Blog 4:

“Might she have suffered less at the end if she hadn’t felt compelled to try one more drug, determined to soldier on?”

              Complicate: Khuller starts asking what if’s, which are notoriously dangerous. It is impossible to go back and time and having regrets will never help you move forward in life. Of course, there is a chance that this metaphor had a negative impact on her illness and outlook on life, but there is the chance that it gave her encouragement as well. It is very possible that thinking of cancer as a fight provided her fuel to continue with living. If Khuller is going to pick apart the possible negative effects, he needs to remember the possible positive impacts as well.

“Indeed, it seems strange that the language of healing remains so interwoven with the language of warfare, especially in the era of chronic disease, when many conditions are controlled and managed, not eradicated or annihilated.”

              Develops: Khuller hits a thought-provoking note. It is intriguing how something so violent is so often associated with healing, and hope. In a way I guess, it follows the patterns of life, opposites attract. There is a balance that is always satisfy to human and adds depth into scenarios. This case is no different, the ideas of war fare make the process of coping with a mental illness more engaging, sparking the competitive nerve in many people.

“For many patients, thinking of their treatment course as a fight or battle may be helpful, an important part of their journey, invoking ideals of courage, resilience, and determination.”

              Supports: Khuller finally makes the critical statement that I have been thinking the entire article. While battle comparisons might bring about negative connotations of loss and retreating, they also tend to bring out a fire. In sports, a team needs a spark in order to be pushed to do their best. The same probably occurs in patients with chronic illnesses. Being a fighter and having the resilience to engage in battle provides energy, hope, and the willingness to keep going. Additionally, looking at a cancer as a battle gives the fighter the chance to win.

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“When I describe my work, people often ask whether these new metaphors actually change how people think. They can” (Erard 6).

              Erard makes the same point that Khuller did, that the metaphor that is chosen will impact the human, and especially their mind. No matter if the battle comparison to medicine is beneficial or detrimental, it does in fact have an influence on the outlook of the patient.

“And metaphor keeps the mind shaking, rattling and rolling, long after Elvis has left the building” (Geary 5).

              Geary reaffirms that metaphors have a huge impact on the brain. Even after it is said, it will impact thoughts and actions down the road as well, just as the thought of cancer as a battle will affect the duration of the patient’s experience with it.