Reply #334: I know the stats too, and I know this is anecdotal but...

[Mandate My Ass]

I worked for several years in a cancer staging section of a major metropolitan university hospital always ranked in the top 10 in the country for cancer care.

Admittedly I am neither a health care worker or scientist, but one thing became abundantly clear to all of us who worked in that department, including the docs -- the ones who consistently beat the odds were the ones who were able to rid themselves of all the negative noise and surround themselves with positive, supportive people.

When I think of the many inspirational people I met there, I think of Andy because there were actually two criteria that made a quantifiable difference, the second being those who felt they had positive contributions ahead of them, and were determined to make them.

Who knows, maybe he was terminal from the get go, but now that I know the score I firmly believe the hounding and smearing must have sapped strength he could have used for healing. Either way he is gone way too soon.