My eldest dislikes greatly if I happen to mention my condition in conversation. In the past, it was merely mentioned to a few teachers to only alleviate her classwork. Never did she use my situation in her favor.

Alas, I have since stopped sharing any tidbits with anyone whilst in her presence… that is, until her doctor appointment the other day.

Dr: Hi, so what brings you here today

Kid: bla, bla, bla horrible acid reflux.

Dr: How long has this been going on?

Me: Since we came back from Florida.

Dr: Did something change for you? Food wise? Environmental wise?

Kid: No, nothing changed.

Me: (Looking at kid) Really?

Kid: (Big Eyes!) Mom, no.

Me: Really? Ok.

Dr: (Looks at both of us) Sometimes, stress or anxiety can trigger acid reflux. It’s important to tell me if something is going on…

Kid: (Imploring me to keep quiet with her eyes)

Me: …Well, I do have stage four metastatic lung cancer and it got worse when we came home from Florida.

Needless to say, I was told I am not the cause of her acid reflux; it just so happens to coincide with when I got sick.