Bullying Of Cancer Patients - Something I never imagined anyone would or could do.
While most people have been incredibly supportive and generous to me since my bowel cancer diagnosis, treatment and being given a stoma for life I do still encounter wilful insensitivity, indifference and even outright bullying from others and one individual in particular.
A ‘friend’ who has always obsessively pedantically corrected everything I say, interrupted and then cut me out of numerous conversations, even waving his hands towards me like he was swatting aside a fly, and tried mentoring me in a cloying patronizing tone, turned up at a new year’s eve party I was attending as 2022 ended, He entered a room I was already in with other guests, and still sober, walked round the room shaking hands with everyone, but bi-passed me, before having saved me for last, offered me his hand, then pulled it back as I reached out with mine, as he went ‘uuurgh, no, I don’t think so…then stared at my look of anger and disbelief, before snapping that he was only joking before walking out of the room, still not having shaken hands with me. This is someone who knows full well the condition I had, the treatments I receive and that my stress and anxiety levels are going through the roof. What is wrong with some people? The thought of responding to his action violently sprang to mind for me, but as the event hosts and their other guests were wonderful I refrained from acting to avoid spoiling the party for them. I still have some social events to attend this year where this creep will be present. It makes me feel very uneasy knowing someone who knows and gets on very well with many of my friends is willing to treat me or any cancer survivor with such loathing and contempt.
