My mother used to say that if everybody hung their laundry out on the line, you'd likely choose your own.
But I think that is only cause, you've already figured out how to deal with it and hopefully, it will soon be history. ??

Saying this, only makes you honest. +1

Damn, you went through chemo? My mother had cancer twice (breast and thyroid) so while I cannot relate I can certainly sympathize. The internet is inadequate in these instances, but I would offer you a sincere handshake and a beverage of your choice in person :).

Save that drink and handshake for modern medicine. :D As bad as it was, and it was, my prognosis was always good and I owe all of that to the doctors. My heart goes out to your mother though and it's the folks like her who merit being called 'survivors', not me.

That one always fails to comfort me. Thinking about people who have it even worse make me feel even more depressed, thinking about how it must be to be even worse off or feeling worse. Really sad stories about the libraries and the hospital. It's really fucked up to put people under so much stress and pressure because of money. It's why I would never be able to function in a paid job. I'm glad I'm 100% disabled and living on a benefit.

I agree with this. Neither does the fact that others have it worse make my situation any better nor does knowing how awful a lot of people's lives are magically make me happier. You can't really measure misery, can you. o_°
Suppose it's fine if it works for some, brilliant, in fact, if it helps. Not for everyone though.

On topic, my bird died today and no one's around to listen to me whine about it. 'twas probably my fault too. Now bird #2 is all lonely and... bird-y.

As noble as your sentiments are I've known too many who have NOT come through, and I see it like this:You were fortunate enough to have the cancer caught early enough that treatment was effective. Many are not so fortunate and remember:

“I think I need a drink.'
'Almost everybody does only they don't know it.”
― Charles Bukowski

IMO anyone who battles / battled cancer is a survivor in one way or another. I have personally seen the toll it take on a person whether they go through treatments to choose not to. And for modern medicine - I am forever grateful.. My mother was given 6 months to 2 years in 02 and her cancer medicine (Tarceva) has kept her alive and remission (with the exception of one relapse). It is basically chemo in a bottle so she will never grow her hair back but a very far a great trade.
I am very sorry for your loss. Losing a animal friend / companion is extremely hard. =(

Not that you should look into a "replacement" but if birdie #2 is lonely it might not be a bad idea to get him/her a companion. (although I have no idea on birds and if this is a good thing or not)

Need a life.

Thank you.
We weren't actually close, mind you. Just feels like it's at least partially my fault, waiting too long to take him to the vet. These are the social kind of bird so #2 will need a new friend since he doesn't think very highly of me.

I get really annoyed when people put it in a "stop whining, there are people with Real Problems you know" kind of way, often with a tale about a friend or relative going through something worse than I. Yeah, awesome. But what right does that relative have to be unhappy about their situation when there is someone even worse off than them - essentially turning the whole thing into a downward spiral where only the most miserable person in the entire universe has any right to complain - and more to the point, why does this person whine to me about me whining about a problem when there are people with Real Problems around?

I can't believe I missed this before...this all started because of HobbyLobby's christian leadership not wanting to fund what they consider to be against their religious views. I actually signed a series of petitions in favor of BC costs but clearly it fell on deaf corporate-lackey ears.

The original Hikaru Sulu, Mr. George Takei, had a brilliant response to this bullshit ruling:

[url=What%20if%20HL%20was%20run%20by%20Muslims%20imposing%20Sharia%20law?]http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/02/george-takei-what-if-hobby-lobby-was-run-by-muslims-imposing-sharia-law-on-workers/[/url]


Oh and let's not forget Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had the...er...courage to dissent to the SPOTUS decision of her arch-conservative colleagues.

Yeah, some assholes always try to guilt-trip you because you're feeling miserable and want to talk to someone about it.

I never actually meant my comment as a 'guilt trip' or a 'stop whining' post and I'm sorry if that is how you perceived it. At no point did I say people should just stop whining or just be grateful that it isn't worse or that they do not have a right to be unhappy or miserable about their situation because others have it worse, nor did I mention others who had it worse to try to prove this point.

All I meant was that I sometimes find comfort after the event that it could have been worse, it's little consolation to me at the time, but I usually find that afterwards a problem is never usually as dire at it seemed at the time. Like Getcomposted said, no one has a right to make someone else's problem seem petty and meaningless, everyone is entitled to feel miserable or unhappy, and no one has the right to say they are more miserable unhappy than you. People just deal with things differently. Some do find comfort in knowing it could have been worse, or meeting someone who has it worse and being humbled by it - while others find no consolation in this at all. Everyone is different and we all deal with life's problems in our own way.