My Message to Chenhart

Different Ballgame

My Dear Claudia,

I could not respond to your posting a few days ago. I don't want you to think that I did not care, I needed time to think as to how I wanted to respond to you. Today is your test. Know that I am mentally and spiritually with you while you are having the procedure. I know that it is scary for you, but know that is also scary for all of us, worrying about you. Many sisters are saying prayers and lighting their candles. I can only imagine this world and this board with you in it.

You are an excellent writer and have a wonderful way of expression. I was in awe of the words you chose to tell us about your lump and your reaction. I believe your last words in the posting were, "Let the party begin." I liked its tone. The words are firm and strong. No one on this board can match you with verbiage.

I told you in private that I hate the words Warrior and Beast. I think that I am the only person on this board who strongly hates these two words. I refuse to say them and I quickly pass them when I see them in print.

How about the word PRINCESS for the women and PRINCE for the man instead of Warrior.

Beast is a very difficult word for me to come up with a new word. One possibility could be Invisible Dragon. Dragons can come in many forms, just like like cancer comes in many forms. Cancer can be seen. Cancer also cannot be seen. Maybe someone else has a better word than mine and Beast.

I am making a toast, "To Good Health".

Lots of Love and Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

LadyParvati

Wonderful letter!
Janelle,

Your words convey sentiments that many of us share--thank you for posting them publicly. We are all hoping for a grand and long future for Claudia!

While I agree that "Beast" is really inappropriate for what we all have faced, are facing, and may face again in the future, I would ask that we find a different substitute for Beast than Dragon. I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and I called on--still call upon--my Inner Dragon to help me fight this battle for life. Yet I too am unsure what we might substitute for "beast" . . .

I often think of you--sorry I have been so lax in writing to you and my other CSN Sisters. Know that you are always in my prayers, just as Claudia is!

Much Love, Sandy

cahjah75

Janelle
I too was touched by Claudia's message to all of us. I think we would be very happy to be Pink Princesses. As I went to radiation this morning I too was thinking about all who are getting tests or treatments. I have been very emotional lately just thinking about everyone. I join you in your toast, To Good Health.
{{hugs}} Char

Different Ballgame

LadyParvati said:

Wonderful letter!
Janelle,

Your words convey sentiments that many of us share--thank you for posting them publicly. We are all hoping for a grand and long future for Claudia!

While I agree that "Beast" is really inappropriate for what we all have faced, are facing, and may face again in the future, I would ask that we find a different substitute for Beast than Dragon. I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and I called on--still call upon--my Inner Dragon to help me fight this battle for life. Yet I too am unsure what we might substitute for "beast" . . .

I often think of you--sorry I have been so lax in writing to you and my other CSN Sisters. Know that you are always in my prayers, just as Claudia is!

Much Love, Sandy

What else do we have in common?
Sandy,

I also was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Can someone come up with a different name other than beast and dragon.

Maybe if we think about cancer being seen and not seen, someone can come up with a word describing both.

Sandy, I also think of you often.

Lots of Hugs and Lots of Love,
Janelle

Different Ballgame

cahjah75 said:

Janelle
I too was touched by Claudia's message to all of us. I think we would be very happy to be Pink Princesses. As I went to radiation this morning I too was thinking about all who are getting tests or treatments. I have been very emotional lately just thinking about everyone. I join you in your toast, To Good Health.
{{hugs}} Char

Char
Dear Char,

This year is definitely not starting out like I would like it to be. I like Pink Princesses. Works for me. I don't think the men want to be called Pink Princes. Should we just call them Prince? Any men out there reading this post? What are your comments?

Thank you for joining me in the toast, To Good Health.

Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

cindycflynn

To Good Health!
For Dear Chenheart, and for all of those on this board!!!

As far as terminology - How about Crab (relating to the Zodiac sign) instead of Beast? I know that hearing about yet another person hit with this makes me extremely crabby!!!

Love,
Cindy

pinkflutterby

cindycflynn said:

To Good Health!
For Dear Chenheart, and for all of those on this board!!!

