“Society’s Perception or Misconception on the Image of What Cancer Really Represents?”
In the midst of a hectic schedule and all of the associated mayhem I’ve found myself dealing with, I paused for just a few minutes to check out one of the football game that was playing yesterday – Indianapolis vs Houston
The head coach of Indianapolis has had leukemia and for the past three-months had been under going chemo treatments and he triumphantly returned to the sidelines yesterday to coach the team once again.
Great story, right?
Person gets cancer…person fights cancer for a few months…goes into remission…returns to work….does the happy dance in the locker room and all of that….to a nationally televised audience…
Made for TV? A Hallmark moment? Too good to be true?
D…all the above?
Sure…
But, what’s really the message being sent here? What glossed over images are we portraying to the people? What’s the hidden message that is being withheld from society at large through this illusion we’re being shown through this chapter of a cancer story?
Is the glorification of this ‘victory’ in this story, doing more of a disservice to cancer – or more importantly, to the participants on hand by showing us a sanitized, neat and clean story about cancer and how it was beaten?
Are they making it look too easy?
Over time, do we now begin to not think of it in more trivial terms from seeing that we get it…and then get over it quickly?
Is this news story relevant? Or is it even newsworthy?
And what makes it any more newsworthy than any of OUR stories?
Celebrity status vs The Common Man is what…
Of course, this is a good story. We all like to see victories over cancer in any form. To say anything at all that is not 100% positive for such a story would be sheer blasphemy, right?
Arguably…
But, let’s don’t lose sight of the point that I’m leading up to….which is…
This guy got cancer…took 3-months of chemo treatments…and went into a remissive state. The articles that I read were obviously written by folks who had no inkling or even the vaguest comprehension of what cancer is and how hard and prolonged the treatments can be….nor the devastating toll it takes on the patient and their loved ones, who fight on for years and not merely months.
To read the article, you’d think this guy went to hell and back again the way they worded it…if you didn’t know any better, that’s what you would believe too…in between the lines, you read he did treatment…he was sick from it…we know that sucks…but 3 months, you’re just really getting started.
Some of you and I know of a much different kind of reality…and the fact of the matter is that three-months is just like cutting your baby teeth in a cancer fight.
Most standard chemo is six-months, not three. Often times, coupled with debilitating radiation treatments and a big, major surgery to get the ball rolling.
Some of us get cancer multiple times…and do multiple surgeries…and multiple chemo/rad treatments…over and over again….for years on end….not for just a few months.
We often return to our jobs and try and pick up the pieces of a long, hard fought campaign…with much less physical function and some mental decline to boot…we often return to our place of employment with no war-whooping or folks getting nekkid and dancing around happy.
So, there’s a part of this story that just doesn’t sit right with me. I’m happy for the guy and everything, but the problem I have with this was how it was presented by the network….and how they manufactured the story to gloss over the realities of what a real cancer fight should represent.
It was about how they glorified, packaged and homogenized the topic of cancer in some simple looking solution and sold it to a delusional audience from the angle of human conquers sickness and prevails against its attacker.
It pandered to the level of emotion that would touch the ordinary guy, because they don’t understand the enormous obstacles, pain and sorrow that most cancer patients deal with over many more months than three.
So, everybody tears up doing the happy dance…and damn you to hell if you don’t go along with it, because you know…it’s cancer…and all of that.
Of course, I'm not afraid to speak up and out about what I saw...
TV wants it to play out like that…everything has to be neat and tidy…and then play itself out like so many of the reality shows that are being peddled or should I say perpetrated upon us today.
Get sick…fight hard…and win the fight…hurry, we’re back from commercial in…5-4-3-2-1…..”Action.”
It’s not like that though…most of our fights on a good day, are at least one year off the top….many do chemo for life. There are multiple stents with multiple hits…it’s never about the first fight for so very many of us.
Where are the balloons and confetti for my folks? Where are the accolades? What about their stories as an inspiration to America or the world?
If the Indianapolis coach had fought as hard as so many of us have, for so many years…they would be erecting statues and monuments for him….probably getting a federal holiday for him…and having streets named in his honor?
