You’re in remission, right?
Please tell me what to say. Anytime, anywhere, I can run into an acquaintance who heard about the breast cancer (I am very open about it), and then they say “but you‘re cancer free now right?”.
These are not close friends (otherwise they would already know my status). So why ask me something like this?
I was at a friend‘s 50th birthday party a few weeks ago and this interaction happened and I was forced to say. “It’s a chronic condition.“
Their smile disappears Immediately, and not only my evening ruined and sometimes my entire week, but clearly they wish they could go back in time ask that question.
This happens every couple of months and it has created a lot of anxiety. I want to gain some control over the shitty situation I have found myself in, not get forced to mourn when I’m in the middle of my grocery run or at my kids high school game. I think if I had a response ready to shoot from the hip that politely but firmly shut this down I would feel better.