As far as terminology - How about Crab (relating to the Zodiac sign) instead of Beast? I know that hearing about yet another person hit with this makes me extremely crabby!!!

Love,
Cindy

what a heart warming letter
what a heart warming letter

I am guilty of using the term beast - I will try to think of an alternative, I personally do not like it either! Pink Princess is nice. Has chen posted anything yet? She probably has no results.

♥ Libby

fauxma

cahjah75 said:

Janelle
I too was touched by Claudia's message to all of us. I think we would be very happy to be Pink Princesses. As I went to radiation this morning I too was thinking about all who are getting tests or treatments. I have been very emotional lately just thinking about everyone. I join you in your toast, To Good Health.
{{hugs}} Char

Janelle,What a beautifully
Janelle,
What a beautifully worded post. I respect and understand your dislike of the words warrior and beast. I have used them but often just refer to cancer by its name but I know for many it is hard to say that word. When I was first diagnosed 11 years ago I hated saying or thinking the word so in my head I substituted something I always disliked. This is going to sound weird but here goes, my cancers are black licorice. When a close friend developed cancer a few years later she asked how I coped and I told her my word so she chose her own special term. I am not advocating calling it black licorice instead of the beast because many love that candy. Just thought I would share this. Outloud I use the word cancer or "this disease". I guess what I am trying to say it doesn't really matter what we call it, it's how we fight it. I think that is how warrior evolved because we fight fiercely. But I am okay with whatever term someone uses and would be happy to hear other suggestions. It's like the term survivor. It's so subjective.
But the bottom line is just what Janelle said To Good Health. Our hearts are with Claudia and Janelle expressed everything I would have said to her and about her. Thank you Janelle.
Stef
GO FIGHT WIN

I just thought of a word phrase "The Foe".

Dawne.Hope

semantics
I think it's silly to mince words.

A beast destroys, kills, maimes ... I think it is a very fitting word for cancer. Cancer killed my mother, it has killed others on this board recently. It is a beast. It's nasty. I think to call it anything else sugar coats it. I like Chenheart's words.

A warrior fights, kicks some ****. I think warrior is a very fitting word for all of us on here. A warrior rises to the occasion. None of us ever thought we'd had to fight ... but here we are.

We love you, chen! xo

A fellow warrior of the beast,
dh

Christmas Girl

Dawne.Hope said:

semantics
I think it's silly to mince words.

A beast destroys, kills, maimes ... I think it is a very fitting word for cancer. Cancer killed my mother, it has killed others on this board recently. It is a beast. It's nasty. I think to call it anything else sugar coats it. I like Chenheart's words.

A warrior fights, kicks some ****. I think warrior is a very fitting word for all of us on here. A warrior rises to the occasion. None of us ever thought we'd had to fight ... but here we are.

We love you, chen! xo

A fellow warrior of the beast,
dh

"To each his own"...
How many times I've typed words to this effect: Each & every one of us must find our own way. To get through the worst of it; then, find our own version of life afterwards.

I do not know, and couldn't possibly even begin to guess.

And, everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion. Mine? On this one, I'm with Dawne.Hope, 100%. Absolutely.

Not mincing: cancer is a lethal disease. Left unchecked, untreated, it is deadly. It pains me to type those very words - because this close-knit group has lost three members over the last several months. Trish, Heidi, Lisa. All were esteemed warriors. Fought hard - without guarantee. Personally, I'm still grieving. Deeply.

And there are many - like Meena, Libby, MamaG, Kari, Chen - who are, once again, fighting - yes, fighting! - to survive. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, tests, oral medications, etc. are the weapons used.

The beast, the damned evil beast, warriors, princess warriors, pink princess warriors, the pink sisterhood, the rollercoaster ride, the journey/path, holding our flashlights at the end of the tunnel - this is our language.

Proud of my fellow warriors, and proud to be one, Susan

fauxma

Christmas Girl said:

"To each his own"...
How many times I've typed words to this effect: Each & every one of us must find our own way. To get through the worst of it; then, find our own version of life afterwards.

I do not know, and couldn't possibly even begin to guess.

And, everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion. Mine? On this one, I'm with Dawne.Hope, 100%. Absolutely.