A 3-month fight…and he’s a hero…he's an inspiration...he ”overcame” the odds…now he's the “wow factor.”
Or is he?
That probably sounds bitter…but, it’s not…it’s real…and I’ll tell you why.
Because, I think that a story like this sends the wrong message to the public and what a cancer fight really is all about and entails…and the real toll that it takes on the patient and the caregiver during many years of a long fight….not just a few months.
You know that I stand up for the long-term fighter…my respect is high there, because I know how hard it was to achieve those years and make it that far. And it’s the hardest thing there is…real-life statistics have told me that most of my friends have fought between 1-4 years here…and then we memorialize them.
So, you can’t just bring me a 3-month “fight” and say hero or inspiration to me…not after what I’ve seen in my friends characters and their individual fights…and their spouses...over these long, hard years…and still finding it within themselves to share and give selflessly to others.
Those are the real heroes…and those are the people that should be counted amongst the victory trophies being passed around on the tele, masquerading themselves as big victories against cancer....when we've all seen some of the biggest victories and biggest tragedies happen up here in front of our very eyes.
I'm a hard guy, I know...but this place has set the bar pretty high, I'm proud to say...
One only has to look through the battlefield of our board to count the missing soldiers who gave all…and more to our cause. Their memories are our inspirations…their stories go untold, except for those that remember them and what they achieved.
Many of those stories were so inspirational, I made sure I wrote those characters and their stories into my never to be published book…because, these were real stories of real courage and real longevity…and they fought valiantly and silently…except for the echoes of their voices that still roam these newly designed CSN hallways.
I just think that society gets the wrong message from this kind of story…it makes it look all too simple and neat….you get a little cancer….go away for a couple of months….and then come back all new…..yea!
And that’s dangerous thinking….
It desensitizes us to the real dangers of what cancer really is…it starts to get society to thinking that cancer is just another chronic disease…and thereby, we begin to strip away the underlying importance of what cancer is…and how hard it really is to fight it….and that it can take many years, not months to fight…and sometimes years…and sometimes somebody’s own lifetime…up to and including - their own life.
While they may feel like they are just doing a good human interest story…I can think of many more engaging, important human interest stories right here on this board…many of the folks still neatly tucked away in my mind…(they have to be there since CSN deleted all of those wonderful PMs in the upgrade).
People worship the NFL…almost above everything else it seems…so this guy’s name could have been interchanged with anybody else who was “the coach” of Indianapolis…it wouldn’t matter…because, it’s the fame, notoriety and stature that attract people’s attention...not everyday folks like us.
Sports, music, and movie celebrity are all that anyone is really interested in…that’s what makes up all of the headlines...
Not real stories of real people, like you and I…
And I think that’s where society is really missing out on what we have to offer as the real face of cancer….what we’ve gone through…and what we’ve overcome along the way in many years of the cancer walk…
My people stand for the Real Side of the Real Story of what cancer really is…what it really does to someone over time…how long the fight can wage on…what it can take from us…and what it can never take from us…
And we play it out here each and everyday for years on end now…and just because the world doesn’t recognize us, because we’re not sitting in the spotlight…I just wanted to say that “I See You!”
And I for one, recognize everything it took for you to get to wherever you find yourself in this fight. Your story plays live on The Sundance Channel everyday…they are all chronicled in the deep corners of my mind.
“Ju lookin’ good, baby!”
I like good stories, just like anyone else…in fact, you all know how important story is to me…”Story Matters Here” on The Sundance Channel.
I just think we need to keep the real nature of cancer at the forefront of everybody’s attention span…
As Merlin proclaimed in the movie Excalibur, circa 1981…
“For it is the nature of man – that he soon forgets…”
While we all want to make it look way easier than it is…it’s important not to have the story of cancer diluted to the point where people begin to look at it as less than what it really is.
People begin to care less as that story line infiltrates the original story and replaces it….much like St. Augustine grass using its runners to squeeze the life out of Bermuda grass and replace it with its own matrix.
