NewTime wrote:
No, it's not a part of me, any more than asthma is a part of people with asthma or cancer is a part of people with cancer.
Autism and cancer are often compared to each other either to say how different they are or how similar they are. As a cancer survivor and a autistic I have a somewhat unique perspective on this topic.
When I was first diagnosed with autism the question of what part of me is the autism, what is my personality, and what part of my personality is fake from not knowing I was autistic caused me a whole bunch of angst. I have come to the conclusion that my personality and my autism are so fused togeather as to be indistinguishable.
My hopefully former cancer is a part of me. It greatly altered my life and it's lasting effects or some of them be it speech and eating impediments and worry over reoccurrence will last the remainder of my life. Going through something like that is going to alter they way most people think. Unlike the autism part of me is what the cancer changed is pretty obvoius. I was born autistic, I possibly have a genetic predisposition for cancer. Cancer can directly kill me, Autism can not. At most stress related to bieng autistic might be an indirect factor.
I would never describe myself as a formally canserous person. I describe myself as an autistic person who had (hopefully) cancer.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman