‘I talk about my cancer to help
NOVELIST Joanne Harris says people are “very afraid” to tell others they have cancer.
The Chocolat author, 57, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, said she felt that speaking publicly about her experience was the “natural” thing to do.
Talking about her approach to having the illness, the writer told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs “there’s actually quite a lot of amusement to be taken from the situation”.
And she said that while she was being treated for cancer, she “shared so much online” and felt “so connected to the world” because of social media.
Harris said she initially decided to post about her cancer so she would not have to update people individually.“but I realised that as I was getting feedback, there were a whole lot of people going through the same experience and who felt empowered that I’d come out and talked. People are very afraid to say, ‘I’ve been diagnosed with cancer’.”
‘Poking fun is a coping mechanism’
She added that it “hasn’t been an entirely negative experience for me” because it was caught early after a routine mammogram. I have been telling people on social media, ‘Don’t cancel your mammogram, it could save your life’. It could have saved mine.”
Harris said making light of her treatment has helped her deal with her recovery.
“I think it’s one of the coping mechanisms the human mind has, to poke fun at something which is terrifying,” she said.
“I decided I would give my cancer a name – I called him Mr C, I created a hashtag #Goodbyemrc and I would basically tell jokes about losing my hair, my eyebrows, my eyelashes, looking like a potato.
“All of the things people thought might matter – but actually in the face of what’s happening to you, you don’t feel they matter all that much.you feel there’s actually quite a lot of amusement to be taken.”
Desert Island Discs, today, 11am, Radio 4