~my surgeon, from her surgery report
At first I was affronted. That wasn't accurate, and therefore wasn't fair.
After all, I had made it clear that I knew I would eventually go on some form of hormone therapy (we won't talk about my flat refusal of chemo and radiation, although I consider my reasoning to be sound on this issue). I simply wanted to make one change at a time, since my history is one of adverse reactions to drugs, and I didn't want to confuse the side effects of one treatment with another. That isn't recalcitrance. That's just knowing oneself, and a desire to be in control of one's own life.
But, being me, I looked up the exact definition of the word.
Main Entry: re·cal·ci·trant
Pronunciation: \-trənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin recalcitrant-, recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare, to be stubbornly disobedient, from Latin, to kick back, from
re- + calcitrare to kick, from calc-, calx heel
Date: 1843
1: obstinately defiant of authority or restraint
2a: difficult to manage or operate, b: not responsive to treatment, c: RESISTANT this subject is recalcitrant both to observation and to experiment — G. G. Simpson
see UNRULY
Well.
Okay, then.
After all, I had made it clear that I knew I would eventually go on some form of hormone therapy (we won't talk about my flat refusal of chemo and radiation, although I consider my reasoning to be sound on this issue). I simply wanted to make one change at a time, since my history is one of adverse reactions to drugs, and I didn't want to confuse the side effects of one treatment with another. That isn't recalcitrance. That's just knowing oneself, and a desire to be in control of one's own life.
But, being me, I looked up the exact definition of the word.
Main Entry: re·cal·ci·trant
Pronunciation: \-trənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin recalcitrant-, recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare, to be stubbornly disobedient, from Latin, to kick back, from
re- + calcitrare to kick, from calc-, calx heel
Date: 1843
1: obstinately defiant of authority or restraint
2a: difficult to manage or operate, b: not responsive to treatment, c: RESISTANT this subject is recalcitrant both to observation and to experiment — G. G. Simpson
see UNRULY
Well.
Okay, then.
**from the Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary
8 comments:
Wear the title proudly in this arena-you are the most knowledgeable person when it comes to what you need and when! Thank the surgeon for the acknowledgement!!! Hope you are having good bouts in each day now.
Recalcitrant Supergirrrl. When it's all said and done, it's your body and your reactions and your doctors/nurses/advisors, gifted and educated they may be, do not have to live with the decisions. You do. You get final say for whatever your reasons are.
Go you! Hope you are doing ok.
I would add "not a doormat." Sending healing rays your way.
Here's to taking charge! You have to have some control over your own life and you know what you can and cannot do better than anyone else. I made the possibly life altering decision to stop taking my after cancer hormone suppressors today. There comes a time where quality of life has to mean something...
Good luck with all your personal decisions.
I think I'm recalcitrant too!
;-)
Here's to strong, recalcitrant women!!
Thinking of you.... =)
If the shoe fits...
Keep on, Eileen. Life is too short to do something that will make it worse for you.
Ellen
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