Not mincing: cancer is a lethal disease. Left unchecked, untreated, it is deadly. It pains me to type those very words - because this close-knit group has lost three members over the last several months. Trish, Heidi, Lisa. All were esteemed warriors. Fought hard - without guarantee. Personally, I'm still grieving. Deeply.

And there are many - like Meena, Libby, MamaG, Kari, Chen - who are, once again, fighting - yes, fighting! - to survive. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, tests, oral medications, etc. are the weapons used.

The beast, the damned evil beast, warriors, princess warriors, pink princess warriors, the pink sisterhood, the rollercoaster ride, the journey/path, holding our flashlights at the end of the tunnel - this is our language.

Proud of my fellow warriors, and proud to be one, Susan

Well said, Susan. It is
Well said, Susan. It is truly a fight and you make very valid points. I am proud of you and all of us for fighting whether we are warriors, princesses, whatever and giving it our all against the beast, the foe, black licorice or whaatever.
You always state things very plainly and without being offensive. I have known you here for quite awhile and I don't know if I have ever said it, but I admire you very much. I have reached a time when I realize that if I don't tell someone how I feel about them perhaps I will never have the opportunity.
So to Chen, Meena, Kari and all of you here I think you are terrific.
Stef

Christmas Girl

fauxma said:

Well said, Susan. It is
Well said, Susan. It is truly a fight and you make very valid points. I am proud of you and all of us for fighting whether we are warriors, princesses, whatever and giving it our all against the beast, the foe, black licorice or whaatever.
You always state things very plainly and without being offensive. I have known you here for quite awhile and I don't know if I have ever said it, but I admire you very much. I have reached a time when I realize that if I don't tell someone how I feel about them perhaps I will never have the opportunity.
So to Chen, Meena, Kari and all of you here I think you are terrific.
Stef

Awww, dear Stef...
Was just about to log off. Glad I didn't.

Thank you, Stef. And I'll follow your excellent example: your feelings are mutual. Ditto, all the way around. :-)

Kind regards, Susan

Different Ballgame

Christmas Girl said:

"To each his own"...
How many times I've typed words to this effect: Each & every one of us must find our own way. To get through the worst of it; then, find our own version of life afterwards.

I do not know, and couldn't possibly even begin to guess.

And, everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion. Mine? On this one, I'm with Dawne.Hope, 100%. Absolutely.

Not mincing: cancer is a lethal disease. Left unchecked, untreated, it is deadly. It pains me to type those very words - because this close-knit group has lost three members over the last several months. Trish, Heidi, Lisa. All were esteemed warriors. Fought hard - without guarantee. Personally, I'm still grieving. Deeply.

And there are many - like Meena, Libby, MamaG, Kari, Chen - who are, once again, fighting - yes, fighting! - to survive. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, tests, oral medications, etc. are the weapons used.

The beast, the damned evil beast, warriors, princess warriors, pink princess warriors, the pink sisterhood, the rollercoaster ride, the journey/path, holding our flashlights at the end of the tunnel - this is our language.

Proud of my fellow warriors, and proud to be one, Susan

Dear Dawn and Susan,
I don't know how to explain what I personally feel when I hear the words Warrior and Beast. Those words do something negatively to my body.

The word Cancer on the other hand does nothing to me because that it is what it is...cancer. You can call it whatever you want, but the bottom line is that it is cancer. A frightening word.

The word Warrior...I don't know...just doesn't gel with me. I firmly believe in fighting and being aggressive with treatment, even though there are consequences to treatment,

I believe in educating oneself to all the knowledge you can possess and sharing it with your sisters.

Dawn and Susan, I felt your strong reactions/definitions to Warrior and Beast. In no way do I want to convey that cancer should be sugar coated or that one does not fight. That was not my intent. I am not that quick to reveal how I personally think and react because I don't want to accidentally offend someone. .

I now know what I don't like about these 2 words. They are negatives. I don't like negative. I am searching for positives...positive strong word. You just stated weapons. I thought of tools. You don't necessarily have to be a warrior to fight something. You just have to be a strong person to stand up and fight. Use whatever words you want. I respect how you feel. Respect is what it is all about. Respecting another person's feelings.

