Creativity Tips: I Love Creative Medicine

Do you ever stop and think about how amazingly creative the field of medicine is? There are so many ways to treat an illness now, thanks to new drugs, new procedures -- and creative doctors who continually find different ways to cure people.

Ten years ago, TIME magazine named the PET/CT scanner the medical invention of the year. As you can tell from the Wikipedia article, the device was created by brilliant people building on the learnings of other brilliant people.

I really appreciate all these people. They're helping Amber, my 26-year-old niece, kick her ovarian cancer.

Since many of you have asked how Amber is doing, I want to give you a quick update. The PET scan taken after Amber's last massive round of chemo revealed two tiny spots of cancer. So, now that she has built up her strength, she's heading back to the hospital today for one more operation. The chemo shrank the tumor by her heart to the point where the surgeon can remove it. The surgeon will also be removing the itsy, bitsy cancer by Amber's belly button.

Ovarian cancer is tough. Fortunately, so is Amber. She's also looking dang good for a young woman who's been through so much! (I know. Looks are not what's important. But, in this case, Amber's beauty is as much a reflection of her indomitable spirit as a tribute to her gorgeous eyes. My nephew Cary does know how to pick 'em!)

Thanks for all your good thoughts and I'll keep you posted.

By the by, Amber had no idea when she joined the CI team that she was getting an arsenal of cheerleaders -- she really appreciates the support!