By trivializing and downplaying cancer through the national medium, the head honchos at the network, lost a golden opportunity to broaden the horizon of cancer and show the other side of the spectrum that the disease affords.
It could have showed us that while we may be able to gain a couple of steps on cancer in some cases…that a case like this, while it is to be celebrated, should be with baded breath, because this story does not represent a complete portrayal on what every cancer case really is and how it is dealt with.
Instead, we see this picture of someone getting ‘cancer’ and then taking some ‘tough’ treatments…and then getting all better…and now it’s a nice story of hope and inspiration and we can rally around the flagpole and say “Yes We Can.”
But, they packaged it in such a neat and tidy timeframe – and I feel they missed the point there. It’s good for TV, rah-rah stuff…but they could have taken it a step farther.
People really don’t want to hear or see the truth anymore, do they?
And we just want people to “Conform to the Norm” and not speak out, don’t we?
That way, Perception becomes 9/10 of the law…left unabated, that perception then turns to reality…but not necessarily the reality that is really real.
Not when we can condense the whole story down to a segment that plays before the commercial prior to the game’s kickoff…the story all has to be told with a happy ending by then.
Well, you heard it here first – straight from the horse’s a$$.
You guys are the real heroes…just sayin’….
And BTW…still “Keepin’ It Real” here in Cancer Land… after all these years...
Your humble servant along the front lines – who’s never afraid to talk about the hard topics...
-Craig
Comments
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Hi Craig, What an interesting
Hi Craig,
What an interesting subject you've raised. Similar thoughts have been on my mind lately. A woman I work with got breast cancer. She had surgery, 5 wks radiation and will take a pill (no side effects) for the next five years. I feel really guilty for having these thoughts and I can't believe I'm telling anyone this, but I just think, wow, that sounds so easy. That sounds like a walk in the park. I'm jealous of someone who has breast cancer. This is an all time low for me. I really envy people who get cancer, deal with it and move on with their life. Now, I realize these people are going to live out their lives in fear that it will return. Every bump, cough, ache and pain will be alarming. But, it just sounds so good to me.
For the past decade my husband spent some days having 10, 15 often 20 plus bowel movements a day. He now poos into a bag. Has had several surgeries, one in which he was gutted like a fish. Chemo will be a regular part of the rest of his life. Not to mention all the glamorous side effects which accompany that. I know many of you guys have the same or similar story.
I hate to sound like a whinner but I do think that there is a misconception
with regards to cancer. It is not a glamorous disease. It is a very hard way of life for many of us. It is not always something you can just deal with and then get on with your life. At the same time, I am happy for my friend at work and I am happy for this football coach. I wish everyone the best and
healthiest life possible but some people don't get off that easily. I guess I'm just jealous.
Please don't get me wrong. My greatest hope is that Steve and I will have many years ahead of us to deal with poo, bags, surgery, chemo, hair loss, rashes, neuropathy, scans, onc appointments and all that glamorous fun. It certainly beats the alternative!!!!!
I hope I haven't offended anyone. Not usually this outspoken. Maybe the holidays are getting to me. LOL
Happy New Year everybody,
Chelsea0 -
Finally, I Get to Say Hi to Chelsea:)Chelsea71 said:Hi Craig, What an interesting
Hi Craig,
What an interesting subject you've raised. Similar thoughts have been on my mind lately. A woman I work with got breast cancer. She had surgery, 5 wks radiation and will take a pill (no side effects) for the next five years. I feel really guilty for having these thoughts and I can't believe I'm telling anyone this, but I just think, wow, that sounds so easy. That sounds like a walk in the park. I'm jealous of someone who has breast cancer. This is an all time low for me. I really envy people who get cancer, deal with it and move on with their life. Now, I realize these people are going to live out their lives in fear that it will return. Every bump, cough, ache and pain will be alarming. But, it just sounds so good to me.
