The Big "C"

faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
So, I'm watching a little TV the other day, my right arm extended over my head because that's what the doctor said to do with the lymphedema in the arm. A commercial comes on for a new Showtime show...The Big "C".

I must have heard that wrong, it can't be what I think it is...and damned if it isn't. "Grab life by the balls" is the catch phrase. A suburban wife and mother recently diagnosed with cancer...uh huh...her life shaken up...yup...forced to find hope, humor, and the lighter side of a dark situation.

Great. Killing me softly with my TV now.

I have always been one for finding the humorous side, but I'm not sure if I am up to watching during those sporadic breaks.

Comments

  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #2
    I call it the new 'Buzz' word = for television .. where have
    these programs been for the past 20 years ? Why now? I am right with you. I think this series stars Laura Linney - I've instructed my family and friends that I will not be watching a re-inactment of my life or breast cancer struggle.


    Upset in California .. Vicki Sam
  • MOrtiz0810
    MOrtiz0810 Member Posts: 41
    #3
    The Big "C" word is just
    The Big "C" word is just popping everywhere and while in a way it's almost a feeling of relief that people are acknowledging that this is a huge battle that we have to fight, the other part of me doesn't want to see it everywhere I go. Take for example, I was in the pharmacy today, in the Hallmark aisle, looking for a birthday card for my sister, and guess what pops at me, felt like it slapped me on the face and I started getting teary-eyed right there.....yes, you guessed it! Now there are Cancer cards! Just like Get well cards, the cards that I saw today were in pink and most of them were for Breast cancer. I didn't even now they existed!

    So, this new series is on Showtime? Sounds interesting, but I don't think I'm emotionally prepared to see that reflection in the mirror quite yet......maybe a year or two down the road I might be stronger, but for now, I'll stick to the shows that make me laugh and forget for awhile :)

    I have to admit that a few years ago, way before my diagnosis, I saw this documentary about a young lady battling a rare cancer that could not be cured....the documentary was titled "Crazy Sexy Cancer". Well, when I first watched it, I cried like a baby, but then when I was diagnosed, I decided to watch this documentary again...It was just so gripping and the emotions that I felt and the Empathy was just so genuine this second time around. I was amazed at how strong and determined this young woman is, it was truly inspirational.
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #4
    MOrtiz0810 said:

    The Big "C" word is just
    The Big "C" word is just popping everywhere and while in a way it's almost a feeling of relief that people are acknowledging that this is a huge battle that we have to fight, the other part of me doesn't want to see it everywhere I go. Take for example, I was in the pharmacy today, in the Hallmark aisle, looking for a birthday card for my sister, and guess what pops at me, felt like it slapped me on the face and I started getting teary-eyed right there.....yes, you guessed it! Now there are Cancer cards! Just like Get well cards, the cards that I saw today were in pink and most of them were for Breast cancer. I didn't even now they existed!

    So, this new series is on Showtime? Sounds interesting, but I don't think I'm emotionally prepared to see that reflection in the mirror quite yet......maybe a year or two down the road I might be stronger, but for now, I'll stick to the shows that make me laugh and forget for awhile :)

    I have to admit that a few years ago, way before my diagnosis, I saw this documentary about a young lady battling a rare cancer that could not be cured....the documentary was titled "Crazy Sexy Cancer". Well, when I first watched it, I cried like a baby, but then when I was diagnosed, I decided to watch this documentary again...It was just so gripping and the emotions that I felt and the Empathy was just so genuine this second time around. I was amazed at how strong and determined this young woman is, it was truly inspirational.

    Cancer by Hallmark?
    Okay, I had to go to the Hallmark site and look for myself, because, MOrtiz, I half-believed that you were hallucinating in the drugstore today -- cancer cards?? You gotta be kidding me!

