Screwtober is almost upon us once again...

weesa

The pink assault in every retail establishment gets me in such a foul mood, I plan to run around to my usual errand spots tomorrow-- Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter--because it's starting to get offensive already.Hopefully I can skip errand running  and not be reminded of the dignity we have lost as breast cancer survivors all of next month.

debbie6122

It doesn't bother me as much as it use to, but will def use the saying 'Screwtober"  lol!

exbrnxgrl

I'm not bothered by it at all but don't buy the merchandise. I just ignore it. Can't waste my precious time on anger about that. I know some are really peeved about it. At stage IV, I make sure I to fill my days with as much positive energy and happiness as I can.

Caryn

116

I hate how all the orange and black clashes with the pink I am also always due for the dreaded mammogram in Oct. which doesn't help. I right there with you ........... Screwtober!!!!!!

LtotheK

I use it as an opportunity to teach friends and family there are no cures, no "catching it early", no easy roads or pretty pictures, particularly for later stage patients.  I refuse to allow people to simplify this disease, particuarly for women like myself who were diagnosed under 40.  I ask people to donate to research. I feel I owe that to the women I have lost and who suffer with this disease.  I consider this a positive act, although it sometimes makes me feel very upset and angry.

clariceak

Can't stand it.  Pinkoctober paints a very misleading picture.  Early detection saves lives. It seems to suggest that if we all have regular mammos our cancer will be caught early and we'll happily skip down the road to pink survivorship.  It fails to mention that mammos don't work for dense breasts!  I had a clear mammo in Jan, stage IIIC by summer. 

It doesn't acknowledge the huge number of women who move on to Stage IV, or actually start out at Stage IV.  The money for research for these women who are actually dying of bc is woefully lacking.  I'm looking at you - Komen Foundation.  They are pushed to the side in order to move forward the happy pink survivorship parade.

Pinkoctober seems to push the idea that breast cancer is the most important cancer.  The sheer volume of marketing and pr devoted to breast cancer must be insulting to other cancer patients.

I would love to see more research on why there are so many young women on these boards.  Something is wrong with our environment.  But that's not the type of research that gets funded.

Fortunately I live in a very small town so activities are limited to a walk and wear pink to work day.  I haven't worn pink since I was a toddler.

Denise-G

Last year I was getting diagnosed in October so Pinktober is new to me.  I couldn't believe the anger I felt when I went to my local Kroger Grocery Store and on display as you walked in was the most ridiculous junk for breast cancer like a beer cozy with a pink ribbon with nothing saying anything was donated to BC research.  I felt so exploited. 

I will be speaking out!  Thank you!

exbrnxgrl

Yes, many of the items which turn pink or sport pink ribbons are quite absurd. Just makes me laugh.

Caryn

Waitingforthenextstep

clariceak

I live in NY and we are bombarded with Pinktober.  The walks, Komen, Making Strides, also have them in all the outlying boroughs. The merchandise.  what message is it delivering.  It becomes fashion, not really fundraising.  Have to hope their hearts are in the right place.  We have to take care of ourselves and our families.  But you can't help but notice. 

NancyD

The only thing I've every bought that sports a pink breast cancer ribbon is an ID bracelet to wear on my cancer arm to alert medical people in case I'm unconscious not to use that arm for BP or blood draws. I stopped wearing it, though, because it was too decorative and the medical people I showed it to said they'd think it was just a regular bracelet.

So no pink breast cancer ribbon stuff for me. And I'm educating (as opposed to "raising awareness") my freinds and family about the rip-offs.

barbe1958

Nancy, you can get a special bright pink "hospital style" bracelet to wear when you have surgeries. Check out the LE site I can't remember where I got my free one mailed from.

As for October and pink, I've coined the phrase FOCTOBER. Use it as you please..... 

Celtic_Spirit

Hey, Weesa, I've been wondering where you've been!

Screwtober...love it!

I began seeing stink (my word for "pink") in stores and catalogs back in July {groan}.

I'm afraid I won't be making Slouchfest this year...I'm headed to the wilds of Washington State this week for nine days of hiking and photography in Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. I'm hoping the only pink I see will be the petals of a wildflower or the underbelly of a trout. I'm sure I'll find some nice little pub to have a brew in, but it won't be the same as your nice establishment, nor will the company be as fine!

Marple

Here is the link to contact for the free plastic pink LE bands.  They might do the job for a planned 'outage' but in case of an accident.........not so much.

http://www.lymphedema.com/alertband.htm

MandalaB

while i like pink- but don't subscribe to any of the October stuff either. Terrible.
- It sickens me to see the pink goods that are bad for you (like KFC fried chicken) or are made with endocrine disrupting chemicals (the pink cookware) . lol...

ya know what really gets my goat though- I work for a tshirt printing place.
We do the walk shirts every year for different teams and stuff-
My boss is a very good man and is very supportive and donates legitimately.

We have a wholesaler who we do printing for who is very stingy and very cheap and makes a lot of money off the books for different things like fireman conventions, etc.
He prints pink stuff in October- sells it at walks and events and I would bet my life savings he doesn't give squat to anything.