For the past decade my husband spent some days having 10, 15 often 20 plus bowel movements a day. He now poos into a bag. Has had several surgeries, one in which he was gutted like a fish. Chemo will be a regular part of the rest of his life. Not to mention all the glamorous side effects which accompany that. I know many of you guys have the same or similar story.
I hate to sound like a whinner but I do think that there is a misconception
with regards to cancer. It is not a glamorous disease. It is a very hard way of life for many of us. It is not always something you can just deal with and then get on with your life. At the same time, I am happy for my friend at work and I am happy for this football coach. I wish everyone the best and
healthiest life possible but some people don't get off that easily. I guess I'm just jealous.
Please don't get me wrong. My greatest hope is that Steve and I will have many years ahead of us to deal with poo, bags, surgery, chemo, hair loss, rashes, neuropathy, scans, onc appointments and all that glamorous fun. It certainly beats the alternative!!!!!
I hope I haven't offended anyone. Not usually this outspoken. Maybe the holidays are getting to me. LOL
Happy New Year everybody,
ChelseaNo Chelsea...I'm glad you spoke up...sometimes I have a way about getting people to talk about or look at some tough aspects of cancer. I worried at first that this post might be offensive...but I've always been willing to take a risk and talk about it...if it's important enough to me, I figure it might be to someone else...we ususally just need someone to step forward and I like to push the envelope.
And your right, it's nothing against the person with cancer...I'm for cancer for anyone...it just imprints upon the nation's mind this mindset that cancer is not all that bad...a little tough, but before you know it, you'll be back coaching the Super Bowl.
Granted, leukemia is different than colorectal cancer...we're the #2 killing cancer in the U.S. and the world...
But, the image...the message is you can get cancer...and get over it....quickly....too quickly.
And that's a perception problem that we gotta' start changing...and right now.
Too many are now seeing cancer as "chronic"...and while we have some chronic cases here, they are the exception and not the norm. Too much of this type of attention...and people will begin to lean the other way and figure it's not a big deal...that is, until it finds them.
Thank you so much for posting...I appreciate your opinion and your willingness to share.
HNY to you and Steve!
-Craig
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That was a very therapeuticSundanceh said:Finally, I Get to Say Hi to Chelsea:)
No Chelsea...I'm glad you spoke up...sometimes I have a way about getting people to talk about or look at some tough aspects of cancer. I worried at first that this post might be offensive...but I've always been willing to take a risk and talk about it...if it's important enough to me, I figure it might be to someone else...we ususally just need someone to step forward and I like to push the envelope.
And your right, it's nothing against the person with cancer...I'm for cancer for anyone...it just imprints upon the nation's mind this mindset that cancer is not all that bad...a little tough, but before you know it, you'll be back coaching the Super Bowl.
Granted, leukemia is different than colorectal cancer...we're the #2 killing cancer in the U.S. and the world...
But, the image...the message is you can get cancer...and get over it....quickly....too quickly.
And that's a perception problem that we gotta' start changing...and right now.
Too many are now seeing cancer as "chronic"...and while we have some chronic cases here, they are the exception and not the norm. Too much of this type of attention...and people will begin to lean the other way and figure it's not a big deal...that is, until it finds them.
Thank you so much for posting...I appreciate your opinion and your willingness to share.
HNY to you and Steve!
-Craig
That was a very therapeutic post for me! I feel great! I should vent more often! Anyhow, thanks again for raising another interesting topic.0 -
"To Tell The Truth"Chelsea71 said:Hi Craig, What an interesting
Hi Craig,
What an interesting subject you've raised. Similar thoughts have been on my mind lately. A woman I work with got breast cancer. She had surgery, 5 wks radiation and will take a pill (no side effects) for the next five years. I feel really guilty for having these thoughts and I can't believe I'm telling anyone this, but I just think, wow, that sounds so easy. That sounds like a walk in the park. I'm jealous of someone who has breast cancer. This is an all time low for me. I really envy people who get cancer, deal with it and move on with their life. Now, I realize these people are going to live out their lives in fear that it will return. Every bump, cough, ache and pain will be alarming. But, it just sounds so good to me.