    But yep, there they are, and (at least the ones on their website) are not the sappy platitude-filled drivel I was expecting. They're funny, and even kind of hip, for Hallmark. If anyone wants to check them out, they're at:

    http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category3|10001|10051|254068|214068;214584;254068|ecards|unPhotocardandMore|Cancer?lid=unPhotocardandMore&catIDsList=214068;214584;254068

    But I can totally relate to feeling blindsided by cancer, cancer everywhere -- you go out to do a little shopping, forget about treatment for awhile, and sometimes it's like you just can't get away from it!

    Traci
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #5
    VickiSam said:

    I call it the new 'Buzz' word = for television .. where have
    these programs been for the past 20 years ? Why now? I am right with you. I think this series stars Laura Linney - I've instructed my family and friends that I will not be watching a re-inactment of my life or breast cancer struggle.


    Upset in California .. Vicki Sam

    I'm looking forward to checking it out
    I've heard about this series, and have gone to the Showtime site to check out the "teasers" (the show premieres next month) -- I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle the subject matter, because you gotta admit that so much about going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment is just crazy and absurd.

    I think the reason I'm okay with this show is that they're being very up front about what it's about: This Is A Show About Cancer. So, we can decide whether we want to watch or not, and I think many women may feel as you do, faith_trust, and VickiSam.

    I contrast this with the "breast cancer dance" on So You Think You Can Dance last year. I'm a HUUUGE fan of dance shows, I was only a few weeks out from my surgery, and my girlfriend and I settled in for an evening of ESCAPING breast cancer and watching some dance. And they just sprang it on you out of nowhere: "and now, here's a dance about breast cancer." I hated -- H-A-T-E-D -- that dance, because I felt blindsided by it.

    So I think my first reaction about "The Big C" was, GOOD, at least they're telling me ahead of time!

    Traci
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #6
    TraciInLA said:

    Cancer by Hallmark?
    Okay, I had to go to the Hallmark site and look for myself, because, MOrtiz, I half-believed that you were hallucinating in the drugstore today -- cancer cards?? You gotta be kidding me!

    But yep, there they are, and (at least the ones on their website) are not the sappy platitude-filled drivel I was expecting. They're funny, and even kind of hip, for Hallmark. If anyone wants to check them out, they're at:

    http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category3|10001|10051|254068|214068;214584;254068|ecards|unPhotocardandMore|Cancer?lid=unPhotocardandMore&catIDsList=214068;214584;254068

    But I can totally relate to feeling blindsided by cancer, cancer everywhere -- you go out to do a little shopping, forget about treatment for awhile, and sometimes it's like you just can't get away from it!

    Traci

    I have mixed feelings about
    I have mixed feelings about this. although I have been living with cancer for many years,I just dont like to deal with it for entertainment. I remember only being able to watch funny movies or spy type action movies, anything serious I could not handle. Philadelphia came out when I was first diagnosed and I have never seen it. It took me 3 years to see Schindlers List. however if the series acuurately described the struggle, perhaps it would give people unsight into what we go through.
  • MOrtiz0810
    MOrtiz0810 Member Posts: 41
    #7
    TraciInLA said:

    Cancer by Hallmark?
    Okay, I had to go to the Hallmark site and look for myself, because, MOrtiz, I half-believed that you were hallucinating in the drugstore today -- cancer cards?? You gotta be kidding me!

    But yep, there they are, and (at least the ones on their website) are not the sappy platitude-filled drivel I was expecting. They're funny, and even kind of hip, for Hallmark. If anyone wants to check them out, they're at:

    http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category3|10001|10051|254068|214068;214584;254068|ecards|unPhotocardandMore|Cancer?lid=unPhotocardandMore&catIDsList=214068;214584;254068

    But I can totally relate to feeling blindsided by cancer, cancer everywhere -- you go out to do a little shopping, forget about treatment for awhile, and sometimes it's like you just can't get away from it!

