Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, September 18, 1998
Professor learns to live with terminal cancer
William G. Bartholome speak to an audience about his battle against cancer. Bartholome, professor of the history and philosophy of medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said medicine needed to be removed from dying in the United States. Photo by Joseph Griffin/KANSAN.
By Carolyn Mollett
Kansan staff writer
Americans should be telling doctors to stop robbing them of the final chapter of their lives, William G. Bartholome last night.
"We've got to change the way people die in America." he said.
Bartholome was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus with local extension — a terminal cancer — in 1994.
Bartholome, professor of the history and philosophy of medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said Americans should recognize death as a part of life. Doctors have a responsibility to inform patients when they are near death so patients can stop worrying and really live, he said.
"I really liked his comments about trying to medecialize death," said Steve Kapeh, assistant professor of social welfare. "The medical profession has taken away people's right to die with dignity."
Since he was diagnosed, Bartholome said he had been living with death on his shoulder. And because he is so aware of his mortality, he has lived a better life than ever before, he said.
"Living my life as a person with a terminal illness has enriched my life beyond my wildest expectations," Bartholome said.
He said that he had more freedom and that he felt more alive than he ever did in his frantic, precancerous life.
"Life does not seem like a box of chocolates to me," Bartholomeo said. "Life seems like serving after serving of an incredibly rich chocolate mousse."
Bartholome shared his illness narrative with more than 100 people in 3140 Wescoe Hall.
He has been around the country sharing his unique perspective as doctor and patient.
"He brought some real credibility to the subject," Kapp said.
By the time he was diagnosed, there was nothing that could stop the cancer's progress.
bartheloane decided the best treatment option was to have his medical colleagues cut out as much of the cancer as they could.
After he got out of the hospital and slowly recovered, the sadness of his situation hit Bartholome.
"The most horrible aspect of that experience was having my future taken away from me," he said.
Bartolomeo said that after a period of doing little but sleeping and crying, he went to a doctor, who suggested that he try to go and live life.
"It was like I was liberated to go live out whatever time we had left."
he said.
Bartholome married his fiance, and they took a honeymoon to Greece. They sold their separate houses and bought a home together.
Bartholome was surprised when he realized in Summer 1995 that he had lived one year with cancer. He wrote a meditation that expressed his joy and new freedom.
Now, after four years living with cancer, Bartholome has written four meditations.
"Inclining one's ear toward death on one's shoulder is a way of listening to God," he said.
Three University of Kansas faculty members discussed life in Lawrence for Mexican and Chinese immigrants at a Lawrence Alliance panel last night.
By Steph Brewer Kanson staff writer
Panelists share immigrant views
The panel, held at the Multicultural Resource Center, featured a history of Mexican and Chinese immigration to Kansas and anecdotes of personal experiences.
Valerie Mendoza, assistant professor of history, gave a background of Mexican settlements in Kansas, while Steve Ramirez, assistant director of the Equal Opportunity Office, and Man Kong, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, related stories from their lives.
Ramirez' grandparents emigrated from Mexico as adults, and Kong moved from Hong Kong to California when he was 21.
"I try to provide a mix of scholarly analysis and personal experience," said Barbara Bonnekessen, Lawrence Alliance's program
Bonnekessen organized the panel, the third in a six-month series of monthly discussions on race relations in Lawrence and Kansas. Ten people attended last night's discussion.
Mendoza began the panel discussion by giving a brief history of early Mexican life in Kansas. She said that in giving speeches, she noticed that most Americans weren't aware of Kansas' significant Mexican-American population.
director.
"Most audiences are surprised to know there are any Mexican-Americans in Kansas at all," she said.
She said that most Mexicans settled in Kansas after working to build the railroads. Through these jobs, large Mexican-American communities developed in Kansas towns such as Topeka and Garden City.
Despite the numbers of Mexican-Americans in Kansas, Ramirez said there still was some discrimination in Lawrence.
"It's overall pretty good, but
He used the issue of the upcoming Spanish television channel as an example. He said people had been trying for years to get the channel. The channel will be added in December.
don't think it's this have a lot of people like to think it is," he said.