For the past decade my husband spent some days having 10, 15 often 20 plus bowel movements a day. He now poos into a bag. Has had several surgeries, one in which he was gutted like a fish. Chemo will be a regular part of the rest of his life. Not to mention all the glamorous side effects which accompany that. I know many of you guys have the same or similar story.
I hate to sound like a whinner but I do think that there is a misconception
with regards to cancer. It is not a glamorous disease. It is a very hard way of life for many of us. It is not always something you can just deal with and then get on with your life. At the same time, I am happy for my friend at work and I am happy for this football coach. I wish everyone the best and
healthiest life possible but some people don't get off that easily. I guess I'm just jealous.
Please don't get me wrong. My greatest hope is that Steve and I will have many years ahead of us to deal with poo, bags, surgery, chemo, hair loss, rashes, neuropathy, scans, onc appointments and all that glamorous fun. It certainly beats the alternative!!!!!
I hope I haven't offended anyone. Not usually this outspoken. Maybe the holidays are getting to me. LOL
Happy New Year everybody,
ChelseaCraig,
You've brought out so many valid points here. Even I, who have been affected by the cancer in my loved ones, didn't think much about it when it was broadcast. Hubby and a friend were watching the game in the next room and I heard the coach's "illness" mentioned. My reaction was "Great, this guy is cured." How stupid of me! Part of this reaction was probably due to the fact that I wasn't really paying attention, so didn't realize he'd only been in the fight for 3 months. And it also never occurred to me that his short fight was being glamourized for the benefit of the masses.
I had actually forgotten, for the moment, my elderly neighbor who lay in the hospital with leukemia asking if her husband had remembered to buy their lottery tickets. For her, it didn't make much difference. She died the next day. Or the sorrow of a former boss and friend, whose eight year old son was in remission from leukemia, but didn't stay there.
As you say, these are the real stories, not glossed over.
But you know how the news media is. Sensationalism!
Do you know the importance of the fact that Kim & Kanye are having a baby? It was right up there in the NBC top stories on the Internet just following the fact that America is falling apart going over the "Fiscal Cliff".
Luv Ya,
"Mama" Wolfen
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Well said
Craig,
I am happy for the man but it is not a true represenation of what cancer really is. I applaud you for the post. It is not easy to put in words so people will get it, but you did it very well. We do not want to begrudge anyones success with cancer but that is not the reality of what we face. Thanks!
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Well said
Craig,
I am happy for the man but it is not a true represenation of what cancer really is. I applaud you for the post. It is not easy to put in words so people will get it, but you did it very well. We do not want to begrudge anyones success with cancer but that is not the reality of what we face. Thanks!
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You are so right onmarbleotis said:Well said
Craig,
I am happy for the man but it is not a true represenation of what cancer really is. I applaud you for the post. It is not easy to put in words so people will get it, but you did it very well. We do not want to begrudge anyones success with cancer but that is not the reality of what we face. Thanks!
this. I do silently cheer those who have fought and won..and silently cry for those who have fought and lost.
We mostly hear about the the "success" stories, with not much emphasis on HOW that success was acheived.
Or what it cost that person and their family, not just in dollars.
You know Herman Cain is a colon cancer survivor, stage IV, and I wonder just how much it impacted his life. He doesn't say much about it. You would think that he would be using his nororiety to give others some hope.
So, we continue to fight our silent fight, celebrate our victories among us, encourage each other, and also mourn those we lose.
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Society's perception, sponsored by...
Amen Craig.
very well said and one of the most enjoyable and thought provolking posts in a long time.
I do know the story you're refering to... but the only thing missing in the story were the logos of Brystol-Myers-Squib, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Labs & other major drug companies that make all the Chemo Meds.
I bet those companies will be adverstising shortly.
thanks for your thoughts, comments and for sharing.
Love it!
Joe
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Good postjoemetz said:Society's perception, sponsored by...
Amen Craig.
very well said and one of the most enjoyable and thought provolking posts in a long time.
I do know the story you're refering to... but the only thing missing in the story were the logos of Brystol-Myers-Squib, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Labs & other major drug companies that make all the Chemo Meds.
