#553 November and Still Here!

A couple of metsters and our support team!

November 1st already.  Looking back, I've taken quite a break from my goal of writing every day to stretching it to once a week, then to a month...and now will it be once a quarter?  Life gets busy -- writing was shuffled to the back of burner but now I am back!

The onslaught of pinktober is officially over and I've been following the discussions on social media. There's hate, there's love and then there is indifference.  Let me address the indifference.

First of all, raise your hand if you have never met anyone with some type of cancer.

Next, raise your hand if you have a relative or friend or neighbor with this disease.

Now, raise your hand if you, indeed, have this beast living inside of you.

Maybe the small number of hands in the air of not knowing anyone lets you feel indifference to this disease because, hallelujah, it hasn't directly affected you.   Unfortunately, and I don't want to scare the crap out of you, the chances are good someone you know will be hit with the cancer bomb in your lifetime. Or maybe indifference isn't the right word and it might be because you simply don't know how to help (the Pollyanna in me wants to believe you care that we are dying and truly do want to help).

Your lucky day because I will make sure you are educated on this disease and then encourage you to share your newfound knowledge with your friends.

 Since cancer can affect almost any area on our bodies, I won't overwhelm you with all the known cancer facts but will narrow it down to what I know (and hate) best--metastatic breast cancer.

Here are the top ten facts according to our brochure we put together this past year (I told you I was busy!)

1.  Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other organs in the body (most often the bones, lungs, liver or brain).
2. No one dies from cancer in the breast.  Deaths are due to metastasis to other parts of the body.
3.  There is no cure
4.  20-30% of people initially diagnosed with early stage disease will develop metastatic breast cancer.
5.  Three years is the average survival after an MBC diagnosis.
6.  Metastatic breast cancer can occur 5, 10 or many years after a person's diagnosis.
7. Less than 10% of all breast cancer research dollars goes towards Stage IV
8.  An estimated 150,000-250,000 Americans are living with metastatic breast cancer
9. Approximately 40,450 women and men in the US died in 2016 from MBC.
10. 100% of your donations to the The More For Stage IV fund at the UW Carbone Cancer Center (click on it) will directly benefit metastatic breast cancer research.

Now there are 10 powerful facts to share in November after the pink dust has fallen away and as the new month unfolds, we are again pushed aside, ignored or completely forgotten until next year. Guess what? My voice is louder than ever and will make sure you know we are still here and always need your support.

Last request, please go vote for the democrat running in your district!  Our lives depend on making sure our preexisting conditions are covered with reasonable health care benefits and they are the ones who will protect us.

Thanks for reading #553 of 7777.