Why do people have brave battles only with cancer ?
Why do people have brave battles only with cancer ?
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Discussion

RDMcG

Original Poster:

20,895 posts

237 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
I read all the time that people die after " a brave battle", or a "courageous battle" with cancer.
I never hear of a brave battle with hear disease, alzheimers, or lots of other illnesses.

Can't you be brave and battle diabetes for example?

Seems odd to me.

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
It makes people feel better...

steveo29

1,885 posts

219 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
im having a fight and being brave against an ingrowing toenail, does that count?

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
steveo29 said:
im having a fight and being brave against an ingrowing toenail, does that count?
Yes it does... You should be applauded!

mrsxllifts

2,501 posts

229 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
Sounds terrible but we used to have a laugh at the obituaries in the South Wales local paper. They never mentioned that the person had died. Our local paper here says 'Fred Blogs died peacefully in his sleep on Monday 14th Oct. Across the Severn they just say 'Tom Jones, peacefully at home on Monday 14th Oct!' Peacefully what?

And why do people always die quietly, peacefully etc never noiseily, dramatically etc?

deadslow

8,795 posts

253 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
RDMcG said:
I read all the time that people die after " a brave battle", or a "courageous battle" with cancer.
If you're reading this kind of stuff all the time you probably need to get out more.;)

Brave, courageous etc simply a small courtesy to the deceased.

RDMcG

Original Poster:

20,895 posts

237 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
deadslow said:
RDMcG said:
I read all the time that people die after " a brave battle", or a "courageous battle" with cancer.
If you're reading this kind of stuff all the time you probably need to get out more.;)

Brave, courageous etc simply a small courtesy to the deceased.
Perhaps sosmile, but I am intrigued that nobody has a brave battle with any other disease. I cannot recall anyone having a brave battle with cirrhosis or emphysema, much less congestive heart disease.

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
RDMcG said:
deadslow said:
RDMcG said:
I read all the time that people die after " a brave battle", or a "courageous battle" with cancer.
If you're reading this kind of stuff all the time you probably need to get out more.;)

Brave, courageous etc simply a small courtesy to the deceased.
Perhaps sosmile, but I am intrigued that nobody has a brave battle with any other disease. I cannot recall anyone having a brave battle with cirrhosis or emphysema, much less congestive heart disease.
A brave battle with a bus?

freecar

4,249 posts

217 months

Monday 29th September 2008
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a courageous battle with super morbid obesity?

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
A heartwarming fight against a lift shaft.

Bushmaster

27,584 posts

309 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
I think it may be because cancer is often perceived as a death sentence from diagnosis so immediately a 'lost cause', but one that comes with long and often painful treatment, which some people face with courage and optimism, so this positivity in the face of adversity and hopeless odds is where the 'battle' language comes from.


rolex

3,120 posts

288 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
mrsxllifts said:
And why do people always die quietly, peacefully etc never noiseily, dramatically etc?
Under deep pain killing drugs in hospices most people die noisily. You can hear what is known as a death rattle while people sleep. This is the time relatives are called to the bedside

Olivero

2,157 posts

239 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
This reminds me of a story from The Onion - "Loved Ones Recall Local Man's Cowardly Battle With Cancer"

"The day before Russ died," Judith recalled, "he took my hand and said to me, 'At my funeral, I don't want people to wear bright colors and smile and laugh fondly at the wonderful memories of the precious time we spent together on Earth. Tell them to wear black and cover their faces with ash. Tell them to weep bitter tears and rail angrily against the cruel God who took me at so young an age. Do this for me, my beloved.'"

Wise words indeed.



http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29585

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 29th September 2008
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Love the Onion... My all time favourite is the 'India/Pakistan conflict in 10,000th day'... Classic!

speedy_thrills

7,962 posts

273 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
deadslow said:
Brave, courageous etc simply a small courtesy to the deceased.
I don't think the dead care about courtesy TBH.

