Humour where needed

LisaC

Hi ladies, hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas xx. Just had to share this with like minded people. I was cooking dinner 2 nights ago and someone comes to the door. Being Christmas time, my husband was home which in itself is unusual. Also having a door knocker is unusual. I hear my husband speaking to a young, enthusiastic girl who I think maybe selling something. I ignore and keep cooking thinking hubby will send them on their way. After 5 or so minutes hubby comes to the kitchen...."you better come and speak to them, they are collecting for cancer". I say to him, can't you just take care of it? "No, it's some long term thing, you better hear what they say". So off to the front door we go. The young lady starts raving about a payment plan we can do in a high pitched, over the top, enthusiastic voice without taking a breather, collecting for major hospital. Hubby says to me....being (major hospital) I thought you might want to do it....young lady asks am I familiar with (major hospital) and have I heard of Angelina Jolie and her preventative double masectomy....like it's the new "must have". Hubby then starts telling the girl that I have had a double masectomy just like Angelina Jolie, my mum was treated there and my brother in law currently going there. (Poor hubby has always felt the need to tell anyone that would listen, much to my disgust and have reprimanded him repeatedly.) So I give him the evil eye, silently pleading with him to stop telling this total bloody stranger when she pipes up and says "oh, so you're familiar with Angelina Jolie story! oh! you've had double masectomy - cool!, so you will be ok right?, so did your Mum like it (she died) etc etc digging herself into a bigger hole and says so if you wanta sign up for as little as $1.35..." Hubby comes in with the "it's not cool" reply and those 2 go at it like I'm not standing there with my half inch long post chemo hair listening to their discussion about cancer talk etiquette. I'm glaring at this stage at hubby to let it go....meanwhile the girl is continuing on her spiel like she has memorised word for word what she is meant to say & she is not going to stop for anything....meanwhile I burst out laughing, shake my head and start to head inside....both of them looking at me expecting me to decide an outcome...do we sign up? Talk about needing a sense of humour. This one was even better than my next door neighbour saying to me "you look well, so they have they told you you are going to live". Would love to hear from others with inappropriate "cancer" situations to share. Hope ladies on here can see the humour in this situation, the ability to laugh throughout the last 9 or so months has kept my sanity. Love to hear from others with like stories. Lisa xx

TinaW

Ahhh love it! xxx

Hazel M

Wow, yeah, if you don't laugh, you'd cry! She just kept digging a deeper hole:)

Hazel xx

jandy23

Here's an inappropriate cancer story for you. Back in  2012 not long after I'd undergone chemo and I was still bald some of the boys in my son's grade 5 class were teasing each with jokes along the lines of  "Your mum's so fat that she sat on an ipod it turned into an ipad." or 'Your mums so ugly she's never seen herself cause all the mirrors keep breaking."

 Anyway one unfortunate boy apparently said to my son "Your mum's so hairy...." (can't remember what the punch line was). And of course my son replied "My mum doesn't have any hair at all, she's got cancer." My son thought it very amusing that the other kid looked mortified, apoligised immediately and scuttled away as fast as he could. "That shut him up," my son said, clearly greatly satisfied with his come-back. 

Leonie Moore

I delighted in scaring people when I relayed information about my first diagnosis.  Now I am a "seasoned traveller" I use humour or sarcasim when needed to stop inappropriate conversation. XLeonie

Janey235

I had a phonecall recently from someone who was wanting a donation for a cancer related institute and I felt quite sorry for her. I usually hate these sort of phone calls but I let her talk on for a bit. I told her that the work she was doing was really worthwhile as I was just getting over BC and I was about to say yes to the donation but I was interrupted when she piped up with "Oh good, you will certainly be giving a donation then won't you". I then told her that I didn't think 'good' was the word she should use for my situation and that she should not presume that I would give a donation just because I had experience with cancer and that she'd just lost my donation and I hung up the phone. I was really mad at first but then I saw the funny side and laughed out loud. I imagine she'll be really careful with her calls in the future.

Janey xxx

LisaC

I'm getting better at it as time goes by. Chemo brain had my response time a little too slow, but it's on the improve and no doubt I will learn along the way! Lisa xx

LisaC

How rude and presumptuous! I would have done the same thing Janey. I inquired about a big cancer fundraiser a couple of months ago. I didn't really know too much about it and sent an online inquiry. They telephoned within 10 mins - great response time. After them explaining what it was about I said I would have to decline and perhaps next year I can participate when my own health and fitness was better (all weekend, 2 days of walking). She kept persisting saying you didn't really need to be that fit etc etc. I explained that I am only a month out from chemo and I didn't foresee me being able to do it. Anyways, you would think that I would be "flagged" as a no show. No - not to be...every couple of weeks I get a telephone call on my mobile. It is a pre recorded message saying hi my name is blah blah and I am a cancer survivor and does a spiel. I have hung up on them twice now. Yes I know it is a wonderful cause, yes it's wonderful so many people donate their time to raise funds but I think it is a bit too in your face. If it were any other charity that push sells I would make a mental note not to donate! Maybe that's what is needed nowadays??

