Nurse who survived cancer advocates humor as healing tool

Published: 2004-06-23

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Cathy Donze smiles broadly and her eyes twinkle when she spins off this and other one-liners: "Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world." Donze, a clinical nurse liaison at Alexian Brothers Sherbrooke Village in South St. Louis County, finds life funny and is determined to help others see the humor in the world. Her goal isn't to entertain but to help people improve their health. "Our lives aren't always going to be happy -- we all have difficult times," Donze, a cancer survivor, said in an interview with the St. Louis Review, archdiocesan newspaper. But, as the saying goes, laughter indeed is the best medicine. "It's free and has no known side effects," Donze said. "Humor is described as intellectual play. It promotes physical healing and is essential for mental health." Donze has done her homework. "Studies show patients given one-liners after surgery have less need for pain medication," she said. "Humor releases the tension around even the heaviest of matters. Some of our most trying moments turn into laughing matters when we look back at them."

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