"I just saw that as another sign of people not willing to accept what's not considered to be the norm in Lawrence," he said.
Kong also said that he and his family had been victims of discrimination. Kong said his son began having problems at school when he was eight years old.
"On and off some of his classmates were teasing him," Kong said. "You look different, why is your face flat?"
He said he was surprised because the children were so young.
Kong said that he wanted to make the point that discrimination existed in town but that he still thought the community was, for the most part, racially tolerant.
Chemistry professor vies for society office
"Overall, I think Lawrence is still a very good community," he said.
By Julie M. Sachs Kansan staff writer
Growing up, Daryl Busch didn't know about chemistry. His high school did not even offer the course.
Now, a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas, Busch is running for president of the world's largest science organization — the American Chemical Society.
Busch's platform, he said, stresses the opportunity to improve the image of chemistry to the community.
"It worries me that chemicals have a bad connotation," Busch said. "We should have everybody in the world feel comfortable about thinking about chemicals."
One of the ways he plans to make the world comfortable with chemistry is through the Internet.
Busch said if he was elected, he planned to create a Web site that would solve everyday problems, such as tough stains on clothes, using chemistry.
in their problem and receive a chemical solution.
"We've got to get people's interest and find the value for people," Busch said.
People could access the site, type
Busch said the value of science was strong after World War II but that it fell with the Berlin Wall. He said he wanted to see the value become strong again.
"We had this immense compulsion to have the latest in research," Busch said. "This research could make us safe. When there is a threat it is easy to see the value."
If Busch is elected to the presidency, it will have a positive impact on the University, said Joseph Heppert, associate professor of chemistry.
"I think these kinds of opportunities benefit KU in a lot of different ways," Heppert said. "It publicizes KU's name and its faculty. The president of the American Chemical Society can have a pretty big impact on the quality of undergraduate education. That reflects back on KU as well."
Busch said he had received
immense support from his colleagues to put his ideas into action and him into office.
Heppert said Busch had been a good influence in the field of education.
"Daryl's been in education for a number of years," he said. "He has been an advocate of education and undergraduate education for a long time. He is a very good teacher. In that regard, I think he will act as an advocate for education in chemistry."
Busch's opponent for the position is Glenn Crosby, a faculty member at Washington State University.
"He is a good friend, a fine scholar and an exceptional educator besides being a good guy," Busch said of Crosby. "But I'm not voting for him, and I already told him that."
Only members of the organization are allowed to vote in the election. Busch estimated that about twenty percent of the society's 155,000 members actually would vote.
Ballots for the election are mailed Oct. 6 and must be returned by the end of November.
Call home just to say "hi."
Wanna really surprise your parents? Why not flip your KU Card over and follow the easy calling card instructions and call home just for the fun of it? And when they hear your sweet voice NOT asking for money, maybe they'll finally realize you're not the "irresponsible teenager" they once thought you were.
What a concept. Why worry about carrying cash or checks when there's an easier, safer way to make purchases on campus. The KU Card is the one card to carry for nearly all of your everyday needs. Use it to access your account for books and supplies, for food and as a library card, at in campus vending machines. Transactions are debited directly from your account and detailed on one simple monthly statement.
That's not all. The KU Card also works at many participating merchants off-campus and acts as a universal ATM card, giving you 24-hour access to your account in Lawrence and around the world. (And be sure to let your parents know that, with the KU Card, they can deposit money directly into your account from their hometown bank, free of charge.)
It's that easy. So take the hassle-free way to get things done on- and off-campus—take advantage of the KU Card. For more information call the KU Card Center at 785-864-5845 or Commerce on Campus 785-864-5846.
Stop by these KU Card participating merchants:
Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream Store • The Bike Shop • Boomer's Smoke House • Brown Bear Brewery
Burge Union Bookstore • The Casbah • Children's Book Shop • Classic Gourmet • Coco Loco Mexican Cafe
Gibson Pharmacy • Imperial Garden • Jayhawk bookstore • Jayhawk Trophy • Johnny's Tailer • Kansas Union Bookstore
Mr Gatti's Pizza • Orchard Druid • Superior School Supply • University Bookshop • Yello Sub • Yikes