Bushmaster

27,584 posts

309 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
Olivero said:
This reminds me of a story from The Onion - "Loved Ones Recall Local Man's Cowardly Battle With Cancer"

"The day before Russ died," Judith recalled, "he took my hand and said to me, 'At my funeral, I don't want people to wear bright colors and smile and laugh fondly at the wonderful memories of the precious time we spent together on Earth. Tell them to wear black and cover their faces with ash. Tell them to weep bitter tears and rail angrily against the cruel God who took me at so young an age. Do this for me, my beloved.'"

Wise words indeed.



http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29585
roflThat is how I would go too.

-samy-

11 posts

225 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
What else do you want to write then?
"He died after whining about his cancer for the last 5 years"?

drivin_me_nuts

17,949 posts

241 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
The answers is very straightforward.

There is no disease more frightening, more traumatic to your body, mind or sense of spirit and identity as Cancer. Turn off Google safe search and do a search for Google images of Breast Cancer, but I warn you, it isn't pretty (and please DO NOT link them to this post or forum). When people are faced with this type of image, and 90% of people are described as 'visaual' in that there internal thinking processes are picture driven then perhaps it's no wonder why people talk about being brave and having to fight.

If you think about it, what is Cancer? For many it is the very real revolt of you own cells against you. Mutations on your own body over which you have little control and very often for the vasy vast majority of people with Cancer NOTHING they could have done in terms of lifestyle would have prevented it happening.

Lifes Lottery.

Yes, but why me?

When faced with that relentless march of your own body in revolt what do you do? Fight or flight are the two most primitive human responses. There is no flight - how can there be flight from your own body? and therefore there remainss only fight.

Yet, you raise a highly significant and much overlooked point that can make a huge huge difference to people with Cancer and that's this: If you can change the way you look at Cancer and shift from a mindset that is indeed 'fight' or 'battle' to one that is more positive and embracing then actually you do your body and mind a huge service. Every body finds their own way of coping. For some the word battle is their motivator for staying alive, others talk of 'life lessons' and 'learning'. People adopt what ever belief system / mindset / attitude it takes to deal with the crap Cancer throws at them and people need to work on the mind as well as the body. But that's another post completely.

thehawk

9,335 posts

237 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
Is it because it is perhaps one of the few illnesses that death is pretty much certain and you are living with a conscience awareness that you will be dying fairly soon?

Most other things, including congestive heart disease, are more like chronic conditions that can be managed to a large degree by drugs.

groomi

9,331 posts

273 months

Monday 29th September 2008
quotequote all
drivin_me_nuts said:
The answers is very straightforward.

There is no disease more frightening, more traumatic to your body, mind or sense of spirit and identity as Cancer. Turn off Google safe search and do a search for Google images of Breast Cancer, but I warn you, it isn't pretty (and please DO NOT link them to this post or forum). When people are faced with this type of image, and 90% of people are described as 'visaual' in that there internal thinking processes are picture driven then perhaps it's no wonder why people talk about being brave and having to fight.

If you think about it, what is Cancer? For many it is the very real revolt of you own cells against you. Mutations on your own body over which you have little control and very often for the vasy vast majority of people with Cancer NOTHING they could have done in terms of lifestyle would have prevented it happening.

Lifes Lottery.

Yes, but why me?

When faced with that relentless march of your own body in revolt what do you do? Fight or flight are the two most primitive human responses. There is no flight - how can there be flight from your own body? and therefore there remainss only fight.

Yet, you raise a highly significant and much overlooked point that can make a huge huge difference to people with Cancer and that's this: If you can change the way you look at Cancer and shift from a mindset that is indeed 'fight' or 'battle' to one that is more positive and embracing then actually you do your body and mind a huge service. Every body finds their own way of coping. For some the word battle is their motivator for staying alive, others talk of 'life lessons' and 'learning'. People adopt what ever belief system / mindset / attitude it takes to deal with the crap Cancer throws at them and people need to work on the mind as well as the body. But that's another post completely.
Very good post. I think anyone who fights this illness successfully or unsuccessfully are extremely courageous people. Knowing what you're going to have to go through if you lose would be reason enough for many lesser people to take the easy way out before it gets to that point.