Before I receive an onslaught of abuse for mentioning the C word …. It’s not Christmas! Although there are less than 100 days left until Christmas and I have actually already started buying presents, Christmas isn’t what this blog post is about. I have sat with this blog post half written for a few days, unsure if some people will be upset or offended by it, especially as my blog posts are usually light-hearted and I have always blogged for pleasure so this is a step away with more of a rant.

I recently had to go for some blood tests (for my friends and family reading this, please don’t panic) and I was in the doctors surgery with my eldest daughter sat next to me and the baby on my lap when the doctor calmly sat there and said my symptoms seemed typical of one of the three C’s. Colitis, Coeliacs Disease and Cancer. Momentarily the silence was deafening, had he really just said Cancer? Immediately I questioned his rationale for this sweeping diagnosis, not for me but for the 7 year old sitting next to me who is acutely aware of the word “cancer” and what that word can mean. 

I know that there are a lot of children that have to deal with serious illness both for themselves and their families and whilst she maybe 7 years old she is still my baby, she didn’t need to deal with that, not then, not yet … not ever. The flicker of panic in her eyes made me squeeze her hand a little bit tighter as the doctor then stated it was highly unlikely it was cancer as I would have lost a significant amount of weight (and the snugness of my trousers tells me this isn’t the case), so it was dismissed as quickly as it was suggested. 

I started this blog post being unsure whether I would upset or offend anyone, as I know there are thousands of people that have had to deal with this very situation but it was me that was upset, not for myself but for my daughter, who was momentarily plunged into the suggestion that her mum had cancer. Was the doctor right to do this in front of her? Surely he could have said there are a number of possibilities but we will do the tests and go from there? Was it really necessary to say that in front of the children?

This post isn’t an attack on my local GP, as I genuinely believe that they do a fantastic job. Thankfully the results came back clear for all of the suggested conditions, none of the “three C’s”. 

So when I say, don’t mention the C word, I think I am actually quite happy to use the word Christmas!