Science Lesson No. 5

Does anyone remember Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched? She was the nosy neighbor that lived next to the Stephens’ in the series. That was the sort of character I had in mind when I created Harriet White. Harriet likes Dr. Todd Davis, and she’s going to butt into her neighbor’s affairs given the opportunity.

Harriet is a widow. Her husband died from small cell lung cancer. What is that? According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 10-15% of lung cancers are of this type and it spreads quickly.

The link between tobacco use and cancer has been well established. ACS states that smoking accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer deaths. They also say that no form of tobacco is safe and that smoking a full-sized cigar equates to smoking an entire package of cigarettes. Learn more about small cell lung carcinoma at www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-smallcell/.

In The Blow-up Man, Harriet faithfully tends to her late husband’s humidor that houses his cigar supply, but why? Does she not recognize that those cigars are what could have killed him, you ask. It’s not clear whether Harriet makes this connection or not, but those cigars are all she has left of her late husband, and she’s not about to let them go.

Join me next time when I discuss the problems associated with prescription drug abuse. Bye for now, Nina B.