You Shut Your Mouth, How Can You Say....

Man people can just be so insensitive. And I do understand that it's mostly not intentional. And I don't want this to be another one of those "stupid shit people say to cancer patients" type of post. Kinda already did one of those last year. 

Rather, I think what's on my mind is the fact that, after my diagnosis, all throughout my treatment process, and even still today...people are still telling me how I should think and feel, and telling me what to do. 

Still!

And it's getting on my nerves. But then again, not much doesn't get on my nerves these days, as it seems I've been in a bad mood for weeks and weeks now.

Maybe it's because of the anxiety inducing time of the year...when I was thrown into cancerland. The diagnosis, the surgeries, the chemo kicking off....the hair loss devastation.

And I still can't believe it's been 7 years now. 

Anyway...I guess I just need people to know that, even though you are trying to be helpful, you achieve the exact opposite result when you say something like "Well, at least your cancer is not one of the worst ones..." or something like that. Ya know? 

Or "How can you still be so upset when you know you are 'cancer free'?" said to me exactly 3 1/2 weeks after being diagnosed.

Or "Omg, stop using this chemo-brain excuse...you just want to get out of xyz task/chore/appointment". (Here are 10 Things y'all should know about chemo-brain.)

"There are so many others so much worse off than you."

"Your hair will grow back. My teeth are all gone. I'm bald inside my mouth!" (Seriously.) 

"You shouldn't be worried about anything ever again cause you've faced the worst thing ever...cancer and death!" - I get this one anytime I complain out loud about life's regular and mundane situations...like finances, or even bitch that I'm getting a pimple. Like, I'm not allowed to let anything ruffle my feathers ever again, cause I've "survived" so much worse.

Just stop it! It's like you are being completely dismissive of my fears, feelings and emotions. Like I have no business having the feelings or emotions that I have. 

I guess I'm just saying...think first. Think about something horrible that you've gone through. How would you like it if I played it down like "it could be worse..." Or "at least you didn't/don't...."?

I know so many others have written much more eloquently on this topic. But it's just been in my craw lately. Again, probably the time of year. 

And also...can I just say that breast cancer, and any cancer, is not a competition illness. I've compared this type of stupidity to "the labor story". You know...where moms sit around one upping each other on how terrible their labor was. "Oh you were in labor for 19 hours? Oh please...I was in labor for 37 hours and was still having to wait on DH hand and foot and cook his dinner and wash up the dishes before we could go on to the hospital...." *being facetious, of course*

But still, some cancer people do the same thing...
"At least you didn't have to go through mastectomy..."
"At least you didn't have to have 'red devil chemo'!"
"At least your surgeries went well without complications."

If I share something with you about how I'm feeling or doing (know that you are close enough to me for me to be honest with you, cause most people will only hear that "I'm great, how are you...") and you are about to respond to me with something that begins with the words "At least...." just pause a moment....and then just shut your mouth.

Ok, so yeah...rambling now....ugh. 

July 23 is the date I mark as my "NEDaversary". It was on that day, in 2009, that I had that second surgery and the clear margin was achieved. And I'm told by some cancerland dwellers that this isn't the correct way to determine your actual NED.... That I'm supposed to consider myself a "survivor" from the moment I was diagnosed. And that I'm really not supposed to say I'm NED until the end of active treatment. 

Really...well...

I go about things the wrong way....

And would ya look at that...it ended up being another "stupid shit people say to cancer patients" post after all.....

Isn't It Ironic?

Oh irony!  I just love it sometimes.  Lately I'm seeing a few posts on Facebook about how terrible/awful/evil social networking sites are.  About how people are losing grip on real life and spending so much time on these sites that they have become terrible/awful/evil people.  Wow. "Evil"?? Really?  I even read a thread where someone said money is no longer the root of all evil, but social networking sites are. Then a looooooong thread of posts followed discussing how sick it makes one person to see Likes on a post less than 30 seconds after posting it and that this person just has no use for Facebook and there are so many better things they would be and are doing instead of sitting on Facebook. 

Except: YOU ARE POSTING THIS ON FACEBOOK! And looking at the thread, you've come back to it several times and have spent quite a bit of time there discussing how you refuse to spend time there. Oh irony! 

Yep.  I love Facebook.  Especially when it's used the way it was intended.  I don't love how some people use it as a means to hurt others feelings, or make someone feel less than or post "dirty laundry", or in any hurtful way.  But that's not a reflection of social networking, or Facebook...rather, I think it speaks to the quality of person who use these sites in this manner.  

And what did y'all think about Mark Zuckerberg's gift to users on Facebook's Tenth Birthday? That "Look Back" video...I loved it.  Genius!  I also loved that it was editible...cause...well, y'know....

Oh I'm getting off topic here....Irony.  How often do you see irony and just have to laugh? Like that rude, aggressive driver...whipping in and out of traffic, who just blew past me, honked the horn and flipped me off.  Back bumper of her car has a Jesus fish and three bumper stickers with Bible verses and an ad for (I guess) the church she attends.  

A little too ironic...and yeah I really do think...

The Thrill That'll Getcha...

"Now it's all decided to blow our minds...."

Wow.  Really Rolling Stone?  You seriously are gonna put the accused Boston bomber on the cover? Holy shit.

 Hunter Thompson is rolling in his grave.  He must be.

So, I'm personally not a good enough artist to get my picture on the Cover Of The Rolling Stone....but maybe if I commit a heinous enough crime? Maybe?

Wow.  What the fuck kind of message are you sending?  And pleeeeeeeeeease people...pleeeeease don't start in with "it's not his fault...he's a victim" bullshit.

It's bullshit.

He's old enough to know better. 

OMG I'm so disappointed in Rolling Stone.  Not gonna say that I'll never buy or read it again....cause I really have not been all that regular of a reader of the mag.  But just holy fucktacular shit Batman!!  Somebody's def takin all kinds of pills over there.

And I'm not gonna share a picture of the stupid ass cover either.  Nope. 
Not doin it.

But yeah, way to go Rolling Stone.  Just go on ahead & glorify terrorism. 

Fuck you.

"The Cover Of The Rolling Stone" -Dr Hook