Metaphors

Cancer metaphors and an update

/ edebock / 6 Comments

Patients, caregivers, fundraisers, and even medical professionals use a variety of different metaphors to describe life with cancer.

From day one, I’ve referred to my cancer experience as a journey. As a seasoned traveller, when I was diagnosed I felt as if I was embarking on a trip into the unknown. It’s been a long and tumultuous trip, but the metaphor is one that still works for me. Some patients, however, are bothered by it believing that a journey should always be fun and something that you have control over.

An even more controversial metaphor is the one that refers to life with cancer as a battle. Although it’s very common, many people take exception to using the vocabulary of violence at a time when patients are at their most vulnerable. Within the language of winning and losing, there’s also the uncomfortable implication that those who’ve died of cancer are losers and that maybe if we just fight hard enough we can win. While I realize that there are limitations to any metaphor, I think that the battle metaphor can be empowering. I am in a fight for my life and cancer is the enemy.

Thankfully, no one fights cancer alone and that’s also where the battle metaphor works well. My closest ally is my husband who accompanies me to every appointment and is involved in every decision regarding my care. An army of skilled medical professionals with a vast array of formidable weaponry (chemical, biological, and nuclear) at their disposal direct my care and they are backed up by a battalion of prayer warriors around the world. Ultimately, the commander in chief, the only one who knows the final outcome, is the Lord Himself. As we sang in church yesterday,

So when I fight, I’ll fight on my kneesWith my hands lifted highOh God, the battle belongs to YouAnd every fear I lay at Your feetI’ll sing through the nightOh God, the battle belongs to You

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While my life with cancer is both a journey and a battle, at times it’s also a roller coaster and that brings me to the latest news that I want to share with you. After several years of stability, things began to change about 18 months ago. The first sign that my cancer was becoming active again were some changes in lab results. Two markers that are of particular significance for neuroendocrine cancer (NETS) patients had been gradually climbing and were now flagged as being higher than the normal range. Suddenly, the roller coaster went over the top and I felt like I was falling! More frequent surveillance eventually showed significant growth to the largest tumour on my liver. That led to the Therasphere treatment that I had in March of this year. The roller coaster dropped again when a post treatment CT scan showed what appeared to be a new growth in my lower abdomen raising concerns that my cancer was spreading. In mid April I met with a new oncologist. After reviewing my case, he requested a Gallium scan (the most detailed scan for NETS) and another CT scan. Last week, I met with him again to discuss the results and the news was fantastic! First of all, the Therasphere treatment was successful in destroying the large tumour on my liver. Equally exciting was the news that what had looked like a new tumour in my abdomen was nothing more than a harmless diverticulum, a bulge in the lining of my colon! There are other tiny growths that we will need to continue to keep an eye on with regular surveillance, but those don’t appear to have changed significantly. Since my cancer is incurable, this news is about as good as it gets and I’m hoping for a smooth ride for some time to come!

So, what metaphors should you use when talking to or about a cancer patient? It is, of course, valid for a person to speak about their own illness in any way they choose and their loved ones ought to adopt the same language as a way of reflecting those experiences. Simply take your cues from the patient and you won’t go wrong.

Lyrics: Battle Belongs, Phil Wickham

Is it a journey or a battle?

/ edebock / 4 Comments

There are many metaphors that people use to describe cancer… a dark scary cave, a parasite, an obstacle, a roadblock, a hard stroke of fate, a great burden, a marathon, a drama, a dance. Understandably, Lance Armstrong, visualized his cancer as the most important bicycle race he’d ever entered.

I entitled my very first blog post about cancer “A new journey…” using one of the most common analogies for the disease. Is it any wonder that someone like myself, struck with wanderlust, would use a travel metaphor? It seemed to come naturally to me, and I have continued to use it ever since.

Having cancer is like going on a journey without a map. We have no idea how long the trip will be or where it will take us. There are unexpected twists and turns and bumps in the road. Thankfully, I don’t travel it alone. Just as he was always by my side as we explored various parts of Asia, Richard is my traveling companion. The journey is as much his as mine and the outcome will affect him as much as me. Unlike many of our wanderings in countries like South Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia, we don’t make this trip without travel guides. We have a whole team of medical professionals showing us the way and a host of friends and family cheering us on.

This is not the only metaphor that I use to refer to my cancer, however. The military metaphor seems to have fallen from favour in recent times, but I believe that it is apt and I, for one, will continue to use it. As fellow neuroendocrine cancer warrior, Ronny Allan, recently wrote on his blog,

“I don’t like Cancer – it attacked me, it attacked my family, it attacked others I know, it has killed people I know……. it has killed millions of people and changed many lives.  I’m ‘fighting’ Cancer.  I’m in a ‘battle’ with Cancer.”

Yes, Ronny. Yes, you are. We both are. We’re fighting for our lives and cancer is the enemy!

Apparently, there are both bloggers and professionals who don’t think that we should use this kind of language. Some claim that such language is inherently masculine, power-based and paternalistic. Really? Girls can’t fight? You just watch me! Others feel that using a military metaphor suggests that if one loses the war against cancer, she must not have fought hard enough. Nonsense! If I lose this battle, it will be because the weapons of this war are not yet perfected and our understanding of the enemy is limited.

We do have weaponry, however. We fight with surgical tools and with chemical and nuclear warfare. Like soldiers, we strive to carry ourselves through battle with courage, grace, and dignity and most of us have scars to show that we’ve been engaged in battle.

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