Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Black & White Photo


Someone suggested to me on twitter that I shouldn't wear make up for my Facebook live Q&A that I did with Bloodwise today.  This was in response to me asking how much I should wear to hide the exhaustion.  They said that I shouldn’t because that would show the true impact of living with Leukaemia. I don't know if they were joking or being serious. It has however, pissed me off. And it also quite nicely ties in with the current Facebook fad of the black and white selfie to show solidarity with those who have or have had cancer. Well. In all honesty that can fuck off. Taking a photo of yourself and putting it on Facebook does fuck all, other than post what's probably a very nice photo of you. Which is totally cool, do that! I do it all the time. Don't tell me though that taking a photo and putting it on social media means you know how I feel. You don't. Unless you have had cancer or have it. But I suppose that's the point. Those that do it don't tend to be those who haven't had it. They only know people who have. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, un-generous and or come across as a complete bitch. From what I see from my 'cancer kid' friends (and how I react), is that all this does is upset us. Especially when treatment has impacted on how they will look for the rest of their life. It's a bit like. 'Let’s play a memory game to honour all those with dementia'.  Slightly insulting?  I think so.

I do understand the helplessness you can feel when a friend or family member is diagnosed and there is fuck all you can do to help them through their treatment in terms of side effects and all the rest of it. I do understand that text messages, emails, phone calls, meals being delivered, company to hospital appointments, just sitting on the sofa in silence watching a shit film because there are no words do help. It is these things that you excel in. Do more of this and less stupid social media campaigns that mean fuck all. 


So because of this I am posting this photo. To show you my solidarity to all my friends alive and dead who have had or still have cancer. To show you how I look on my way to raise awareness of what it's like living with cancer. The impact it has on my life.  And how I keep going. 

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