Infusing Hope
Norman Cousins (1915- 1990), an author, was Editor-in-Chief of the US “Saturday Review” for over 35 years. He was a tireless advocate for world peace and in his latter years devoted much writing and study to the issues of illness and healing.
In his book “Head First, the Biology of Hope and the Healing power of the Human Spirit”, Cousins illustrates the power of hope. He tells of two physicians who delivered papers at a national meeting of cancer specialists. After their presentations, one of them, who was truly perplexed, said to the other: “I don’t understand it, Bob. We use the same drugs, the same dosage and the same schedule of treatment. Yet I get a 22% recovery rate and you get a 74% recovery rate. How do you explain that?”
The other responded, “We both use Etoposide, Platinol, Oncovin and Hydroxyurea. You put those letters together and tell people that you are giving them E-P-O-H. I put them together and explain to them that they are receiving H-O-P-E. I emphasize that they have a chance.”
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It is an accepted fact that one’s own attitude to a great extent decides the outcome of one’s fight with cancer. Naturally the treatment given by the doctor who infuses and nurtures “Hope” in the patient is three times more successful than the normal regular treatment.