Battle Metaphor

I came across this excellent article about language around cancer. It's particularly timely on the day we learned that Kirstie Allie died from cancer. The headlines state she died after a battle with cancer. WTF. Cancer killed her. Is she a loser because she didn't fight hard enough?

This article addresses the issue nicely.

Losing “Losing the Battle With Cancer”

i promise to haunt anyone who says I died after a battle with cancer.

 

[Luce NDs]

We have this problem with this internalized evil ... because of powerfully wealthy leaders even speaking of it is ineffable ... they wish not to hear of Ide ...

The way of escape???? One must confront the gates ... if luck is with you someone on the Wahl may throw you a line and give you a tug ... understand you may wake on the other side as the folks supporting empirism deny such connections across the great void ...

It may be a nation of psyche or a state of heaven in some expressions of people that do not believe in thought, intelligence, etc. in a mindless state! reminds me of Bull in China ... generates great myths about east/west, right/left, etc. Anstract dimensions? Gentile powers???

Soft winners ... thus we enter the pool of life ... a bit soft in the head to support hard heads! It just is the essence of being. Some make a study of being (epistemology?) others wish to know nothing about it ... and thus it goes ... o'D aM! Perhaps Odinn? Two negative will make eMit! Somes times an ante ... as the past that bugs! Like a stink beadle ... a kind of ankh ... or stress in moving the constitution in the Dawn ... Don's metaphor ... well dressed exponent!

One of my administrators told me to tell eM nothing even though we sold ourselves as a service and engineering corp for resolvinh trpuble! That organization flopped too ...

 

[Northwind]

How does your comment relate to the topic @Luce NDs

 

[Mendalla]

I guess the question becomes if we are losing the "losing the battle" metaphor, does the "winning the battle" one have to go, too? I am certainly seeing a lot of it on singer Floor Jansen's fan site since she posted announcing that her surgery to remove a breast tumour was a success and that there was no sign of spread (and, being the legendary trouper that she is, she got back on the road performing with Nightwish within 3 weeks post-surgery). Admittedly, she has this aggressive "valkyrie" persona going (her stage costumes often feature bustiers that look like old school armoured breastplates) that kind of plays into that metaphor.

 

[Mendalla]

We have this problem with this internalized evil ... because of powerfully wealthy leaders even speaking of it is ineffable ... they wish not to hear of Ide ...

The way of escape???? One must confront the gates ... if luck is with you someone on the Wahl may throw you a line and give you a tug ... understand you may wake on the other side as the folks supporting empirism deny such connections across the great void ...

It may be a nation of psyche or a state of heaven in some expressions of people that do not believe in thought, intelligence, etc. in a mindless state! reminds me of Bull in China ... generates great myths about east/west, right/left, etc. Anstract dimensions? Gentile powers???

Soft winners ... thus we enter the pool of life ... a bit soft in the head to support hard heads! It just is the essence of being. Some make a study of being (epistemology?) others wish to know nothing about it ... and thus it goes ... o'D aM! Perhaps Odinn? Two negative will make eMit! Somes times an ante ... as the past that bugs! Like a stink beadle ... a kind of ankh ... or stress in moving the constitution in the Dawn ... Don's metaphor ... well dressed exponent!

One of my administrators told me to tell eM nothing even though we sold ourselves as a service and engineering corp for resolvinh trpuble! That organization flopped too ...

This forum is for discussion of breast cancer based on Northwind's experiences and thoughts. If you cannot post on topic, please don't post here. If we see another off-topic ramble in this forum, your access to post in this forum will be removed.

 

[Northwind]

This forum is for discussion of breast cancer based on Northwind's experiences and thoughts. If you cannot post on topic, please don't post here. If we see another off-topic ramble in this forum, your access to post in this forum will be removed.

Thanks Mendalla.

 

[Northwind]

I guess the question becomes if we are losing the "losing the battle" metaphor, does the "winning the battle" one have to go, too?

Why does the battle metaphor even need to be part of the discussion? It is exhausting enough some days to merely go through treatments without worrying whether there is a battle involved. I do realize the metaphor works for some. Still, it can be a false narrative. It can contribute to the idea that we will be victorious if we only do the right things. Cancer is a crap shoot. While there are risks and things we can do to help, there are no guarantees. Remember 1 in 3 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will be or become metastatic. I don't know what the stats are for other cancers. They're likely similar.

What other health condition uses the battle metaphor?

 

[Mendalla]

What other health condition uses the battle metaphor?

