Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #stage4cancer
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It's almost midnight and I'm still processing this morning's appointment, my first with this particular doctor. Having never met before, the first sentence out of her mouth (after introductions) referred to my #stage4cancer.
In the 8 months since my diagnosis, none of the many doctors, nurses, or other medical personnel I've seen have used that language about my situation. None. Yes, I have metastatic cancer. Yes, that is #stage4cancer. But the language of cancer is such a tricky thing.
In the beginning, I rejected the language of "stage 4" as unhelpful. And in many ways, I still find it unhelpful. It has a way of shutting down reality. It has a way of sounding like it is the ending of a story that hasn't actually ended yet.