    Traci

    Hallmark
    See, I told you so, Traci :)
    The cards that I saw today actually jumped out at me because they were bright pink. Crazy as this might sound, but I was upset because no one sent me a Hallmark Cancer card :(
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #8
    MOrtiz0810 said:

    Hallmark
    See, I told you so, Traci :)
    The cards that I saw today actually jumped out at me because they were bright pink. Crazy as this might sound, but I was upset because no one sent me a Hallmark Cancer card :(

    I'm not sure how I feel about the TV series. Laura Linley is
    excellent actress, but if they do what they do when women are having babies on shows I will be very upset. I hope they are accurate and don't turn our struggles into a sideshow. Not sure if I'm up for it, I may or may not watch. Probably will out of curiosity. There was a show (true story) about a tv reporter that had just done a series on breast cancer and then discovered she had a lump (maybe while going thru mammo's for the show). It was a wonderful show. She also wrote a book and I think it was called First You Cry.

    Is there no end to Hallmark? I am glad no one sent me a cancer card. I rec'd a ton of cards and it was obvious the sender took time to send a card that had their feelings on them. I nver rec'd any duplicate cards, but with the pink ones, how many can there be?

    I'll just have to wait until til next month and decide, I can wait and hear what you guys thought about it and then watch it On Demand. But I hadn't heard about it so I'm glad this was posted.

    Judy :-)
  • Aortus
    Aortus Member Posts: 967
    #9
    carkris said:

    I have mixed feelings about
    I have mixed feelings about this. although I have been living with cancer for many years,I just dont like to deal with it for entertainment. I remember only being able to watch funny movies or spy type action movies, anything serious I could not handle. Philadelphia came out when I was first diagnosed and I have never seen it. It took me 3 years to see Schindlers List. however if the series acuurately described the struggle, perhaps it would give people unsight into what we go through.

    I hear ya, carkris
    Years ago when we were just dating, Moopy and I went out for dinner and then saw "Glory" with Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. What an awesome movie... but then we went back to her place without saying a word and spent the rest of the evening sitting on her couch, still not saying a word.

    Like you, I have mixed feelings about the "cancer show," especially concerning the entertainment thing. But Traci makes an excellent point about the educational value. Moopy has become very frank about her experiences with BC: terrible as they have been, people need to hear about them, so she answers any questions people ask. Maybe it will help them out down the line - even if it's "I met a woman who used to have cancer today, and she was still a normal person like all the rest of us."
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #10
    We don't watch tv any more.
    We don't watch tv any more. Just Netflix. We just pick and choose. Just tired of commercials and trash tv. The problem with basing a show on life is they want to spice it up. Every movie I've seen BASED on true happenings is spiced up and changed. They are more interested in ratings than education.
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #11
    Marcia527 said:

    We don't watch tv any more.
    We don't watch tv any more. Just Netflix. We just pick and choose. Just tired of commercials and trash tv. The problem with basing a show on life is they want to spice it up. Every movie I've seen BASED on true happenings is spiced up and changed. They are more interested in ratings than education.

    Romancing the 'C'
    I admire Laura Linney, I re-watched the John Adams marathon the weekend of the 4th largely for her depiction of Abigail. I neglected to recall, or perhaps I simply blocked out, that in the final segment the eldest daughter of the second president was diagnosed with breast cancer. The surgery was primitive and she ultimately died from the disease. Well, I had to walk away. Are the fundamental facts true? Yes. Were closeups and the highly dramatized surgical procedure necessary for story-telling? I'm not so sure.

    Perhaps another non-cancer example, "A Beautiful Mind" and who does not love Russell Crowe? Schizophrenia is NOT a pretty disease, yet in that film the disease is romanticized...a genius can so often be misunderstood and kooky. In reality. schizophrenics walk our streets as homeless people, talking to themselves, some committing acts of violence. It, like cancer, is not an innocuous disease.

