OT - Christmas gifts - small rant

odie16

Ok, let me preface this by saying that I love my family and appreciate their support but......

At what point can things go back to some semblance of normal???? Every year for either Christmas or my birthday, any gifts have something to do with BC or the pink ribbon. This year, I got a pink ribbon necklace and the Tervis tumbler...I really do appreciate the gifts but just want to go back to normal and not be the poster child for bc...

lisa137

Yeah, I received a black shirt covered with flamingo pink "fight like a girl" phrases and a graphic of cute pink bra.... I had a BMX and have no plans for reconstruction. :P

Holeinone

my dx is just a little over 5 months ago, & my sister sent me a baseball hat with the pink ribbon on it...ah, I would not wear that, unless, maybe....I ended up in the rally for the cure golf tournament. Not sure if I can even consider doing that. The thing is, I have played in for years, the wonderful gal that organizes it, & does all the work has not had bc & is unaware of the negative emotion some of us have. She, thinks its about the balloons, pink golf balls & we give someone a free mammo...& that is good, but so much of the crap drives me nuts...all the October awareness...but no real bottom line on how deadly the horrible disease is, and the death toll.....too many pink ribbons, boas, 

Blessings2011

Arghh, odie16, I hear ya. I'm two years out from my surgery, but in the beginning, I think my family and friends emptied all the shelves of every stinkin' pink ribbon piece of junk there was. I think the worst was the day before my BMX I got a gift of cocktail napkins with pink high heels and pink ribbons. WTH?

It was very difficult to say anything then, as I knew they were doing it out of love for me, and ignorance of the cause. So I accepted their gifts graciously, and said nothing. 

However, I do believe in teachable moments.

After a year, I got bolder, and pretty soon, all my family and friends knew my views on "pinkwashing"... and I have to say I haven't gotten one pink ribbon gift since then.

The hospice thrift store was the beneficiary of most of those gifts.

So, sadly, in a roundabout way, they did help someone.

Nel138281

I hear ya.  I have tantrummed about pink ribbon anything from the get go.  So people are afraid to come anywhere near me with PINK!

Be well

Nel

odie16

I have tried to gently educate but it appears to be falling on deaf ears. Guess I will have to be slightly more assertive...

Blessings2011

Go for it, odie!!!

Start with what you said in your opening statement.

This is not about THEM, it's about YOU.

xoxo

Moonflwr912

LOL.  The person who keeps telling me chemo is behind me. Put it behind me, Now that my BMX is 2 years out. Bought me pink ribbon socks. LOL

ruthbru

Use it as a teachable moment.....tell them that, although you truly do appreciate the sentiments behind them, the 'fluffy' gifts do NOT make you feel better. In fact, they make you feel uncomfortable, as that type of gift almost trivializes your experience (would they give someone with liver disease a necklace with a little red liver pendent dangling from it, or someone with prostrate problems a prostrate shaped pin, or someone with COPD a shirt with a catchy 'You Take My Breath Away' saying on it.... or whatever.....really!). Also you can give them a list of organizations and their addresses (such as BCO, American Cancer Society, StandUp2Cancer, local groups etc.) that actually do fund research or help people dealing with cancer, and say if they feel compelled to do something in your honor, make a donation to one of these places.....very little of the money spent on 'pink' actually makes it back to anybody who actually needs it.