Who We Are
Jul 23rd 2007
Doug Gosling
Doug is an adult cancer survivor, diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2002 and then for a recurrence in 2007. After his initial experience, it took him over four years to come to grips with the emotional impact of the diagnosis and the “complete devastation” of his belief systems. So significant was his experience with cancer, that he has written a highly detailed, brutally honest and deeply personal account of his battle with both the physical and the emotional diseases. This soon-to-be-published book will be made available on this website.
Doug is still re-building his life but with a much more positive attitude and a vastly expanded view of the Universe and his place in it. He is one of the many who, with the help of friends and family, have turned their cancer experience into “one of the most positive events” in his life. He wants to share this with others and to help in any way he can. As the primary blogger on this site, he will have lots to say.
Doug divides his time between his family, his day job (software executive), writing, and helping to make the world a better place. He has extensive volunteer experience and is currently on the advisory council of a major North American cancer center.
About Ruth Ackerman
Today, Ruth is a sister, a daughter, a mentor, a friend, a licensed pharmacist, a volunteer, a board member, an advocate, an employee and a boss but, for a period of time, starting November 18th 1999, Ruth was merely a cancer patient - a woman with breast cancer. With the help of friends, colleagues and family, Ruth has completely recovered from the surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments that were part of her aggressive treatment. She now leads a very active life and has recently taken up long distance running with a goal to run a half-marathon next year.
Ruth is an executive with a multi-media health information publishing company and volunteers for the Canadian Cancer Society. She is very excited about participating in talkingaboutcancer.com because, although there is a significant amount of excellent information on physical cancer treatments, there exists a dearth of information about survivorship and the emotional impact of cancer . As the medical community gets better at successfully treating physical cancers, more and more people will be adjusting to life post-treatment. In Canada, 1% of ALL women are breast cancer survivors. A fantastic statistic!
About Andrew Matthew Ph.D
Dr. Andrew Matthew is a staff Psychologist and a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at a major North American cancer center. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine in the Departments of Surgery and Psychiatry. He is also a director on the Board of the Ontario Psychology Association.
Andrew has extensive experience working with cancer patients and their families in Department of Psychology, Department of Epidemiology and the Department of Surgical Oncology in several major hospitals. His area of interest is in the psychology of health and he has provided research and clinical service to programs such as Stress and Risk Reduction Program, High Risk Breast Clinic, Familial Ovarian Cancer Clinic, and the Cancer Healing Journey Program. He is also the co-director of the Prostate Cancer Prevention and Wellness Clinical/Research program at the hospital.
Andrew’s current research focus involves prostate cancer treatment decision-making, couple’s adaptation to prostate cancer treatment, and cancer survivorship and the development of programs to address the physical, cognitive, and emotional impacts of cancer and its treatment.
Andrew also has a private practice, Clear Path Solutions, where he provides assessment and treatment for individuals and couples in crisis, dealing with trauma, grief and bereavement, depression, anxiety, and addictions.
Andrew divides his time amongst his wife and three young sons, his hospital/university practice, his private practice and his research. He is a very busy guy who has helped thousands of people deal with the emotional impact of cancer.
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