... and something genuinely encouraging

It was posted in 2006, but I enjoyed reading Jeanne Sather's piece Don't Write Me Off in the midst of my grays. Four-and-a-half years ago, an M.D. Anderson doctor told her further treatment for metastatic breast cancer was "... reaching the limits of futility."

Futility. It's 2009, she has other doctors, and she's vehemently still here.

The piece also reports on yet another M.D. Anderson dirty secret: They don't routinely give second opinions (at least not to breast cancer and sarcoma patients). Why not? They aren't profitable.