Hi everyone, i was at the gym the other day having tea afterwards and sat near 2 ladies talking about a friend who was receiving chemo, and one friend said to the other "of course she won't survive because everyone that gets cancer, always gets it back and succumbs! Well, needless to say I was hopping off my seat and had to interrupt! I said excuse me I am a cancer survivor and not everyone succumbs and I am living proof to that. She dismissed my almost 4 year survival and said, well I don't know anyone who has survived. They got up to leave, as I did too and I apologised for interrupting their conversation and said I didn't want them to remain with that erroneous opinion, should anyting happen to one of them in the future and they believed that nonsense. To which one of the women replied well it isn't going to happen to me and I said "well I sincerely hope your not one of the 40% that it does happen to" and I walked away quite pissed off actually.
FormerMember
How ignorant, narrow minded and disbelieving people can be. We all think it will not happen to us or someone belonging to us but in reality most of us have been touched more than once by this evil thing. I was pleased to hear that you tried to correct their misinformed ideas. I wish you all the very best on your continued wellbeing. x x x
Glad you said what you said, wish I was there to say I didnt think it would happen to me also i had no risk factors i dont fit the criteria, but it did! Think one day they might smell the coffee. Ruth xx
Do you know what, I think that that is a fairly common misapprehension. Many people still think that cancer is an inevitable death sentence for those that 'get it' . Certainly when I was first told my diagnosis I immediately thought this meant I was on my way out with probably only a year or so at the best. It is not until suddenly you are faced with finding out the true facts about this dreadful disease and come into contact with people, such as on this wonderful site, that you realise there many success stories and many many peole who are in remission and have beaten the b****r.
The sad thing about your experience with these two people, Deirdre, is their reaction after you had told them that you are a walking example that not everyone succumbs. You would have thought they coud have believed their own eyes and rejoiced with you. Glad you put them right though! Well done!Nowt so queer as folks as they say! Stay well.
I was just thinking yesterday, "Why do I get all the fools?. What is it about me that attracts them?". Over the past week i've been told, "Listerine causes cancer", "Because you've got an allotment, it'll add 5 years to your life " ( I reckon I've got 5 more years at most), "Eat a lot of cheese", "Don't eat any cheese", and asked "Have you been doing a lot of shopping now you've finished work ?" ( I've just finished chemo which made me feel 90). There are a lot of confused people out there.
So thank you - I know i'm not alone.
Just enjoy your life Deirdre. When I first got cancer, I was about to sell up and travel the Middle East and Far East, and people said "You're not going now are you?" My reply was "Too right I am" and after my treatment, that's exactly what I did. It was the best thing i ever did and changed my life completely. Just live for today, and say tosh to ladies who think the worst.
