I have a coworker who was recently diagnosed with cancer and in addition to surgery will need chemo and radiation. While being extremely supportive I suddenly found out that she apparently doesn't like to be called "cancer" but rather a person with cancer. For some other odd reason she has put me in charge of irreverent or was it irrelevant humor in relation to her process kicking that cancers butt. Well she is trying to come up with some sort of head covering as a result of the chemo making her hair fall out and has refused my suggestions of a
burqa 
or Peruvian wool cap.
While trying to come up with good role models for women without hair I could only come up with Sinade Oconnor
and Grace Jones.
Both apparently unacceptable. I don't know about this whole "supporting people with cancer" thing. All they seem to want is nonjudgmental supportive people who care about them. Totally unrealistic.
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This whole post was really an excuse to post that fantastic pic of Grace Jones. If I read right about her she looks great and is 63 now with a new album out. Amazing.
Why would anyone be judgmental about an unavoidable disease - were there totally preventable causes?
John your question is a bit like asking why anyone would be judgmental of someone with other physical aspects of being human that are different than the accepted norm of a population. People are judgmental about other unavoidable things like being bald especially a woman being bald, having a mental illness, being a little person, being a different race, being old etc. For people with cancer other people can be judgmental about how they got it like smokers, heavy people and poor eaters. They can be judged for not seeking care soon or regularly enough. They can be judged as less of a woman because of the lack of breasts. They can be judged for a lack of energy during tx's and so forth.
I agree, people can be judgmental about anything. I also agree that when someone has a serious illness, it's past the point of judgment. I don't however see that bald, short and mentally ill are in the same category as fitness and cigarettes.
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