Saturday, October 23, 2010

On being called a survivor

Don't you hate it when somebody writes what you were going to write, better than you ever could?

I do.

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Posted by Ann aka ButDoctorIHatePink at 2:44 PM

9 comments:

  1. SueOctober 23, 2010 at 4:24 PM

    Have you heard the term "previvor" - those that have one of the BRCA1 or 2 mutations yet themselves have no evidence of cancer (yet). I'm not sure that the introduction of new lingo is always helpful ...

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  2. Ann aka ButDoctorIHatePinkOctober 24, 2010 at 11:04 AM

    Previvor? Oh you are kidding me! PUKE!

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  3. Anonymous GOctober 24, 2010 at 1:27 PM

    This article may have been written "better"(it IS a good article!), your reply is well-said.

    thank you, Ann. You speak for me in your writing...

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  4. CancerCultureChroniclesOctober 25, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    This is a really great article. I must admit I'm a bit sick of all the "cancer catchphrases" that are floating around, "survivor" being one of them. I think it's part of the culture of hero-worship that we, as a society are so quick to embrace. Personally, I don't feel like I'm heroic in any sense of the word, and there are days where I feel like I'm barely "surviving". Mostly I'm just dealing with the very big pile of BS that life served me up, and doing it the best way I know how. If people find that inspiring, great, but I'm not doing it for anybody else. The danger of putting "survivorship" on the pedestal where it is currently, is that if I'm not putting on my "survivor" ra-ra strong happy face, then apparently I have given up hope. Well I haven't given up hope, but I refuse to say I've survived breast cancer, until I've actually survived breast cancer. I like to keep things real in this case.

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  5. SueOctober 25, 2010 at 9:32 AM

    One of my best friends is a genetic counselor for (mostly) breast cancer pts and she told me of the "previvor" term. crazy.

    I was interviewed by a local CBS affiliate as part of their promo for "Stand Up to Cancer" b/c I had participated in a clinical trial funded to some degree by SU2C's fundraising. I felt pretty uncomfortable being labeled as a "survivor". I was just dx a year ago - talk to me in 20 years and maybe I'll feel more like I truly survived it.

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  6. JulieOctober 25, 2010 at 4:57 PM

    I'm proud and grateful to have the term "survivor" apply to me so long as it means I'm still alive spending time with my precious son (2.5 yrs old). Someone could call me whore-bag if it had that same meaning...I don't give a rat's ass, as long as I'm alive and doing my part to fulfill God's plan for my life and I pray each day that His plan includes me being here on earth for my son til at least he reaches adulthood.

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  7. AnonymousOctober 25, 2010 at 8:09 PM

    I hate the term "survivor" when it is applied to a former cancer patient.

    A woman at the American Cancer Society said to me, "Oh, you're a two time survivor!" and I wanted to punch her in the face. She was helping me and so I didn't voice my opinion about the term.

    What's the deal with this "survivor" thing? Is that what I *am* now? No. My life is bigger and more important than a shitty event(s) that took place in the past. Forgive my French there - but do people who've been in serious car accidents walk around thinking of themselves as "survivors" for the rest of their lives? I doubt it.

    I just learned about "previvor" by reading the comments above. Wow. That's just exponentially stupid.

    Ditto for "journey".

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  8. Edwin ThomasOctober 28, 2010 at 2:58 AM

    A man's dying is more his survivor's affair than his own.

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  9. SildenafilApril 7, 2015 at 10:40 AM

    This blog is great my friend keep it going and have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete

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