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Following my post regarding the sad death of actress Mary Tamm, which do the media always refer to people as having 'lost a battle' with cancer, when they rarely apply that metaphor to any other cause of death?
I hope I never succomb to the disease, but I will not be impressed if anyone starts calling me 'brave' or talks of my 'battle'.
As far as I am concerned, I will 'have' cancer, which is a twenty-four carat bum deal, but i wont be 'battling' it, or being 'brave' - i will simply hang on as long as I can, and then peg it.
What do you think?
I hope I never succomb to the disease, but I will not be impressed if anyone starts calling me 'brave' or talks of my 'battle'.
As far as I am concerned, I will 'have' cancer, which is a twenty-four carat bum deal, but i wont be 'battling' it, or being 'brave' - i will simply hang on as long as I can, and then peg it.
What do you think?
Answers
Interesting question.
Of course 'lost their battle with' is just one of those convenient cliches journalists often use.
But I wonder if it stems from some distinctions cancer has?
Most illnesses are a part of the body failing and weakening
In contrast, Cancer is a 'growing' thing; cells of our own body mutating and thriving but in a way that...
Of course 'lost their battle with' is just one of those convenient cliches journalists often use.
But I wonder if it stems from some distinctions cancer has?
Most illnesses are a part of the body failing and weakening
In contrast, Cancer is a 'growing' thing; cells of our own body mutating and thriving but in a way that...
12:31 Fri 27th Jul 2012
Andyhughes that's actually a very intelligent question and although i've heard this phrase used many other times this is the first time i've actually thought about it.
Not to downplay cancer as it's a horrific disease but as you've said i've never heard about someones battle with A.i.d.s, someones battle with a a brain tumour etc..
I'm interested in the answers you get and may ask the same question on other q&a sites if this doesn't get much of a response in which case i'll post the answer.
Tenrec you said " it means you refuse to give in and fight it with a passion."
But you could say that people with many of the other potentially terminal diseases also refuse to give in and fight it to the end.
Not to downplay cancer as it's a horrific disease but as you've said i've never heard about someones battle with A.i.d.s, someones battle with a a brain tumour etc..
I'm interested in the answers you get and may ask the same question on other q&a sites if this doesn't get much of a response in which case i'll post the answer.
Tenrec you said " it means you refuse to give in and fight it with a passion."
But you could say that people with many of the other potentially terminal diseases also refuse to give in and fight it to the end.
my father died of prostate cancer six years ago.
he never fought it - as the diagnosis was terminal, however, neither did he just give in to it.
he accepted the inevitable - and continued to live his life to the full ... right up to the final week, when he stayed in bed because of tiredness.
i hope - if i'm diagnosed too (it can be hereditary), i live my final years as proudly as he lived his.
he never fought it - as the diagnosis was terminal, however, neither did he just give in to it.
he accepted the inevitable - and continued to live his life to the full ... right up to the final week, when he stayed in bed because of tiredness.
i hope - if i'm diagnosed too (it can be hereditary), i live my final years as proudly as he lived his.
Interesting question.
Of course 'lost their battle with' is just one of those convenient cliches journalists often use.
But I wonder if it stems from some distinctions cancer has?
Most illnesses are a part of the body failing and weakening
In contrast, Cancer is a 'growing' thing; cells of our own body mutating and thriving but in a way that is ultimately harmful to us.
As such, cancer can be attacked; surgically, chemically and radiologically and might even go into 'remission', but then it can also 'come back'.
Are there other fatal illnesses with those characteristics?
Of course 'lost their battle with' is just one of those convenient cliches journalists often use.
But I wonder if it stems from some distinctions cancer has?
Most illnesses are a part of the body failing and weakening
In contrast, Cancer is a 'growing' thing; cells of our own body mutating and thriving but in a way that is ultimately harmful to us.
As such, cancer can be attacked; surgically, chemically and radiologically and might even go into 'remission', but then it can also 'come back'.
Are there other fatal illnesses with those characteristics?
Good post andy...........I can't see the point of that metaphor either.
Zeuhl....... WHATEVER the illness that results in death, the body has lost the battle.....something finally fails......heart,kidneys ......but as andy says we tend to use the phrase......"lose the battle."
I have a similar problem with the phrase "passed away"...they haven't ...they have died........but that is digressing.
Zeuhl....... WHATEVER the illness that results in death, the body has lost the battle.....something finally fails......heart,kidneys ......but as andy says we tend to use the phrase......"lose the battle."
I have a similar problem with the phrase "passed away"...they haven't ...they have died........but that is digressing.
Following on from Sqad, I have noticed that it is usual in the muslim communities around here to refer to someone having 'passed on' - seems to be a real issue with saying 'died'.
My mother was an ace at this! Could not say the d-word. Back in t'day when we had the only phone for several houses around, she 'helped' a neighbour by calling her doctor for her to explain, repeatedly, that her husband had 'gone'.
It took the doc about 5 mins to figure why he was being called.
My mother was an ace at this! Could not say the d-word. Back in t'day when we had the only phone for several houses around, she 'helped' a neighbour by calling her doctor for her to explain, repeatedly, that her husband had 'gone'.
It took the doc about 5 mins to figure why he was being called.
Personally I think it's a cliched phrase that is automatically used without much thought becomes nothing better comes to mind. Similar to 'extend our deepest sympathies' and 'our thoughts are with'. The phrase gives me a shiver as it gives weight to the fact that those with cancer who don't beat it have a really rough time before they 'pass on'.
To cockney the tumours that behave in the way zeuhl described are cancerous ones aren't they?
To cockney the tumours that behave in the way zeuhl described are cancerous ones aren't they?
<<WHATEVER the illness that results in death, the body has lost the battle.....something finally fails.carl - true>>
sqad - take your point. but that is something failing. Cancer is about something living, thriving and growing - although it ultimately kills the host.
Carl - tumours yes. If they aren't cancerous they are a 'Benign Tumour' - now there's an odd phrase!
sqad - take your point. but that is something failing. Cancer is about something living, thriving and growing - although it ultimately kills the host.
Carl - tumours yes. If they aren't cancerous they are a 'Benign Tumour' - now there's an odd phrase!
Zeuhl.....I take your point, but i look at it as the immune system failing to deal with the cancer, but I do accept your likeness for the concept of the tumour growing and flourishing despite the fact that the success of the tumour is it's ultimate fate.
.\\\ If they aren't cancerous they are a 'Benign Tumour' - now there's an odd phrase\\\
No, tumour just means a swelling.
.\\\ If they aren't cancerous they are a 'Benign Tumour' - now there's an odd phrase\\\
No, tumour just means a swelling.
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