Today is a day that we will always remember – 9/11. This morning I’ve heard so many people say that it is my generation’s Pearl Harbor. We pause to remember the victims, and to honor the fallen heroes.
I always have a chill that runs up my spine when I think about the tragedy. My oldest daughter was 7 years old and I took her to NYC for the very first time. We were there just two weeks to the day before the attacks - looking at the Twin Towers from the Empire State Building. She looked at me and said “those are the coolest buildings that look exactly alike.” We then made our trek around NYC and stood at the base of those cool buildings. We watched all the hustle and bustle of people going about their day.
Though it was hard for a 7-year-old to wrap her head around the magnitude of the incident, my daughter cried the day of the attacks. We as a nation cried that day.
It is common to hear someone ask “Where were you when the towers were hit?” I remember vividly what I was doing. Oddly enough I had an entire TV crew outside of my home. They were doing a story on one of my cancer projects. I was poised and set to talk about statistics and risk factors. As I was having the mic pack strategically hidden, a camera man came running from the van asking me to turn on my TV. He was horrified as he said, “some asshole just flew a plane into the World Trade Center!”
We all flew into my living room to see the live coverage – me and a remote news team. As we watched the breaking news, the second plane flew into the other tower. We all stood still and knew then it was no accident.I think about all the lives that were lost in those moments. The people who watched in horror knowing their loved ones were there simply going to work.
Last August I was fortunate to be a part of the LIVESTRONG Summit in Columbus, Ohio. I know the cancer statistics and I can spout them off easily. When I heard Lance Armstrong say we lose the same amount of people every two days as we did on 9/11 the comparison shook me. 1,500 people will die today from cancer…another 1,500 tomorrow…and the next day. It still shakes me to look at a cancer statistic it in those terms. In posting this I am not trying to minimize the tragedy that occurred eight years ago today. I just hope the statistic shakes you as much as it continues to shake me. Every two days we lose so many people to another type of terror. Cancer.
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Sign in nowI always respect feedback – both positive and negative. Thank you for sharing your views. As I made sure to mention: “In posting this I am not trying to minimize the tragedy that occurred eight years ago today.” I have friends who lost loved ones, and I had friends working at the Pentagon as well. It was a day that changed us as a country.
As of this spring 2,998 died in the terror attacks.
•19 terrorists
•2,966 victims
All but 13 people died on that day. The remaining 13 later died of their wounds. One person has died since the attacks, of lung cancer. It is suspected to have been caused by all the debris from the Twin Towers.
It is also a fact that 560,000 Americans are expected to die from cancer this year, or more than 1,500 per day. 1500 x 2 = 3000.
It is a powerful comparison.
It’s even more powerful and really mind boggling, when you think about the fact, that those 1,500 are US only. More than 3,000 Europeans die from cancer every day (http://www.ecpc-online.org/press-room/106-cancer-task-force.html).
People will have a hard time grasping that we loose that many people to cancer on a daily basis (and that doesn’t even include Asia, South America and Australia).
Both events are terrible tragedies. We can’t change the death total of 9/11 and Americans and everyone around the globe will always remember the victims and their families, especially on this day.
However, we can work together and unite to change the death totals of cancer! It’s about time to act and change those numbers for the better!
Sally,
Thanks for the support! Trying to learn from experts like you! Slowly but surely, we’re making progress.
Be well!
JP
Hi Kairol,
I loved this posting!! After my treatment for breast cancer was “done,” I found it difficult to go back to a life of normalcy, whatever “normal” meant. Your advice on getting back into the swing of things is great.
Going through treatments was very tough, but I had a regimented schedule. Life after cancer has been tougher, although the first year was the hardest.
Anyway, kudos to a fellow blogger whose voice needs to be heard.
Hi Sally! I love your blog and would love to talk to you about your story!
Hello,
I’d like to introduce you to three amazing women – Julie, Michelle and Glenda – all cancer survivors. They have “Chosen to Smile” as they have dealt with life’s struggles. Now they have written an amazing book called “Choosing to Smile” that will be published in early 2010. In preparation they have launched a Facebook page and invite you to join the worldwide “Choosing to Smile” movement.
You are invited to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146031228952&ref=nf
Wendy McClelland
Publicist for Choosing to Smile
wmcclelland@shaw.ca
I highly enjoyed reading this post, keep up posting such interesting stuff.
Hi there all, I had a mamogram which showed nothing but
I had grade 3 breast Cancer, had the test the day before Christmas and went away on holiday thinking I was a dead girl walking and this would be my last holiday. That was 2 years ago now. I read your stories thank you for sharing, it gives hope to all, thought I had it bad but you made me see we are not alone. I had grade 3 breast cancer went through the Chemo badly collapsing twice then the op and rad. The treatments nearly killed me and I am still in pain all the time two years down the line. But in all the thick of it I visited a web site called http://www.healthwise-global.com read their stories and bought a CD which helped me every day that I listened to it. From time to time I still take it out when I feel low and it helps. I done the walk for life and will be doing it again this year. My way of saying thank you for still being here
Thanks you for sharing your story visit the web site see my story there
Jenny
I agree, a loss is a loss. One person is a unit of a whole. Ask the mother that hold the son or daughter she has just lost to Cancer what is worst.
All life lost is tragic
I lost my beloved mother to Cancer and my daughter almost lost me her mother to Cancer
sorry guys left out the important bit http://www.healthwise-global. com do vist there help out there if you know where to look
Hi Sally, looking forward to new and exciting things from you
breast cancer is of course easy to diagnose early and very easy to treat if you catch it early~~-
I would love to hear the follow-up to the success of this movement!