The cancer card

I admit to shamelessly using the "cancer card." In my opinion, it's okay to use the cancer card as long as you have cancer, but it's bad karma to use it otherwise. Here are examples of when I've used it:

1. Door to door roofing salesmen beckoned me outside and asked, "When was the last time you had the roof replaced?" My response was, "I don't care, I have cancer."  His response was to raise both hands in surrender, back up, and say, "Fair enough."

2. Telemarketers call (daily) and give me their spiels about needing money from me, and I tell them that I have cancer and am not donating now. Many wish me well before hanging up.

3. My bank called and left me a message to call back. This annoys me, because I don't know if someone has hacked into my account, and they want to warn me, or if it's a sales pitch. It was a sales pitch, and I asked them to only call me if something bad has happened, because I have cancer and don't want to be bothered with sales. The wrote a big note on my chart to leave me alone and only call for problems. 

4. My neighbors wanted to take me to see Steve Winwood concert, but I wasn't sure I could sit through the pre-Steve show, so I called the box office after trying in vain to find out who the pre-Steve show was. I left a message that I had cancer and wasn't sure I wanted to watch both shows and asked who the first show was. The box office called me back and told me who was playing first. We decided to skip the first act. 

I also use it on myself. For example, when I want to go to bed at 8:00 PM, I tell myself it's okay, because I have cancer. And when I wake up 11.5 hours later, that's okay, too. I take more naps, because I have cancer. I don't work a full 8 hour day because I'm tired from the cancer. It's my invisible handicapped sticker, and I have it with me at all times. I'm not abusing it, because I am working, walking the dogs when I can, driving myself to treatments, and trying to live a somewhat normal life, but with a lot more sleep, which is something I was lacking before all this happened. I will appreciate it while it's here.