Pinktober Revolution
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Both great, Spookismom! Keep 'em coming! I will be relentless on my FB peeps. Now's as good a time as any to find out who my real (remaining) friends are.
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Ok here's some Pinktober crap, and also some good stuff I hunted up. If anyone takes blood pressure meds.....just warning you now.
First of all Knowledge!!!
so there's that!
And this which contains something I'm sure is carcinogenic
No comment......
I think I'd rather walk...
Wipe your bum for the cure??? Or something????
NO thanks. I've already logged enough sheet time because of this disease
Eloquent in its simplicity
And if you gotta go pink, couldn't think of a better sentiment.....please excuse the language
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Sula- I'm laughing so hard my dog just crawled out from under the covers to check me out, I don't take no meds but I certainly felt it elevate. One of the worst decisions ever by Komen to partner with KFC.
But the last two made my day. Gotta...just gotta have that coffee cup!
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Yes, I like that coffee cup too!
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I am getting some traction on my Facebook page. I know I am annoying some old friends who don't like my current diatribe. (Insert coffee cup meme here).
Somebody asked what is Pinkwashing? Was so glad they asked. I found the below. It's short and concise and it shows you aren't just making this chit up!
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The Breast cancer Action organization gave permission to use their questions. Anyone wanting to evaluate an organization. Let me know I can help quide you. Ruthru did STu2C last year and it's a great organization. It can be fun
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/110/topic/794711?page=1
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lol - everyone! Love the shirts and the other anti-pinktober merch....
Why not don some of that stuff for a good cause?
I am joining hundreds of other women in Washington, DC, on October 13 (Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day) to demonstrate for increased funding for metastatic breast cancer research. I posted the details here. It would be great to see some of you there!
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I shared Sula's coffee cup meme and the orders are pouring in. I am certain some money could be raised considering the level of anger, hurt and indignation I feel. But it could never match the Komen executive salaries, even 10% of them. They have so lost their way. They have turned "awareness" their original stated mission, into a stupid, irrelevant side show. Makes me sick.
Where can I get those coffee cups!????
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Thanks Sas.
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In case anyone is interested. It appears to be one of the only products left on the market offered in pink but not compromised, nor seemingly aware, of the contradiction. Not bc related. Not a fundraiser. I'd put it more in the general blood pressure lowering category.
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I wouldn't doubt if it went to this extreme........
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Loral- thanks. The first meme truly sums it up, I think. I am stealing it with your permission?
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Even my favorite candy that I know isn't goo
d for me is a part of this,
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Jackbirdie all this is craziness........Please steal it...
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Jack and all,
Here's the link to the Coffee Cups! They're 15 bucks each from the company that makes them
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I've begun my series of public service announcements on facebook. Here is today's entry:
Public service announcement as we approach the dreaded "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Breast reconstruction after cancer is not a "free boob job." It's a long, painful process that leaves a woman scarred, nippleless, and numb across the chest. Oh and they are cold, too!
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Excellent, Julie! Keep posting! May we borrow for our own page??
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I am almost five years dealing with stage iv bc. I never jumped on the pink bandwagon. In doing some research for a letter I'm writing to the editor of my local newspaper, I went to Breast Cancer Action's website. I read about their 2014 campaign, Stop the Distraction. It is all still relevant this year. I'm going to post it here, since it contains great insight why so many of us are fed up with the pink stuff. These are all great points and if you agree with any or all of them, they are good to use on Facebook.
Think Before You Pink: Stop the Distraction
Breast Cancer Action's 2014 Think Before You Pink® campaign is a direct call to STOP THE DISTRACTION of pink ribbon marketing and culture. We are calling attention to the countless ways the breast cancer industry, and the culture of pink it has spawned, distract attention away from the bold action we need to successfully address and end the breast cancer epidemic and to achieve health justice for all women in all communities.Pink ribbon culture distracts from meaningful progress on breast cancer in six fundamental ways:
1. Pink ribbon products spread empty awareness. "Awareness" has failed to address and end the breast cancer epidemic. Who isn't aware of breast cancer these days? Pink ribbon trinkets on store shelves that promote "awareness" ultimately change nothing. We have more than enough awareness, but not nearly enough action that will make a significant difference to whether women get breast cancer or survive it. By making the public think "awareness" is the end goal, pink ribbon culture defuses anger about breast cancer and its devastating impact, and distracts us from the meaningful actions that will achieve health justice for us all.Instead of more meaningless gestures that defuse righteous anger and distract us from the real issues, we need bold action to address and end the epidemic.
