One of my Facebook friends has just complimented me on my "struggle to stay alive". This expression, or some variation of it, keeps turning up in the context of terminal cancer. "After a long battle with cancer" seems to be the way to start public notifications of this kind.
I have many times stated how inappropriate this expression seems to me. I guess it must be true for some people whose entire life's purpose may have to revolve around dealing with the pain and unpleasantness of cancer and, indeed, of the various therapies proposed by the white-coated ones who spend their lives carrying out an absolutely amazing battle of their own.
But for me, this is not a helpful way of thinking about my living and dying. In one of my recent videos I stated quite explicitly that I don't want anyone using that kind of language to describe my relationship with this wretched disease. I think it's in this one but possibly it's here. (Maybe I should have a bucket list of short videos worth making....)
Anyway, here's what I said to my Facebook Friend:
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