I bet those companies will be adverstising shortly.
thanks for your thoughts, comments and for sharing.
Love it!
Joe
Thank you for stating the reality of what this insidious
us disease does.
I hate all the pink out there and many people's attitudes about it who don't have one clue of how it rocks your world.
Some dont get it!!!!
You said this very well....0 -
G'day Craigbarbebarb said:Good post
Thank you for stating the reality of what this insidious
us disease does.
I hate all the pink out there and many people's attitudes about it who don't have one clue of how it rocks your world.
Some dont get it!!!!
You said this very well....
Must be a parrallel universe my friend... A few days ago a man died in Australia. He was well known . He was an international cricket commentator. He was born in South africa,moved to England and bcame the captain of the English cricket team. He was part of the greatest upheaval cricket ever saw with the game changing fron amatuer to professional. His name was Tony Greig and he was a larger than life character. About three months ago he was dxed with lung cancer. A small nodule was found in the lower lobe of one lung. He was to start treatmnt ealr this month. He died. The news hit the press outlets,Tony dead six weeks after cancer dx.. HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK. Craig you are absolutely correct,where cancer is involved,never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Ron.0 -
Craig
Well written and well thought out!!! I enjoyed reading it very much, and isn't that the truth?
Winter Marie
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its an inconvenient truth
maybe just let the unhealthy masses enjoy the ignorance of the pain and loss of cancer. most will be lucky and avoid it completely.
Its sad but the reality of cancer and its pain has touched so many, and so few have the capacity to make lifesytle changes that helps, its really a cruel curse that we have such a weak society, in many many senses.
The media is just selling a story, a fantasy, its criminal. welcome to 2013. So many willing consumers of utter garbage.
i see so little lifestyle change in those afflicted present company excluded let alone those who could actually take proven preventitive steps. just my impression over 29 months.
peace of mind is still my goal, its got benefits for us all. one day, soonet or later many of the masses will join the cancer club, a tragic day but the reality of our western life. maybe then some will really learn what a preciousand fragile gift life is.
this xmas and new year i still see more materilism and greed then love and peace. the media is like a window into our communities soul. it does not fill me with joy, luckily my family and friends do.
its a timely observation and post craig, thanks.
hugs,
pete
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We'll Fight in Silence No More...mukamom said:You are so right on
this. I do silently cheer those who have fought and won..and silently cry for those who have fought and lost.
We mostly hear about the the "success" stories, with not much emphasis on HOW that success was acheived.
Or what it cost that person and their family, not just in dollars.
You know Herman Cain is a colon cancer survivor, stage IV, and I wonder just how much it impacted his life. He doesn't say much about it. You would think that he would be using his nororiety to give others some hope.
So, we continue to fight our silent fight, celebrate our victories among us, encourage each other, and also mourn those we lose.
Angela,
Somebody out there help me get in a position to Help!
I can assure you that if we do that...WE won't have to fight in silence any longer!
'Cause I'm gonna' be the eye in the sky...and we're gonna' tell both sides of the cancer story...if I can just find a rock to stand on
-Craig
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Dear Craig
You are so right. Society, in general, does not want to see the hard ugly truth about cancer and the devistation it brings to many millions.
You have only to watch the current donation request ad being run by St. Judes to see what it is doing to our future generation. Those poor angles who endure so much in their fight to live. I have to wonder how many viewers will turn the channel rather than face the fact that cancer knows no bounds.
I am super happy for the relatively few who are able to overcome a cancer diagnosis and live long and healthy lives after.
However, I am also super sad for all those who must fight, in one way or another, every day to live as best they can for as long as they can.
As we all find in our contact with "the outside world", we scare people because we have cancer. We "were" so like them. They don't want the reminder that it could happen to them.
As always, dear Craig, you are insightful and I am proud to know you!
Hugs,
Marie who loves kitties
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MarieLovekitties said:Dear Craig
You are so right. Society, in general, does not want to see the hard ugly truth about cancer and the devistation it brings to many millions.