I think it's fairly common to talk about "beating" diseases as if they were an enemy. It's partly a sport metaphor, too, but the issue is arguably the same: If we use a winning metaphor, does that mean people who die or are permanently disabled in some way "lost"? Even "overcoming" has a risk of suggesting the person who "overcame" their condition was somehow the "winner". At the same time, I don't think people attach the same emotional significance to just "recovering" from something. They want to celebrate and be triumphant, not just "recover". Winning is what we tend to celebrate, whether in war or sports. So, some people may actually respond better psychologically if they view "victory" as the end goal. How do you give them that motivational kick without it implying others are losers, even if those others might not even have that same motivation?

 

[Northwind]

f we use a winning metaphor, does that mean people who die or are permanently disabled in some way "lost"?

Exactly.

I had to leave at least one breast cancer group on FB because of the religious folks who declared themselves blessed because they were cured. They of course gave god all the credit. That leads down another path. Do those people who die from cancer not have the right faith? Etc.

 

[Mendalla]

Do those people who die from cancer not have the right faith?

That very attitude is, as I understand it, one of the reasons disability Youtuber/advocate Footless Jo is an exvangelical. And apparently she still gets them doing it in her comments.

 

[Waterfall]

I think it's fairly common to talk about "beating" diseases as if they were an enemy. It's partly a sport metaphor, too, but the issue is arguably the same: If we use a winning metaphor, does that mean people who die or are permanently disabled in some way "lost"? Even "overcoming" has a risk of suggesting the person who "overcame" their condition was somehow the "winner". At the same time, I don't think people attach the same emotional significance to just "recovering" from something. They want to celebrate and be triumphant, not just "recover". Winning is what we tend to celebrate, whether in war or sports. So, some people may actually respond better psychologically if they view "victory" as the end goal. How do you give them that motivational kick without it implying others are losers, even if those others might not even have that same motivation?

I think overcoming the fear of the disease that may delay treatments and instead learning to accept it as part of ones reality, may be a better approach for treatment.
f*** cancer, is good but eventually the anger has to subside and hopefully a temporary co existence begins.

 

[Northwind]

That very attitude is, as I understand it, one of the reasons disability Youtuber/advocate Footless Jo is an exvangelical. And apparently she still gets them doing it in her comments.

If I responded properly to this I would really derail this thread. There is so much involved in this, not the least of which is a form of hubris.

think overcoming the fear of the disease that may delay treatments and instead learning to accept it as part of ones reality, may be a better approach for treatment.

I'm thankful I learned the concept of "Radical Acceptance" before I was diagnosed. It really helps. Acceptance is very important and opens space to respond rather than react to what is happening. Acceptance doesn't mean you have to like it for the record.

Fear will still raise its ugly head even when acceptance is present. Having a spirit of acceptance will help manage the fear, whether that means reaching out for help or crying or journalling or .....

f*** cancer, is good but eventually the anger has to subside and hopefully a temporary co existence begins.

f*** cancer can also be a fun way to respond. My sister gave me a t-shirt with that written in sign language. "f*** cancer" can be a way to cope ironically. Anger is also a valid response. We just have to figure out how to "manage" it.

 

[Northwind]

Oh and we just watched Kelly and Ryan. This woman was a guest. I have to go back to see what she actually said because I got blinded by her outfit.




Faith is definitely important. I personally choose to have faith in the professionals I meet along the way. I choose to have faith that I can figure out how to handle what happens to me.

 

[ChemGal]

What other health condition uses the battle metaphor?

Not always battle, but fighter, warrior, etc. do come up a lot with a number of chronic illnesses. Attack fights into that language too - heart, asthma, HAE have other medical terms, but even within medical settings attack is commonly used and I'm likely missing many others. The metaphor for other illnesses isn't likely as strong as it is for cancer with battle.

 

[Mendalla]

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Wish this meme was how "faith" was really viewed and taught in our society but I find that even mainstream churches still tend to lean to the former (faith is about everything turning out okay). It may, in fact, be one of the things that drove me to Hellenistic philosophy. Both Epicureanism and Stoicism push variations of the second, Stoicism in particular.

 

[jimkenney12]

Maybe survive or did not survive may be better expressions.

 

[paradox3]

The "losing the battle" metaphor is also used frequently with Alzheimer's Disease. How does one battle dementia, I wonder?

 

[Northwind]

The "losing the battle" metaphor is also used frequently with Alzheimer's Disease. How does one battle dementia, I wonder?

That's a variation of how I feel. When I was getting chemo, the drugs were doing the battle. I was following treatment recommendations. Is that fighting? Is just putting one foot in front of the other and getting through treatment fighting? What is the alternative? It's not a good alternative from where I sit

 

[ChemGal]

The "losing the battle" metaphor is also used frequently with Alzheimer's Disease. How does one battle dementia, I wonder?

Huh haven't heard of that one. Seems odd with the limited treatment options.

 

[paradox3]

Huh haven't heard of that one. Seems odd with the limited treatment options.

I have seen it in obits and so on.