2. Pink ribbon promotions spread misinformation. Whether by over-inflating women's risk of developing breast cancer, spreading the myth that "early detection is your best protection," focusing on a five-year cure rate for a disease that remains a risk throughout a woman's life, or other ways of cheerfully fudging the statistics, many pink ribbon promotions fail to tell the whole truth. These inaccuracies allow pink ribbon marketers to manipulate consumers' emotions through fear-mongering and false promises—in order to sell more products.Breast cancer campaigns must offer evidence-based information that does not fuel fear or offer empty promises in the attempt to sell pink products.
3. Corporations exploit concern about breast cancer for profit. Each October, marketers take advantage of people's sincere concern about breast cancer to make money and generate good publicity. Companies sell products, make profits, and seek customer goodwill by claiming to care about breast cancer. Yet, most of these promotions ultimately benefit corporations far more than they help women living with and at risk of breast cancer. By tapping into our generosity and genuine desire to help, these companies avoid transparency about where the pink ribbon money goes and too often leave consumers unable to accurately evaluate the promises made in product advertising.Companies and charities must honor people's good intentions with full transparency and accountability in their breast cancer fundraising and marketing.
4. Some pink ribbon products are linked to causing breast cancer. Years ago, Breast Cancer Action came up with a term for this, pinkwashing: the outrageous corporate practice of selling products linked to an increased risk of breast cancer while claiming to care about (and profiting from) breast cancer. It is outrageous and deeply hypocritical for companies to make money and gain customer goodwill from products that increase the risk of the very disease they claim to care about!Companies that claim to care about breast cancer should make sure their own products and services don't increase women's risk of breast cancer.
5. Pink ribbon promotions often degrade women by objectifying and sexualizing women's breasts and bodies. From "save the boobies" to "save the ta-tas" to "save second base," campaigns like these demean and insult women—and distract from the true focus of saving women's lives. They highlight narrow standards of beauty (thin, white, able-bodied, and young), depict women as coy sex-objects and too often promote the fantasy of "perfect" breasts. These sexy/cute campaigns hide the lived experiences of women in all their diversity and complexity.We must honor women's rich complexity and full diversity, rather than obsess over narrowly defined body parts as the focus of breast cancer campaigns.
6. Pink ribbon culture obscures the harsh reality of breast cancer by creating a single story of triumphant survivorship based on positive thinking, beauty tips, and sanitized, carefully chosen images of women. Breast cancer is not pretty and pink, and many women who "fight hard," "fight like a girl," and try to "beat breast cancer" develop metastatic cancer and still die from the disease. Breast cancer is only profitable when it's palatable, and the pink ribbon covers up the devastating, harsh reality that so many women and their loved ones are dealing with.We must value all women living with and at risk of breast cancer and recognize the hard realities of breast cancer, including and especially metastatic disease.
Stop the Distraction
Each October across the country, all of us face an endless tidal wave of pink ribbon products. This flood of products and the widespread culture of "pink" have hijacked the breast cancer movement. Where once the stated aim of the pink ribbon was ed to draw attention to women with breast cancer, now the pink ribbon itself is the center of attention and overshadows the women living with, dying from, and at risk of the disease. After 20 years of pink ribbons and awareness campaigns, the pink ribbon is now a distraction, diverting attention away from the critically important work of addressing and ending this breast cancer epidemic.
Despite all the awareness and all the money raised, breast cancer remains an urgent public health crisis and a critical social justice issue. While corporations make billions off the disease, we have not seen nearly enough progress in breast cancer treatment, prevention, survival, and inequities. Today, 3 million women in the U.S. are living with breast cancer. Up to one-third of all breast cancers will metastasize, even when found in the early stages. Black women are still 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. And each year, 40,000 women die of breast cancer despite all the awareness and pink ribbons.
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I love this....is there a link to this article I can use?
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Tang Google BCA. It should come up. I don't know how to do links
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Here is a link to the article:
http://www.bcaction.org/take-action/think-before-y...
And here is a link to the home page of Breast Cancer Action:
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Of course, Glennie! My user name on Facebook is [please PM member for her real name] if anyone wants to friend me.
Awesome stuff, DivineMrsM. I will be adding that!
Edited by Mods to remove member's real name for privacy and security purposes.