You have only to watch the current donation request ad being run by St. Judes to see what it is doing to our future generation. Those poor angles who endure so much in their fight to live. I have to wonder how many viewers will turn the channel rather than face the fact that cancer knows no bounds.
I am super happy for the relatively few who are able to overcome a cancer diagnosis and live long and healthy lives after.
However, I am also super sad for all those who must fight, in one way or another, every day to live as best they can for as long as they can.
As we all find in our contact with "the outside world", we scare people because we have cancer. We "were" so like them. They don't want the reminder that it could happen to them.
As always, dear Craig, you are insightful and I am proud to know you!
Hugs,
Marie who loves kitties
Do I know how to end this year or not?
LOL!
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To Quote "Jack"
(You) They Can't Handle the Truth!!
Very good post Craig and pretty spot on. (Most) people don't want to hear some disturbing tale about someone getting cancer, fighting for years doing whatever treatment they've chosen, battling with insurance companies and employers, families being torn apart, etc...
They want to hear about someone who gets cancer, endures three tortuous months of treatment, then comes back to win the game and live happily ever after! Hell, most of us spend three months out of every year sitting on the toilet! Maybe the coach wasn't all gun-ho with how he was portrayed, I didn't see the game, but it certainly gives a false portrayal of what's often the reality of millions of us with cancer.
And the kicker is that millions of people who watched that Human Interest story will see that as the Reality of how cancer works and what most people see as their outcome. While some people ARE that fortunate (and I am happy for them), most aren't...but that doesn't make for a Happy Ending.
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Very well said Craig. I am a
Very well said Craig. I am a big football fan so i have been following the story from the beginning. I never thought of it in the way that you described but you are so right. Society needs to know the brutal truth about fighting cancer for the majority of us. Maybe the government would put more money into cancer treatment research if some our stories were publicized.0 -
Well Said.. not much more any
Well Said.. not much more any of us can add...
I am happy the guy in the Human Interest story is doing well.. unfortunately when the relapse occurr where will that camera be...
We are the true fighters and no one is following us but us... But because of this guys story people freak out when they hear ours and see it isn't just a 3 month or 90 minute occurrence but more like 3+ years they just don't understand.. and as a result we suffer having to explain it all and relive our story over and over and over again... I always wondered if this occurred to anyone else.. or if I was alone in this realization.. I guess I am not alone..
I would love for some one to cover the real faces of cancer.. the real experience .. recently tried to write to Steve Harvey about this as I thought I was a great topic and thought after watching his show he would be the perfect person to cover this as he personifies faith and hope.. which are the characteristics we must have to survive through all we have endured.. Physically and Mentally.. But I stopped... I wondered if even he would think me idea worthwhile.. It is not a story that sells -- is it?.. the short and sweet recovery sells..
Well it is a new year.. and I just want to wish you well and everyone else here on the board.. as we continue to inspire each other and we revel in our successes..
Love to you all!!
Donna
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I agree...
this is a misleading, maybe even dangerous, way to portray cancer. The "pinking" of breast cancer is probably the worst example that I can think of (gotta talk to a woman dying of metastatic breast cancer a couple of years after her stage 2 dx before deciding that's a "good" cancer to get), but it seems that most depictions of cancer follow this story arc. And that's all it is, really...a story that may represent what some experience, but one that leaves out the reality that most of us go through. And this can be a dangerous thing because it can lead even those of us with cancer to sometimes confuse remission with cure, and to let down our guard right when we need to be cautious. In my own case, I ignored symptoms for months, because I was done with my treatment and assumed that meant things were fine...but my cancer story wasn't over. In fact, in reality it had just gotten started. Your message is one that needs to get out to the masses, Craig...that book of yours needs to be published! AA
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Another thought-provoking post - thanks Craig
My view is
I haven't expected much for a very long time from popular culture to reflect reality whether it's tv news, magazines, etc. That's why I cherish this site - it's real with real people struggling and helping each other with cancer at every stage of the journey. Happy New Year Craig and all!
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