If you or someone you know is fighting cancer you understand the stress surrounding the big “C”. Also, you probably already know that one of the great stress relievers is taking action. Of course this sounds simple - to step up and take control - but the fear of the unknown can be a powerful obstacle. Let us not forget that powerful obstacles have been overcome time and time again by individuals possessing powerful doses of determination. It does not mean they are not afraid. They are perhaps more afraid of what will happen if they don’t try. One possible way to take charge of the situation at hand is to get involved in clinical trials. The American Cancer Society and other organizations conduct clinical trials to help determine the effectiveness of new drugs, old drugs, combinations of drugs and delivery methods, including infusion pumps which, of course, can be easily carried in a PoppyPocket. A patient usually joins clinical trials to do something about their situation and being in a trial, hopefully, puts the patient on the front end of advances in drug therapies. Additionally, in the bigger spectrum, the data gathered during clinical trials adds to the pool of information that ultimately leads to more effective treatments and eventually a cure. In a very real sense, trial participants are part of the solution. To gather more information on trials contact the American Cancer Society 1-800-303-5691, or online at www.cancer.org and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 1-800-422-6237 or online www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials But wait – there’s more. ClinicalTrials.gov, which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, currently lists 159,370 assorted medical studies with locations in all 50 states not to mention 185 countries. Wow! http://clinicaltrials.gov/ Please come back and visit us online at PoppyPocket. I’ll have information, events and news to share with you. And, if you have any ideas - drop me an email – I’d love to hear from you! Live boldly, Julie