Brian, I couldn't agree more with this. In December, 2004, I was diagnosed with SCC, BOT. I was 62. My wife, who I later discovered had
HPV, was 35. After six months at Methodist Hospital in Houston (37 rounds of radiation, Cisplatin, 5Fu, etc.) I came home. The four years since have been plagued with fatigue, lack of energy, depression and anger. My wife divorced me in November, 2007 (I suspect she felt some guilt).
I have always believed in the old axiom, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". The state of medical care in this country is abysmal. Insurance companies control the care that one receives, and they will gladly avoid paying a few hundred dollars for Gardisil even though potential cancer treatments for an individual may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (obviously they are betting on the patients demise). I was fortunate to have excellent insurance and can't imagine what it is like for someone that has none.
Anyway, thanks again for OCF for the information it provides, the community it sponsors and the hope that it gives all of us.
Harry