Living as Human Lab Rats

         

          The article tells the story of an unnamed person who is suffering a stage 4 spring of melanoma cancer. They got qualified for a new treatment plan that is still in the works and only 30% effective. Now, they are living their life as a human 'lab rat' used for experimenting with the disease. Their entire life it legitimately an experiment. I don't think anyone should be pushed into signing their life away for risky experimentation or used as a lab rat for an untested drug. I think its great that science is coming closer to a cure for the horrible disease of cancer, but I truly feel bad for this poor person.Unfortunately, "The scary truth is that many of us in the cancer world — both doctors and patients — are winging it here, just hoping that the cure doesn’t kill us along the way." (Williams).
           This narration uses a ton of ethos evidence. I feel horrible and sick to my stomach. They discuss the horrible side effects, constant doctors visits, dehumanization, and fear of failure. The narrator somehow seems to stay in somewhat good and joking spirits. They say things like " but so far, I am considered quite the achiever around the fourth floor. My doctor beams at me like I’m Christmas morning." and "On my better days, I feel connected to something very big. I feel like my diseased body has a purpose. And then sometimes I feel like a combination of Henrietta Lacks, those kids from “Never Let Me Go” and Michael Palin’s doomed brood in “Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life.” " (Williams). The article simply speaks for itself.


http://www.salon.com/2011/11/24/my_life_as_a_lab_rat/singleton/