You can call me a “survivor”. If I am alive, I consider myself to be surviving. I hope this is true for a long long time. I know that for many, it is not.
You can call me a “warrior” but I’m not fighting anyone. I am a pacifist, after all. War is a battle fought between peoples.
You can call me, “victorious” over cancer. The best I can be at this point is “no evidence of disease”. That is a gray area, to be sure. A victory is not the same as, “no evidence of defeat”.
You can describe cancer with other human metaphors, a thief, a rapist, a robber. To me, it is a disease, a natural disaster that works from the inside. It is a disease that is very good at reproduction. It is not sentient. It has no will, just a way.
Words are powerful. Cancer is more powerful than words.
But people have a will, people have a way, science. People have compassion and drive to help others.
When there is a cure for breast cancer, you can call me anything you please. Because the only words that will matter are, “Thank you.”
Beautiful prose; beautiful sentiments.
Thank you, Sweetie.
It’s good to read your perspective on this. I’m one of the people who doesn’t like being called “survivor” so to read from the other perspective is refreshing. Thank you for sharing your point of view.
Hi Carrie, thank you for reading and commenting. I know many who do not like to be called, “survivor”. It’s not my favorite term but it doesn’t bother me as much as it does others. And it doesn’t bother me if it bothers other people. We all have our own way of going through cancer, making meaning of it all. It would be strange, I think, if there were words that worked for everyone. In a way, it would strip us of our individuality.