So I am going to ask him next time I see him when he puts his order in how he helps out because I have this horrible disease and I am curious how he contributes personally.
I'm sure I wouldn't be the last one to ask him either.

Pisses me off to no end.

My 9 year old daughter feels wearing her pink baseball hat supports me in my fight- for that I'll let her. And my only pink item is a handmade stained glass necklace a good friend made me who had no idea .... and that's all. 

paml

Im with you ladies!

I havent worn pink in three years!

Anonymous

Clariceak:  Love that you said you haven't worn pink since being a toddler !!  That's hilarious.  But what ISN'T funny is how we survivors (I use this term loosely) are supposed to be smiley & bright & happy that millions are being raised to find a cure.  I read an article in the Journal that said there has been minimal at best, progress, in the fight since two decades ago.  They prescribe the same treatment now that they did back in 1987.  Just the fact that at each stage of treatment after surgery, they told me all of it was to fight recurrence -- which tells me they have no confidence really in what they're doing in the first place. That's messed up -- sorry but they have to do better. I especially like the slogan "pink stinks".  

Waitingforthenextstep

shelly56

Makes me wonder where are all the funds that ARE raised are going to. Research?  I was in Pa. about a month ago and the restaurant we went to was raising funds for local women who wanted to participate in the Komen walk.  It cost a minimum of $250 just to be allowed in.   

MandalaB

They line their pockets.

They donated less than 15% of proceeds from all that pink shit to actual cause.

The rest- their paychecks and heavy advertising.

Komen's CEO made just about half a mil last year.

cla

And I thought it was just me... anti-pink !  From the moment of diagnosis I've been flooded w/ pink-related gifts... pink plastic rings, pink glittery bracelets w/ pink ribbons, pink t-shirts, pink scarves, etc. etc. etc.  And I hate it all.  Most recently a neighbor brought me pears from her tree and a Pampered Chef pink ribbon cake tester... Argh!

I don't want to be the face of breast cancer.  I don't want to constantly be reminded I have breast cancer.  I don't want to wear clothing or jewelry that reminds me of breast cancer.  I don't want to walk or run w/ hundreds or thousands of other women who have or have had breast cancer.   

I am reminded every day when I get in the shower, when I put on my mastectomy bra with "foobs," when my joints are stiff and it takes me forever to stand up after sitting due to Armidex.  I am reminded every day when almost everyone asks how I'm doing, seemingly expecting me to whine or complain or come up w/ a symptom list indicating I've only got a couple weeks to live.   I'm reminded whenever I have a "wierd" ache or pain and my first thought is the cancer has traveled.

We try to live with dignity after diagnosis and treatment.  We must be courageous and always aware of our bodies.  We must watch our weight, exercise, think about how much alcohol we're consuming, what foods we're putting in our body, which supplements are good or bad.  Cancer takes up an incredible part of every day... for every day going forward.  I don't have time for pink.  It doesn't make me feel better, feel safer or somehow make having breast cancer easier or "fun."

Thank you for starting this thread and letting me rant... I had no idea I was holding all this in  

weesa

Glad to know I hit a nerve here!

Today was a new low. I pulled up to the drive-in window of my bank, and you know those irritating cylinders that come whooshing down at you, that are tricky to open, and if you have an SUV they are not at the right level for you, plus you just about whack off your side mirror getting close enough to the damned things, then you drop the check you are trying to deposit and you can't get at it on the ground to pick it up because there isn't room to open your car door--? Welp! I navigated all that falderol successfully only to notice the cylinder is now breast cancer pink!

Barb--Foctober! I wish I had thought of it. Actually, I wrestled with calling this thread, "Fucktober is almost upon us" and decided  I should not stoop that low while complaining that the merchandise is trashy, garish, gratuitious and robs us survivors and our disease of our dignity. Wish I had thought of Foctober--it has just the panache I was searching for. W.

barbe1958

I think the runs are for those that DON'T have breast cancer!!! I think they think it's makes them invulnerable!! If they do enough runs, surely they won't get the very disease they've been running from!! My first year at work after my double mast people at work were surprised I wasn't doing any of the walks. I said "Are you kidding me??? Those walks are for YOU guys to do for ME!!!!" People just don't get it....

fredntan

What pisses me off is all the `awareness`crap they do.

No one made me aware of breast density, no one told me make sure that guy reading your mammo is specialist in his field, no one old me that self breast exam is about the best thing we got right now.



