Day 356 - 'one' terrible word

Yep it's gray...and yep I DON'T care!

is it?  It really is interesting how people change when they know you have 'C'...I'm going to start saying it out loud, cancer.  I'm no longer think'n that I don't want people to know because I don't want them to pity or feel sorry for me.  I have really noticed how people just don't want to talk about it.  Ray and I were discussing this the other day...
  Wondering why there is such fear in actually saying word and talking about it.  I really do think that it's because 20 plus years ago if you had cancer it was usually a death sentence.  If you had cancer years ago it meant that you would be going through horrible treatments, barfing all the time and staying in the hospital as you received treatments as well.  But now it's so different.

My hero!

Receiving the cancer diagnosis is shocking, sad, and yes it really sends you for a loop but it's NOT a death sentence.  These days even when you are receiving treatments people are working, they are functioning normally and the word cure is used often.  So why is there so much fear about the word?  I could say a few months ago that it was a word that I had a hard time saying out loud but now it's so much part of my world that I'm no longer afraid of using it.  Yes, I have cancer.  Yes, I am under treatment of cancer.  Yes, it's the pits but it's OK, really it's OK.  Perhaps saying it out loud makes them sad, it reminds them of those they have lost and all they can relate to the word is pain. I wish they could read all the wonderful stories that I do.  How having cancer has changed their lives so much for the better.  How having cancer has awaken them from a life full of things and money...and that's NOT really life.  I wish they could say the word without feeling pain, sadness and unhappy memories.

So many people change after you receive your diagnosis.  Some get closer, some get more distant and if you tried to predict which people would do what I could make bets that you would be wrong.  There are people that come out of the woodwork who want to hear about everything and truly show you they don't fear the conversation and then there are those that just will not or perhaps cannot talk about it because it makes them sad.  Not talking about it makes it all go away, well at least for them. 

I wonder how you change the concept of what people think about you when they hear you have cancer.  Is it possible to adjust the way the world thinks about it? I don't know.  It takes a long time to change the perception within my own mind never mind everyone else's. 

The night view from our room, amazing!

Well we just returned from a fun adventure day to Victoria.  We fit as much into the overnight trip that we could.  I love the way everything in Victoria is so close together and the weather cooperated completely.  It was amazing to see Ray have such a blast on a scooter he rented.  It still makes me smile seeing the video of him tooting along the road.  Saw a lot of new things, didn't get to do everything I wanted but that's the way the ball bounces right now and I accept that.  Soon I will be bouncing like Tigger and nothing will stop me, you'll see, you'll see.

I hope today you had a reason to smile and the next time you run into someone who has cancer don't be afraid of the word because if you're afraid it make them afraid too.  It's nothing to be afraid off, it's not fun but with all the amazing doctors and technology out there things are chang'n.  Maybe you can't see it but I'm living it! LOL

signed 'one' not afraid to say it purple ladybug