Have you read this?

Its' an essay titled "The Median Isn't the Message"
written by Stephen Jay Gould, an evolutionary biologist by profession, after he was diagnosed with cancer.

http://cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html

I hope the statistical jargon isn't too heavy for people. As a biostatistician it's hard for me to judge. But his message is simple. Strive to be in the 50% who are beyond the median. They tend to be people with "positive attitudes, with a strong will and purpose for living, with commitment to struggle, with an active response to aiding their own treatment and not just a passive acceptance of anything doctors say."

I don't think we have too many passive people here. Or at least their sisters here don't allow them to be passive for long!

And don't let the numbers you read get you down. First of all, they don't tell the whole story. And, second, with all the new treatment options that keep appearing, we are in teh process of establishing new, higher medians.

I'm determined to be a statistical anomaly. An outlier. One of those who made my job analyzing medical research studies really a pain.

May we all be thorns in some statisticians side!

Thanks for the article. I printed it out. Stephen Jay Gould has always been one of my favorite authors - although I must admit his books were never an easy read. I was saddened when he died. His voice is much missed especially now with the debate between evolution and so called intelligent design. Thanks again.
anna

I N S P I R I N G !
Thanks for sharing.

Interesting to hear others put into words what I'd been thinking... I want to be in the 50% who are beyond the median in the clinical trial.

This is an excellent article. I'm with you Sis, waaaaaaaaaaay out on the tail.

An interesting and enlightening read! I believe i have a sanguine personality and may we all be way out on the tail!

Rosemary