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• A personal story about our eye-opening interview with Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal and the moment we all felt seen.

• A look inside the medical system's playbook, empowering you with the knowledge they don't want you to have.

• An invitation to join our private community, Cancer Crew+, where we take back control of our health journeys together.

Hey everyone!

Raleigh here. I’ve got to be honest, I was a little fired up before heading into our call with Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal. If you’ve read her book, An American Sickness, you know she’s an accomplished journalist and doctor who spent years deep inside the belly of the beast, the American medical system. She’s not someone you can fool with surface-level answers.

I went in with a long list of questions, but what I wasn’t prepared for was how validating it would feel.

There was one moment that really hit me. Dr. Rosenthal was sharing the story of her late husband’s battle with esophageal cancer, and she said something that really stuck with me. 

She realized that, for his oncologist, the focus wasn’t truly on her husband as a person, but on the drugs, the data, and the progress of oncology as a science. As she put it, “it was kind of nice if Andre got better, but if he didn’t, they learned something.”

Hearing that, I immediately thought of Carli and our fight with cancer. It was the exact same feeling she had described over and over during her treatment, the feeling of being “just a body.” A vessel for science, a data point in a massive experiment, but not a whole person with a spirit, a mind, and a life that was being turned upside down. 

It was confirmation that the gut feeling we’ve all had, that feeling that our humanity gets lost in the machine, is real. We’re not crazy. We’re just seeing the system for what it is.

That conversation lit a fire under me. It reinforced why we started Cancer Crew in the first place. We wanted to create a space where we are seen as whole people, not just patients. A place to share what works, what doesn't, and how to navigate this insane system together

The System's Playbook

That conversation with Dr. Rosenthal got me thinking about her "Ten Economic Rules of the Dysfunctional American Medical Market." They sound academic, but trust me, they're not. This is the playbook the system uses.

I encourage you to read her book for the full rulebook, but here are a couple of rules that just scream "yep, that happened to me!"

Ever wonder why you were pushed toward the newest, most expensive scan or drug, even when a simpler, older one might have worked just as well? This is why. The system financially incentivizes doing more, not necessarily doing what’s best for you. 

It’s a business model that rewards volume and high price tags, turning your health into a transaction where upselling is the default setting.

This one is tough to swallow, but it’s crucial to understand. For the medical-industrial complex, a cure is a one-time payment. Managing a chronic condition, however, can be a revenue stream for life. 

This rule explains the relentless focus on symptom management over root-cause solutions. It’s not that they can’t find cures; it’s that the business model thrives on conditions that are never fully resolved. 

It’s a hard truth, but seeing it clearly is the first step toward seeking out real wellness.

This is the one that explains the crazy bills. Why does an aspirin cost $50 in a hospital? Because they can charge it. There's no real competition or price transparency. You, the patient, are a captive audience, especially when you're sick and vulnerable. 

They set the price, and your insurance company negotiates a discount, leaving you with a final bill that has no connection to the actual cost of the service. It’s a shell game, and you’re not meant to know the rules.

Take Back Control of Your Health Journey

Here’s the truth: understanding the system is one thing. Facing it every single day is another. It’s exhausting, it’s isolating, and it’s designed to make you feel like you’re on your own.

But you’re not.

The entire reason we built Cancer Crew was to create the one thing the system can’t take away from us, community. It’s our sanctuary, a private, secure space where these conversations go even deeper. 

It’s where you can ask the questions you’re afraid to ask your doctor. It’s where you can share your story and have hundreds of people respond with, "Me too." It’s where you can watch the full, unedited interview with Dr. Rosenthal and other experts who are pulling back the curtain.

If you’re tired of feeling alone in this fight, if you’re ready to be surrounded by people who finally get it, then this is your invitation to step inside.

This isn’t just a forum. It’s our crew.

With heart,
Raleigh and Carli
Founders of The Cancer Crew

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