And what hurts the most for me is having one of my friends who has raised money for upcoming komen walk just ignore me. Whatever. I have had virtually every friend drop offface of earth since dx. Cant wait for one of them to join my club. Am making new better friends

rozem

hi ladies

just wanted to chime in that i am sooooooo with you on hating pinktober!!!! i was at walmart the other day and they have pj's with pink ribbons printed on them from head to toe.  I don't think anyone of us would EVER buy these, let alone wear them.  When i was going through treatment i told my nearest and dearest i did not, under any circumstances, want any pink ribbon crap.  Save your money and donate it directly to breast centers/research facilities where they are really needed.  How much money from all these consumer products with pink slapped on them actually goes to research/prevention/better screening?  and as for the walks/runs, i cringe when someone asks me if i will be participating.  Thats for you healthy people who don't have creaking joints and bones from tamox or post surgical pain or residual chemo effects

Last pinktober i was in chemo, this pinktober i will be removing both breasts.  THIS is the reality of breast cancer, not all that fluff crap

Elizabeth1959

Barbe

I think you are so right.  Walks and runs help other people feel invulnerable.  I also cringe at the word survivor.  I don't know what that word means.  I feel like I won't know if I'm a surivor until I die of something else. I think the word survivor diminishes me.  I don't have a breast, I had over nine months of active treatment, I take an AI , but most of all I live in fear that it will metastisize.  Breast cancer stinks.  Don't make it cute.

Elizabeth1959

Barb

I agree with you.  I think walks/runs are to help healthy people feel invulnerable.  I also hate the word survivor.  I have no idea what it means.  I won't know if I'm a survivor unless I die of something else.  I feel like the word diminishes me and my dreadful experience of having breast cancer.  Yesterday, I had my port flush.  I was in the chemo room filled with people who were emaciated, bald and suffering.  Cancer isn't cute.  The only thing that foctober has taught me is that I hate pink. 

Celtic_Spirit

What I hate the most are the "I love boobies" bracelets and "Save the Ta Tas" bumper stickers. Really, when I was diagnosed, saving my ta tas was the last thing I cared about. Those traitors could go to hell! Saving my LIFE was what concerned me.

Saving the ta tas and loving the boobies seem to sexualize breast cancer...they cutsify it...and it seems to say that saving what's "sexy" about a woman is more important than saving her life. And I don't for a minute buy that most teenagers are wearing those bracelets because they have a burning desire to erradicate breast cancer...it's a "legal" means of being racy, of getting to say "boobies," without getting into trouble. The whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth!

Anonymous

All of you guys are my heroes.  I couldn't put my anger and disgust at Focktober any better than you've stated it.  I think every woman in the world that's had BC or is going through it should get together a worldwide campaign of "Just say No to Pink". Instead of buying the over-priced pink crap they sell, put a dollar towards the scientific research that actually has some promise in fighting this disease.  As Mandala states: less than 15% was donated through Komen.  How gutsy to take advantage of us !

Anonymous

All of you guys are my heroes.  I couldn't put my anger and disgust at Focktober any better than you've stated it.  I think every woman in the world that's had BC or is going through it should get together a worldwide campaign of "Just say No to Pink". Instead of buying the over-priced pink crap they sell, put a dollar towards the scientific research that actually has some promise in fighting this disease.  As Mandala states: less than 15% was donated through Komen.  How gutsy to take advantage of us !

bak94

Cla-your reply is how I feel. Yes, it pisses me off!!! People making money by saying they are donating to breast cancer awareness. Phooey!

I used to do all the runs, but it was about running, although I did find I like the group feeling of those races, alll the people coming together. I didn't think I was not vulnerable when doing them before cancer, and I did think I was supporting the cause, but ultimately it was about seeing if I could finish the race. I would pick out the races that fit into my schedule. The one I did go out of my way to participate in was the leukemia stair, climb, as I lost a best friend to leukemia and thought I was supporting her by participating. Now I can barely walk a mile or so in 30 minutes! Oh how things have changed....

cmdczc

Good evening everyone!

Just had to put my 2 cents in.  I know I am in the minority here, however, and I know there is exploitation by "pink washing" throughout retail sales, however, if this leads to increase funding for research, I am for it.   If you look at the funding for the research presented at the San Antonio meeting, you will see Komen funding.  If you look at the research funding on the Komen website, it goes to solid basic molecular research.  This is where I believe a cure will be found in my lifetime, at least to the majority of bc (with the advent of knowledge about the subtypes, it is now known that this is a myriad of diseases).  300 million was given to basic research by Komen in 2012.  Should it be more? Maybe, but it goes to quality research at name institutions that can get their work published.  Look at clinicaltrials.gov, and look at the number of breast cancer active trials, almost 4500, way more than other devastating cancers, such as pancreatic or glioblastoma.  This is where the targeted therapies will come from that will have the most effect against this disease.  I work in the field and the changes in diagnosis and staging of breast cancer has evolved at such a more rapid pace than in other cancers, and it is due to the public awareness that has been brought forward by the Making Strides Against Cancer, Komen, etc. 

 Personally, I also appreciate the support my friends and family show when they walk and clap and cheer.  

So, anyway, just had to give the opposing viewpoint.  Thanks to everyone who has donated to the cause, and yes, I own pink socks and a pink spatula!

Have a good night everyone!  God bless!

Cindy (stage IIIa) 

Anonymous

Cindy:  Yes there are and have been many more clinical trials for BC, so why are the treatments/protocol basically the same as in 1987?  That should not be acceptable to anyone, especially a foundation as big as Komen.  We have had too many sisters, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, who have "given" the most of anyone with their lives.  OK thanks for letting me have my say.