I am no stranger to cancer. I lost my mother to carcinoma of vulva...a terrible, painful death. I was the one who had to tell her that she had cancer. It was the blackest day of my life. I will never forget her initial reaction. I lost my only sibling at a young age of 54, my younger sister, to a painful lung cancer death. She was in Hospice and died in my house. No pain killer could alleviate her pain. Death brought her peace. My only cousin died of breast cancer at the age of 45. My best friend just died of kidney cancer in November. She was lucky in that her pain was minimal and controllable. My father-in-law died of lung cancer but he also was lucky in that his pain was minimal. And I ended up with a recurrence ...invasive carcinoma...after my initial 0 Stage DCIS. Believe me, I KNOW CANCER VERY WELL.

Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

aysemari

Chenheart
You have a very special place on this board.

You are captain who mapped this unchartered world for us.
I will never forget reading Hogwarts for the first time and I
knew I had found a special bunch of people.

It goes without saying how much we love you and need you.

LOTSA and lots of love,

Ayse

crselby

Me versus Me
Here's my two cents on semantics. Words have power, at least in our thoughts. I have never really thought of my breast cancer as a beast or even something outside myself that needed to be fought. When diagnosed, my first thought was that my body had betrayed me. Even now, I think of cancer as my body 'gone bad'. These cells originated within me. They proliferated because another part of my system was not up to par (to kill them). They are part of ME, just errant. Like petulant little boys. I imagine the cancer as MY cells, just unwelcome ones. So, I want to imagine the majority of my GOOD cells overwhelming the errant ones and consuming them. It's a battle going on inside of me, but it's all me. The Tamoxifen helps me keep the cancer cells from growing by starving them to death. The cancer cells are no more of a beast to me than, say, my gray hair!

I hope you don't think I'm totally daft, now.
~~Connie~~

MAJW

to each his own..
I 'm not one to mince words, either...never have been and I refuse to be "politically correct" when talking about MY CANCER... Can't and won't speak
For anyone else, though...but does it REALLY MATTER what we call ourselves or cancer? I have bigger worries than am I a warrior or a Princess..
I happen to like warrior...because...I have FOUGHT for my life! Just like every other person on this board and everyone in this world with cancer. Princess conjures up to me, someone sitting in their little tower eating Bon Bons...that's not me by a long shot! And if cancer isn't a beast, then let's call it what it really is....deadly, a killer...I HATE CANCER!

But as I said to each his own...does it really matter in the big scheme of things, like life?
Peace to all...And better days to all who are trying to survive this deadly disease called cancer

Different Ballgame

Lets Get Off the 2 Words & Concentrate On Claudia
This posting is taking a different direction. I want to bring it back to Claudia and concentrate on her.

If you want to continue to discuss the 2 words, someone should start a brand new posting.

Claudia, it is now Saturday. How are you?

Hugs,
Janelle

chenheart

Different Ballgame said:

Lets Get Off the 2 Words & Concentrate On Claudia
This posting is taking a different direction. I want to bring it back to Claudia and concentrate on her.

If you want to continue to discuss the 2 words, someone should start a brand new posting.

Claudia, it is now Saturday. How are you?

Hugs,
Janelle

A Rose by any other name......
Oh sweet Janelle!

Seems I am in the middle of a Kerfuffle even when I'm not here! LOL I got home from my scan ( more on that in a second) and noticed your post. At that moment there weren't too many responses. In keeping with what my sister calls my "Switzerland Personality" I thought of some synomyms, as I never purposely want to casue anyone discomfort. I was going to say "Champion" and "Nemesis", but by the time I logged back on and saw how others responded, I decided to opt out of the fray. (Truth be told, it was Dawn.Hope and her post which convinced me to leave well enough alone~ we obviously all react differently, both positively and negatively to words) If my words have caused you pain, I am deeply sorry. And to those who relate to and are empowered by them, I am happy about that.

