breast cancer stuff up all over the place

Elizabeth37

I wanted to see if I was not alone,I hate October because of all the breast cancer stuff up.I know it helps people think about it or help fine a cure but i have to look at my body everyday at the scares I have the weight I have gain because of the meds.I just dont like seeing it all over making me think back.Am I wrong for thinking this way

NSJ2

I understand how you feel, Elizabeth. Some days I like seeing the light pink ribbons and symbols, and some days it really depresses me because it reminds me we still haven't found a cure, AND WHY NOT DAMMIT!  Whoops, did I type that out loud?

Jomama2

You're not alone!  Check out the Advocacy thread..."Get ready, pink season..." and in the Relationship, Emotional Crisis etc. thread..."Pinktober revolution".  I was sick of it before I got breast cancer.  This is a serious effing disease, not a marketing opportunity!

Julie--MA

What gets me is that I was in Staples the other day, and the cashier asked in her robotic tone if I would like to donate a dollar to breast cancer research (or whatever her spiel was), and when I said, "No thank you, I am actually in treatment for the disease," she didn't even respond.

I agree, Jomama2--I have always worried that breast cancer has been hijacked as a marketing opportunity, and even now that I am wrapping up lumpectomy #4 and heading towards radiation and Tamoxifen, I still feel that way.  I know much of that has resultsed in better awareness & funding, but I too feel as if too many companies use it for personal gain. 

Julie

chrissilini

I know how you feel. I think all the pink is why I'm feeling a bit blue about the whole thing. It kind of makes me relive it all over again. It's also coming up on a year for me so that, with the ribbons everywhere, have me thinking too much about it. In some ways, it doesn't bother me. I just wish all of the 'awareness' would result in a freakin cure.

Take care.

NSJ2

Amen Chrissilini, AMEN!

It's time for a CURE. This disease (cancer in general) has been around far too long. IMHO, awareness is of course a good thing, but a CURE is sorely overdue.

JoanQuilts

Or prevention.  Prevention is an even BETTER thing than a cure.

NSJ2

Bravo Joan!!!

BLinthedesert

With so many new diagnoses of DCIS - the prevention piece is working for many of us ... what we need to do now is figure out 

1) what differentiates those with disease that has more serious long term potential (so we know which treatments are better, e.g., radiation or lumpectomy alone versus surveillance, etc. or chemo versus no chemo) - both for in-situ and low-stage IDC (Oncotype is almost there for invasive disease, the clinical trial is almost finished)

2) how can we treat those with more advanced invasive disease  (Stage III and IV) 

 With women dying and suffering every day from #2 - this is imperative!!!! 

It is also the case that as we understand #1 better, we can hope to eliminate - or at least ameliorate - the need for #2.  

It is important to realize that many of us with DCIS are in effect cured after lumpectomy/mastectomy and other adjuvent (radiation/hormonal) therapy.  This is less true for our later stage friends. 

RobinJoy

Have any of you read "Pink Ribbon Blues" ? I just checked it out from the library. It's a very thoughtful discussion on exactly this. The author also has a website. http://pinkribbonblues.org/ There's some interesting reading.