Kim B

Hi Lisa,

yes I am all too familiar with the inappropriate comment- when I told my boss (a woman) that I would need time off as I had breast cancer she said " oh no my friend died of that in November, & I've got another friend who's likely to die any day now to from it"!!! She also told this to one of my work mates (who already knew that she had said this to me) & when my friend said "I hope you haven't told Kim that" the boss said "what do you think I am, an idiot"! Same boss has also told other work mates that I'm "unlikely to make it" because I had lymph node involvement (only one!), & said to me & all my work mates at the work Christmas lunch "oh I reckon it would be much easier to lose a breast than, say, a foot" (which I actually agree with), but said "you have no idea, but I now know what to get you next Christmas", I think she thought I was going to suggest breasts, but I said "filters, as you have none, fine stainless steel ones to filter the garbage that spills from your mouth". I feel SO much better having said it!

I also had a charity phone me (while I was having chemo) to ask for money, & when I said sorry, not at the moment as I'm not working while I have treatment for cancer, & this telemarketer said "oh well how about just fifty bucks then?"

Opening the door to a persistent Jehovah's Witness while not wearing my wig or my breast was fun though- he wasn't taking no for an answer from my husband, sure took off when he saw me though!

jenpen

Reminded me of a similar situation.....

A few weeks ago my sons class were discussing "The Witches" by Roald Dahl......one of the boys said that all bald women were witches...to which my son replied "Well, my Mums bald but she's not a witch!"

He was relaying this story to me very proudly.....and it made me smile!

Sue F

I had a similar thing happen to me Kim when I was diagnosed with Paget's in Nov 2011. I was with a group of friends and because it is a rare form of BC I was explaining the symptoms when one friend said she had actually heard of this form but only because someone she knew had been diagnosed with the same, and she had died. Luckily I found it humorous as this particular friend is known to often speak before thinking.

LisaC

Hi Kim, I can't stop laughing!! I can't believe your boss! Gosh - are you back working with her? Well done to you for thinking of that to say to her. I always think of things well after the fact unfortunately.

Door knockers like that get what they deserve! I will have to keep that one up my sleeve haha. Lisa xx

Kim B

Hi again Lisa, & Sue!

yes, unfortunately I am still working with her, though she has just had 2 weeks leave & it's been bliss without her! I told the workmate who has stepped up to her position for the 2 weeks that she is a great disappointment as a team leader as she 1. turned up on time & often early for every shift. 2. didn't spend 2/3 of the shift outside smoking (while lying on the outdoor swinging lounge!). 3. didn't spend the remainder of the day talking on her mobile phone. 4. actually got work done. & 5. listened to her workers without making an inappropriate comment! Oh I will miss her leadership now that the 'real' one is back!

Last month I attended our breast centre's Christmas party & we were all discussing what we'd be doing for Christmas day, & when I said I'd be working, 2 of the other girls asked where I worked (I'm in disability support work), & when I told them they said "OMG you poor bugger, you've got ...... as your team leader haven't you? You know she's got mental health issues don't you." They were not at all surprised at the things she had said to me, & it turns out that they both worked in other units within the department (nowhere near mine), but we all had a good laugh over some of her most famous statements.

You know that even though I (like you) had a pretty lousy 2013, I would still rather be me & have gone through this, than be like her!

Just thought of another, but this one was funny & cute- one of my clients (who has a moderate intellectual disability) said to me when I returned to work- "Oh you've shaved all your hair off", I said "yes", he said "why?", I said "it was too hot, do you want me to do yours too?", he replied with a very emphatic "NO" & took off down the hallway.

Keep laughing girls, we'll have a great collection of stories between us!

Kim. xox

LisaC

Oh gosh, at least you don't let her get to you. I worked with some like her her years ago. Not so much inappropriate comments but the lazy factor - very frustrating. Keep laughing Kim! especially with your clients - they have an uncanny ability to say the most honest and innocent things and get away with it. Lisa xx

Kim B

Too true! Did you know the movie 'Grease' stars John Revolta & Olivia RootinJohn! One of my clients loves this movie & is convinced that's their names- he's even managed to convince some of the others that is so too. Kim x

 

LisaC

Haha, if were to make a slip like that to my best friends daughter than I would get "baaaarrp", "Wong answer, no deal, goodbye", then for the next 5 years she will ask me what I called them - & I would have to remember! Do you work with adults or kids?