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Card that is! 
I have worked various Customer Service positions throughout my years. I can handle EW's and other douchewaffles (fav
term), but I despise the customonster that dares to bear the "cancer" card in any forms. I have absolutely no sympathy for the people that think it is some kind of exclusive membership that entitles them to have the world at their feet. Yes I understand their pain, probably more so, and in terms they would not be comfortable to have to live with.
so now here's the emotional part.
I lost my mom when I was 18. I was never close to my stepfather, so losing my mom was literally like losing a significant part of myself. I will try to make this as concise as possible, but it was a long and gruelling emotional roller coaster. Mom was first diagnosed with lung cancer, however it was operable, and it appeared as though she would pull through, especially with chemo and other follow up. 1 week before surgery, she admitted herself to the ER due to severe abdominal pains. 2 days after that, we learn from the oncologist that Mom has terminal Pancreatic Cancer. No treatment will help. 80% survival hopes went to 100% death in the space of 10 seconds. Now you should all know the rule of 3 with survival; You will die if you go 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, or 3 weeks without food. Pancreatic cancer means you will not be able to eat. and if you can keep something down for more than 30 seconds, it still does not digest. Somehow mom was a fighter, and made it to 4 months, before the starvation finally took her. In life, she was 5'6 and 132 lbs. When I carried her to the hospital, I could do so with one hand, as she weighed 32 lbs. I have a Picture of her that day still in my wallet. I might be the only one who can still see that vibrant woman in the picture...
So any customers who have tried to play the card usually get educated rather quickly what a bad idea that is. Cancer is never pretty. and the climax to my arguement is to show that last picture of my mom and show that my mom had to endure was far worse than most people's experiences, and those that have equaled it, have become among my best of friends.
I wanted Mom's last wishes to be fulfilled, but I didn't sell out her good name, just to get a deal on something. In fact, we ended up getting discounts and comps, after people learned about our trips. There is plenty of compassion out there, however most people that get it don't use the disease as a form of currency.
So remember that my friends. Share this story if it will help. Hell, you can probably see a cancer death within your family somewhere. It's not like the cancer card dealers are the only people who have ever played.
I have worked various Customer Service positions throughout my years. I can handle EW's and other douchewaffles (fav
term), but I despise the customonster that dares to bear the "cancer" card in any forms. I have absolutely no sympathy for the people that think it is some kind of exclusive membership that entitles them to have the world at their feet. Yes I understand their pain, probably more so, and in terms they would not be comfortable to have to live with.so now here's the emotional part.
I lost my mom when I was 18. I was never close to my stepfather, so losing my mom was literally like losing a significant part of myself. I will try to make this as concise as possible, but it was a long and gruelling emotional roller coaster. Mom was first diagnosed with lung cancer, however it was operable, and it appeared as though she would pull through, especially with chemo and other follow up. 1 week before surgery, she admitted herself to the ER due to severe abdominal pains. 2 days after that, we learn from the oncologist that Mom has terminal Pancreatic Cancer. No treatment will help. 80% survival hopes went to 100% death in the space of 10 seconds. Now you should all know the rule of 3 with survival; You will die if you go 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, or 3 weeks without food. Pancreatic cancer means you will not be able to eat. and if you can keep something down for more than 30 seconds, it still does not digest. Somehow mom was a fighter, and made it to 4 months, before the starvation finally took her. In life, she was 5'6 and 132 lbs. When I carried her to the hospital, I could do so with one hand, as she weighed 32 lbs. I have a Picture of her that day still in my wallet. I might be the only one who can still see that vibrant woman in the picture...
So any customers who have tried to play the card usually get educated rather quickly what a bad idea that is. Cancer is never pretty. and the climax to my arguement is to show that last picture of my mom and show that my mom had to endure was far worse than most people's experiences, and those that have equaled it, have become among my best of friends.
I wanted Mom's last wishes to be fulfilled, but I didn't sell out her good name, just to get a deal on something. In fact, we ended up getting discounts and comps, after people learned about our trips. There is plenty of compassion out there, however most people that get it don't use the disease as a form of currency.
So remember that my friends. Share this story if it will help. Hell, you can probably see a cancer death within your family somewhere. It's not like the cancer card dealers are the only people who have ever played.
and thank you for your thoughts.
Cancer is horrible, and losing loved ones to it really sucks. My aunt O (mom's cousin) died at 43 (on Christmas Day) from breast cancer (bear in mind she lived overseas) and the scary and ironic thing was that aunt O's mom died from the same thing around the same age as her daughter back in the 1970's (long before I was thought of). My mom and aunt O were close and had a sister-like relationship and my mom went through tons of emotional roller coasters from the day she got word about aunt O's diagnosis to the day she got word that aunt O wouldn't have long to live. When we got news about aunt O's passing, my mom was like a zombie, but the night of the funeral was when she did shed some tears. There wasn't a dry eye during the funeral and for the last 4 1/2 years, my mom has this picture of aunt O (during her good days)and the little prayer bookmark from the funeral sitting in the wall unit cabinet in the living room. I hate when people pull that cancer card!!
Families that have a loved one or two with cancer could care less about discounts, they care more about spending whatever borrowed time they have with their loved ones with cancer until their final days.
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