Reflections

Molly-I am so happy we had the opportunity to participate in this project for a couple reasons.  I have worked in healthcare for over ten years and was able to see the journey of many cancer patients.  Some were happy and some were very difficult to observe the direction their cancers took them.  Many of these patients I was close to and when they passed it was like loosing a family member.  I myself have also had my own cancer scare.  I have had so many abnormal looking moles removed I cannot even begin to tell you how many.  A year and a half ago I went in to have two more removed expecting the same outcome as all the times before, nothing wrong just preventative measures.  Boy was I wrong.  Coming from the generation that used any kind of oil you could find to sunbathe I really shouldn't have been surprised.  Both of those moles came back abnormal 1 step prior to cancer. When the reports came back I also found out the boarders were not clear and that I had to go see a specialist to have them removed again.  Now I go yearly to have all my moles measured and observed for any changes and removed if necessary, in fact I go Friday to get two more removed.  Hopefully the work we have done will help future cancer patients receive the treatment they need for a successful outcome!!

Zack-I really enjoyed working on this project over the last few months for a few reasons. The first of these would have to be that I got a real world understanding of how scientific research is adapting to the future of technology. It blew my mind to know that there were thousands of people working on these tasks to propel research and all they had to do was keep their computers charged. The second reason would have to be that it gave me a better understanding of tumor markers and tumor development without having to read it in a textbook or listen to it in a lecture. For me, experiential learning is much easier and much more worthwhile, and this definitely came in under that category. Even though we lost a member throughout the semester, I feel as though the project was relatively easy since we were all engaged and interested. I personally can't wait to check out the blogs from the next class in the future. 

Melissa- I enjoyed working on this project because I have learned more about how tumor markers can affect how tumors or even cancers may form.  For myself, I have had family members die of cancer that was not found until it was later in the progression.  I personally have a risk of tumors in my family, so I am personally cautious of what I do and how it would affect my life. I have a large birthmark on one of my arms which I have to watch because it could become a tumor marker and if that occurs I have to have it removed and all freckles/moles checked, which would be extremely time consuming.  It was also interesting being able to adapt technology to looking into how to cure or be able to adapt markers to help those with a higher risk for cancer or tumors themselves.