Day 38 Remember what you have

not what you don't have
This phrase is usually used to remind oneself to be thankful for friends and family and good health and world peace...
However, in the cancer center it is your place in the sickness hierarchy. Breast Cancer is clearly in first place, and has the most "empowering" women's poster, a lot of publicity around the fundraising charity walks and has lots of support groups. Colon cancer has a few posters and a support group. Lung cancer is clearly the bottom, I don't think people with lung cancer get together for therapy.
The old men in the waiting room like to make bathroom jokes and whether they can hold their bladder for the few minutes that they are in the laser beam. I think they assume that I have breast cancer, and I let them believe that. I don't do much talking to them, I just let them make jokes and wish me luck and comment on the tanning bed.

When I talk to people and they hear my hoarse voice, I tell them that I have allergies, and then I have a little daydream that I tell them the truth. You can tell people anything and they will believe you, I could tell people that I have brain cancer. Except, then I go back to "remember what you have, and not what you don't have". I guess this works for me because I do not have something as awful as brain cancer.