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Thanks for presenting that research TheDevineMrsM. the range of products is both astonishing and crass.
Here's one more point to add. Pinkwashing means guys like me with BC get diagnosed later because the whole pink thing just reinforces BC as a women's disease.
In fact, while we represent just 1% of the cases, this is the same diagnosis percentage as women under 35. Since men aren't being targeted to get attention for breast lumps, men's survival rates are lower primarily due to later diagnosis and treatment.
It's about time the pinkwashing industry was called out for these deaths as well as for all the other reasons.
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Julie- Brava! I love what you wrote. I am also, as I've mentioned, using my FB page for "education". I try to balance it out with cute photos of my kitty, etc., but as the calendar moves towards October I feel so angry. Getting angrier. Some days I feel like a ticking bomb. It can't be good for me to feel this way.
I had my dumbass survivorship meeting Wednesday. An unexpected rant escaped from my body, my mouth, my mind. The subject on this day was the Look Good Feel Better classes where cosmetic companies donate known carcinogens to cancer patients for use on the largest organ of their bodies: their skin. I'm so mad I could spit. I looked up each product I was given (valued at over $250) on EWG's website Skindeep. 60,000 cosmetics etc have been independently evaluated. 75% of what I was given had carcinogens and I threw them out in tears.
Not for the waste of product, or the waste of time. Or money. It was that somebody or somebodies knowingly, smilingly, donated carcinogenic product to a cancer patient. Me. I was that cancer patient.
This is Pinkwashing at its most personal worst, in my opinion. It hurts.
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Divine- exactly. Thank you. And I already shared a portion of this on my FB. Now here comes the rest. Still relevant and powerful.
Traveltxt- sadly this is true what you say. I am sorry. I will do what I can to not express my outrage only on behalf of women.
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Katy: I hate that they give you toxic makeup!! What is that about???
Traveltext: you are so right. Not enough is said about men with BC. You don't even have your own day, do you? I think it sucks that Metastatic BC only has one day,, and who picked the 13th??? GRRRRRRR. Men need their own day in Oct too. At least ONE day.
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Mini1 Thanks to you too, Hugs
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In Memory of EricV who passed on 2/7/2012. His words from his bio are below. I talked with him when he was alive. He trusted in his doctors. He made so many doc contacts and was blown off. If one doc had listened to him early on, maybe things would have been different. They all failed him miserably.
Early in my nursing life, I observed an interaction between a doc, a resident, and a patient. The resident discounted what the patient said. The older doc kindly told him "If you listen to your patients they will tell you what's wrong".
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EricV's words:
Hi everybody! I wish I didn't need to meet you all on here, but I
have decided to post my story in hopes it helps someone else get
correctly diagnosed.I have had a lump near my breast for around
8-10 years. I saw a doctor when it first appeared, and he stated that
it is just a cyst, and to ignore it. I did not feel comfortable with
his call, so
I requested a second opinion. My second opinion said
the exact same thing, so I decided that it was the truth. I was very
wrong.Throughout the years, I have noticed that I was fatigued a
lot, my appetite was always changing, and my back really hurt. While
talking with the 8 doctors I have had over the years, they all said the
same thing as well. It's just a cyst, and your getting old. I am now
35.One day I was wrestling with my 3yr old daughter and kneed me
in the armpit. She ended up hitting my lymph-nodes and it really
hurt. I went to the doctor and demand my lump to be removed (I should
have done that along time ago). When they did an ultrasound before the
surgery, they found multiple lymph nodes were enlarged, up to 7 cm. I
then went for a second opinion and a PET scan.I am officially at
Stage-IV now. I have my tumor, multiple lymph nodes near my tumor. I
have also metastasized to 5 vertebrae, and 4 other lymph nodes
throughout my body. I am also Triple-Negative, and BRCA1/2 negative as
well.If you are a guy reading this, and a doctor
tells you to ignore a lump, please push him to do a biopsy, or remove
it. If your doctor does not want to do it, ask why! It could save
your life!I am trying to start chemo, and I will update this
thread with how that goes. I m currently haveing issues with platelets, so I haven't started yet.If anyone wants to talk, please let me know. I want to help all of the people out there I can.
Eric
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Arguably, Eric's life was cut short by the many doctors he consulted who were unwilling to diagnose breast cancer in a male.
Because it is perceived as solely a female disease, women presenting with lumps are nearly always sent for tests, while men are very often sent away.
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