The scans...it was a long day, but I reminded myself that I am truly thankful to live in a time where treatment and diagnosis is available, and that I have health insurance. The staff was so attentive and explained every step of the way, even though I had had CT/PET scans before. Being as I have only one "good arm" for blood draws and IV's, "Houston, we have a problem"..my vein hadn't recovered from the lab work on Wednesday and simply wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't get the saline IV and the radioactive glucose piggybacked in. The nice RN had to use a butterfly and directly inject the radioactive liquid into the side of my tiny wrist. :-( I am nothing if not brave, and though it did hurt, and caused bruising, I was a trooper and didn't cry! I as always, brought a book with me, sat nice and still for an hour, and then had my scans. Also a wonderfully attentive RN at the ready.

My sweet Reggie had a delicious hot cuppa coffee waiting for me to stave off my caffeine deprived headache, and then he treated me ( for the 2nd time this week!) to fresh lobster tacos! We went to out favorite little restaurant right on the ocean and breathed in the sea air and ate fresh local lobster. I know the day went as well as it did for myriad reasons: Reggie smudged me with sage smoke before we left; I carried keepsakes from the Kindred Spirits with me, and I know had I had all of the hopes, dreams, prayers and good wishes of all of you with me. Truly, it helped. While in the PET scan chamber, I mentally sang one of the Chumash songs from the group Reggie sings with: it translates to "Stand Tall"...it kept me calm and my imagination from getting away from me.

So..today and tomorrow I keep busy. I know I am but one person, and lots of us are going through treatment and scares. The good wishes you gave me I know you also sent to the rest of the Kindred Spirits. I love you for that. Thank you!

Hugs,
Chen♥

MAJW

chenheart said:

A Rose by any other name......
Oh sweet Janelle!

Seems I am in the middle of a Kerfuffle even when I'm not here! LOL I got home from my scan ( more on that in a second) and noticed your post. At that moment there weren't too many responses. In keeping with what my sister calls my "Switzerland Personality" I thought of some synomyms, as I never purposely want to casue anyone discomfort. I was going to say "Champion" and "Nemesis", but by the time I logged back on and saw how others responded, I decided to opt out of the fray. (Truth be told, it was Dawn.Hope and her post which convinced me to leave well enough alone~ we obviously all react differently, both positively and negatively to words) If my words have caused you pain, I am deeply sorry. And to those who relate to and are empowered by them, I am happy about that.

The scans...it was a long day, but I reminded myself that I am truly thankful to live in a time where treatment and diagnosis is available, and that I have health insurance. The staff was so attentive and explained every step of the way, even though I had had CT/PET scans before. Being as I have only one "good arm" for blood draws and IV's, "Houston, we have a problem"..my vein hadn't recovered from the lab work on Wednesday and simply wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't get the saline IV and the radioactive glucose piggybacked in. The nice RN had to use a butterfly and directly inject the radioactive liquid into the side of my tiny wrist. :-( I am nothing if not brave, and though it did hurt, and caused bruising, I was a trooper and didn't cry! I as always, brought a book with me, sat nice and still for an hour, and then had my scans. Also a wonderfully attentive RN at the ready.

My sweet Reggie had a delicious hot cuppa coffee waiting for me to stave off my caffeine deprived headache, and then he treated me ( for the 2nd time this week!) to fresh lobster tacos! We went to out favorite little restaurant right on the ocean and breathed in the sea air and ate fresh local lobster. I know the day went as well as it did for myriad reasons: Reggie smudged me with sage smoke before we left; I carried keepsakes from the Kindred Spirits with me, and I know had I had all of the hopes, dreams, prayers and good wishes of all of you with me. Truly, it helped. While in the PET scan chamber, I mentally sang one of the Chumash songs from the group Reggie sings with: it translates to "Stand Tall"...it kept me calm and my imagination from getting away from me.

So..today and tomorrow I keep busy. I know I am but one person, and lots of us are going through treatment and scares. The good wishes you gave me I know you also sent to the rest of the Kindred Spirits. I love you for that. Thank you!

Hugs,
Chen♥

Wishing you well...
Good thoughts, wishes and prayers...Good karma...wishing you what ever you need most ....
Peace be with you
Nancy