Terminal? Not Yet

I have the most amazing online friends. This definition of terminal illness came to me from Julie, a reader and fellow traveler who lives in Canada. 

She had an appointment with her oncologist recently, and, among other things, this is what he said about her metastatic cancer:

Finally, he said something amazing.  When I referred to my disease as "terminal" he corrected me:  terminal disease is when there is nothing we can do for you.  Your disease may not be curable, but it's treatable. There are many many things we can do.  That comment gave me an amazing lift and a little attitude correction.  Like you, I've got summer vacation plans and a project that needs working on. I need to try and focus on that. 

 I couldn't agree more. The words we use do make a difference. 

See also:

Ted Kennedy: Terminal Cancer or Incurable Cancer?

Great Quotes from Cancerland

Need a Snappy Comeback? Try One of These

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Comments

[Sue Morrow Flanagan]

Thank you for this wonderful definition. Bad day yesterday and I really needed this.

Moved to Seattle to make it on to a clinical trial that has given me a new immune system, but the cancer has progressed I learned yesterday. Back to chemo....endless chemo.

Just stumbled across your site. We have much in common. Thank you.

Warm regards,

Sue Morrow Flanagan

[carrie s]

My 18 year old daughter was called to school guidance office recently and offered the opportunity to apply for a scholarship for kids whose parent has died or has a terminal disease. Her dad has stage IV colon cancer (1 year). We told her that terminal has 2 meanings. One is that it is the last stage, which is true, there is no stage V. The other meaning is that there is nothing more that can be done to treat the disease, and no one has told us that. We are not using the word terminal at our house.