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| Advocating for the ones I love |
So the pinkin' stinkin' October fest will soon arrive and I will again sit this one out. Let's take a moment to ponder what will begin in nineteen days. You pay X amount of dollars on some pink trinket or food item or heaven knows what else gets this color slapped on to it, and NOTHING changes or has changed since 1985 (20-30% of all those initially diagnosed with breast cancer still DIE from this disease). The Pinktober goal is to bring awareness. DUH! Trust me, we have been hit over the head numerous times and are fully aware of breast cancer (unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past-- how many years?). We know about mammograms, early detection (myth buster--does not necessarily help us) and where to get free wigs for our bald heads.
The pinktober celebrations that gag many of us in the metastatic community are not impressed. The mission is finding a CURE... and we are not there yet. Guess Pinktober has not been working like they would lead us to believe. Speak to the families of the 40,000 who will die this year and ask them about breast cancer awareness. They have been living with it every single day.
Do not assume research grants will be funded by the NFL wearing cute pink shoes or department stores spending valuable money so people can wave pink towels during the games (oh, and by the way, here's a $10 gift card to purchase more stuff). Let's get our butts in gear and put all that "pink money" into research. It is our best hope. Wearing pink boas will only make you look silly--it does not keep us from dying.
More time with our families is what we cherish. We hang on as we suffer through side effects that sometimes leave us curled in a fetal position. Knowing the reality of this disease we still continue to advocate for our children and grandchildren's futures. I wish others would do the same.
Please, think about us as the pink begins to flood the malls and the grocery stores and the random obscene places that are jumping on the band wagon to have you buy, buy, buy. Will this money reach the hands of the researchers who are desperately working to save our lives or will it line the pockets of corporations who don't understand (or care?) we are dying?
Go to www.onewomanmanylakes.org and hit the donate button. Both METAvivor and ACS have pledged 100% of the donations from my website will go to research. My beautiful daughter and granddaughter will thank you in years to come... and hopefully, so will I.
End of my ranting for the day and thank you for reading # 486 of 7777.
I have always 100% agreed with what you say.
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