumor sat there staring my ENT in the face while it grew to the size of a walnut. Only when it was taking up half my throat did they remove it and discover it was cancer.
My point is that if the HPV link to OC were more commonly known, I would have been diagnosed MUCH earlier and not have needed such an agressive treatment. I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS IN 2005! I wish someone like me(or Michael Douglas) had come forward with this information. That is why I am passionate about people understanding the HPV connection to this cancer. And I don't care what people do with their sex lives; they just need to HAVE this information instead of hiding their heads in the sand about it. As far as I'm concerned people can keep on doing whatever it is they do behind closed doors but they need to be educated about the HPV link so that early detection, if need be, can take place.

I am extremely concerned about Michael Douglas's need to back peddle. I am also concerned that since Michael Douglas was known for his promiscuity, people may think it can't happen to them if they are not, or never were, promiscuous. Which we all know is not true, but I can see where that one will be going in the media.

The sophomoric reactions are really ridiculous. I just want to scream "grow up, people!" It's all funny until it happens to them personally, or to a loved one.

Teresa