Overhead discussion yesterday that made me sad/angry

A pathologist once annoyed me (I bit my tongue at the time though) by referring to "my adventure". I have since realised he wasn't far off the mark. Adventures can be very scary and take you places you would rather not be. But they do add to your life experience! 

Sometimes people speak with fear and sometimes they simply don't engage their brain before opening their mouths.  Most do mean well, though, so no use getting oneself upset over it.  Personally I hate the over-use of the word 'journey' for all sorts of things and like @Sister I prefer the use of other terms.

@AllyJay I know what you mean about the "journey" as I too, enjoy them.  To me, this comes under the heading "life experience"!

No worries!  

@iserbrown,  as I specifically said, I realised this was my own personal reaction to the term, which was said tongue in cheek, No offense was intended. Again, personally, the magic of a journey is the anticipation, the planning  and the day by day enjoyment of uncovering the attractions of that journey. The destination just happens to be the end of that whole process. Important, but the end of an enjoyable journey in the  end. For me personally, this cancer journey itself has been a nightmare, although I do anticipate  with relief the arrival at the  destination...

Why get hung up on a word that describes and is used on the BCNA website as what it is -  My Journey Kit

The most important part of "My Journey" is the destination "NED" - I am so looking forward to that part!!

For  me, this whole "Journey" thing gets on my ......well can't say that  anymore, can I?  In my mind, a journey  is something and somewhere exciting and different. Like the Great Wall of China, Outer  Mongolia, the Serengeti or somesuch. It in no way brings to mind chemo  clinics, barbaric mutilation, permanent side effects  involving wheeled walking frames  and the like. However, I realise that this is my own personal reaction the the use of the word and that the people using it probably mean well.

LucyE said:

 I’ prefer people to say stupid things than avoid me. 

Exactly!
Most people do mean well. They are often upset, possibly embarrassed and often unaware of what they are actually saying. I remember one friend carrying on so much I just wanted to slap her and say - hey I’m not dead yet!! 

I used to find the use of fighter annoying, now I find the use of cancer sufferer far more annoying. I’ve learned to be far less sensitive about people’s comments. More often than not, they are trying to be kind/ supportive. I’d prefer people to say stupid things than avoid me. 

There have been some good threads about what not to say to someone who has cancer. Pretty much everything that anyone who hasn't had cancer feels the need to say. Raving platitudes for the most part. 
Some days I want to bite the fools, other times I find myself thinking 'I hope you never find out how ridiculous that statement was.'