    We all know too well that the big 'C' that we have experienced affects the lives of so many others. I hope that Showtime can demonstrate the angst, the blessings, and the humor with dignity. Laura Linney's mother was a nurse at Sloan-Kettering, it could be a good sign. I would be lying if I said I don't look for the lighter side of this journey daily. Hell, I make jokes about my cancer with friends, co-workers, and even doctors with some frequency. I'm so waiting for someone to tell me I am in denial.

    Did you hear the one about the school teacher that was to receive "Teacher of the Year" honors at the end of the academic year? She had a right breast mastectomy and had to drop out before the swimsuit competition. Yeah, I wrote that in an email to my principal when I advised him of my diagnosis.

    As for The Big 'C', to quote both my parents, "We'll see."
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #12
    Off a little, but I want to say it
    I'd watch any "disease of the week" program before I'd want to see another commercial, show or photo featuring "gorgeous," gigantic, breasts! When I'm watching TV with my husband, particularly, I feel so strange and sad -- almost embarrassed for myself -- when the breasts parade by. Ah, heck, I can't go on here ... you know what I mean.
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #13
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy said:

    Romancing the 'C'
    I admire Laura Linney, I re-watched the John Adams marathon the weekend of the 4th largely for her depiction of Abigail. I neglected to recall, or perhaps I simply blocked out, that in the final segment the eldest daughter of the second president was diagnosed with breast cancer. The surgery was primitive and she ultimately died from the disease. Well, I had to walk away. Are the fundamental facts true? Yes. Were closeups and the highly dramatized surgical procedure necessary for story-telling? I'm not so sure.

    Perhaps another non-cancer example, "A Beautiful Mind" and who does not love Russell Crowe? Schizophrenia is NOT a pretty disease, yet in that film the disease is romanticized...a genius can so often be misunderstood and kooky. In reality. schizophrenics walk our streets as homeless people, talking to themselves, some committing acts of violence. It, like cancer, is not an innocuous disease.

    We all know too well that the big 'C' that we have experienced affects the lives of so many others. I hope that Showtime can demonstrate the angst, the blessings, and the humor with dignity. Laura Linney's mother was a nurse at Sloan-Kettering, it could be a good sign. I would be lying if I said I don't look for the lighter side of this journey daily. Hell, I make jokes about my cancer with friends, co-workers, and even doctors with some frequency. I'm so waiting for someone to tell me I am in denial.

    Did you hear the one about the school teacher that was to receive "Teacher of the Year" honors at the end of the academic year? She had a right breast mastectomy and had to drop out before the swimsuit competition. Yeah, I wrote that in an email to my principal when I advised him of my diagnosis.

    As for The Big 'C', to quote both my parents, "We'll see."

    Funny you should mention the John Adams miniseries...
    I rented the John Adams HBO miniseries last year while I was home recovering from my surgery and getting ready to start chemo, specifically BECAUSE I wanted to watch something to take my mind off of cancer....good old American history, it's educational, lovely period costumes -- what a good choice, no?

    (Yes, you can all laugh at me now. :-)

    I had no idea their daughter had died of breast cancer. Man, talk about blindsided -- I couldn't hit the fast forward button fast enough. I agree with you, faith_trust -- I think it's important to show the historical reality of breast cancer, that this isn't a new disease -- but did they REALLY need to show her surgery?

    Traci
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #14
    Christine Louise said:

    Off a little, but I want to say it
    I'd watch any "disease of the week" program before I'd want to see another commercial, show or photo featuring "gorgeous," gigantic, breasts! When I'm watching TV with my husband, particularly, I feel so strange and sad -- almost embarrassed for myself -- when the breasts parade by. Ah, heck, I can't go on here ... you know what I mean.

    The John Adams thing....
    After the series ended, I googled in John and his wife, I wanted to read their letters. Well talk about a wealth of info! They went into deep detail of the daughter's cancer surgery and believe me they barely touched the surface in teh show. That poor girl and all of the people from those days with such horrible, primitive medical care. Kinda makes ya glad we live in this day and age. It makes the drains and neulasta shots seem like a walk in the park.

    Judy :-0

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