It’s World Cancer Day: We have to ‘close the gap’
February 4, 2023. Today is World Cancer Day. It’s a day that will raise awareness of this horrific disease. This year the theme is Close the Gap.
The theme hits home strongly with me. It was eight years ago this month that I was diagnosed with early-stage Melanoma. The procedure to remove it was simple. One surgery; no chemo or radiation needed.
I've always realized I was lucky. Not only was it caught early, but that I had the necessary insurance to have all the medical work done.
For me, the timing was right. Two years earlier, my life situation left me without health insurance. I didn't think much of it. My medical work was being handled by free clinics and the county hospital. If I had to wait for appointments, it was fine.
But, what if I had discovered the cancerous mole during this time? It may have taken months to see a dermatologist to get a diagnosis. Who knows how long it would have been to get a surgeon to remove it? That stage-one Melanoma could have easily progressed into something much more dangerous, even deadly.
I think about this often. I think about how many people get a cancer diagnosis and aren't financially equipped to fight it.
There’s a huge gap in America between the haves and the have-nots. It stands out most in our country’s health care system. If you don't believe this, go to Stroger Hospital and try to see a doctor. It’ll open your eyes.
On this World Cancer Day, we really do need to close the gap. It'll will save lives that are needlessly lost.