Blog of our health editor
Susanne de Joode, health editor of Plus Magazine, writes in the December issue about the war language that is spoken when it comes to cancer.
A few years ago, my father had an unexpected emergency operation on his colon. His ‘normal’ constipation turned out to be caused by a huge tumor. Exactly how big it was and whether there were metastases: the doctors didn’t know yet.
“Grandpa is in the hospital”, I told my 7-year-old daughter. “Why?” she asked. “He’s got something wrong with his stomach and the doctors are going to try to make him better,” I replied. “And what if that doesn’t work?” she asked very calmly. ouch. Three swallows, then I knew what to say. “Then they just try something different.” I weighed my words on a gold platter so as not to make her as worried as I was.
What you call something makes a big difference to how that something is experienced. That’s what happens when you talk to a child. It also applies to the words you think. Or what you say to patients. Or that you write down.
That is also the opinion of Ellen de Visser, medical journalist at the Volkskrant. When she talks about cancer from now on, she will avoid terms like ‘fight’, ‘enemy’ and ‘victor’, she recently decided. No more war language. Because you can win a war – as long as you choose the right tactics. Whoever loses didn’t fight well. Or, one step further: victims are actually losers. While getting cancer is often mainly a matter of bad luck. And heal one of good luck.
Like my father had. He did not fight against cancer, but surrendered. To the doctors. “What else could I do?”, he looks back. “I had faith in my body and in the doctors. It was not in my power to change anything about the outcome.” He was lucky, and so am I. With such a father.
And you? What do you think of war language when it comes to cancer? I like to hear it!
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
