Pink everything is everywhere....

It's not even freaking October yet. I was so pissed about all the pink crap on the shelves at my supermarket and I gave the poor check out girl an earfull. Not her fault, I did apologize.

I've been bracing myself for pink October.  This will be my third one with Stage IV and I thought I was being selfish and thoughtless because it offends me. I've seen a lot of posts on this forum and am glad to know that there are others besides me who feel the same way.

It feels as if BC is so commercialized and if you're not on the band wagon, shame on you. 

Voracious - I looked up Pink Ribbon Blues on Amazon and the description and reviews fit.  They're really pushing this disease, but no one's letting us know the results - who gets the money and how far ahead have we gotten - since the awareness began a few years ago.

I watch football with my SO and seeing the players in October being forced to wear pink shoes, etc., really makes me want to puke.  Some of them don't wear pink and I wonder why.  But it shouldn't matter, should it?

Sometimes my caller ID tells me the call is from a cancer group and I think it's an agency to help me but, no, they're asking me to donate to breast cancer.  I ask "Are you going to send me a donation to help with my medical bills?"  Then, they hang up.

 I won't wear pink either.  Too bad, I look good in it - well, as good as I'm going to look.

Thanks for the topic, Thatgirl.  I hope it gains momentum so we can all add to and read our vents through October.

Thatgirl ~ I've always thought the pink bucket o'chicken, etc was pretty ridiculous ~ and that was before I had BC!

I'm similiar to you SpecialK in that I was diagnosed October 6th of last year.  I totally remember getting asked to donate at the grocery store, etc.  It was surreal... I felt like I was constantly being reminded.  There was absolutely no escaping it.

There was one situation where a clothing store clerk asked if I wanted their credit card... I said no.. but she kept going and said this was a "special card" ~ because a % of sales went to BC.  I said something like, "well that's a coincidence because I just got diagnosed with breast cancer".  Her mouth dropped and she stumbled through completing the purchase and mumbled something like.. "good luck".  I felt kinda bad for her...but thought she'd have a great story to tell her co-workers.

It will be interesting to see how it feels this year. 

Add me to the list of annoyed with Pinktober.  I was diagnosed in early November, when Safeway is STILL asking for donations for bc each time you are in the store.  I did tell the cashier...uh I was just diagnosed last week, so ...yeah...

I have been participating in The Race for the Cure long before I was ever diagnosed, and usually do participate (had to skip this year).  I do tell the cashiers that having had breast cancer, I feel like I have donated plenty,,,,tissue, time money, etc.  In 2009 I was able to tell them that I was currently having radiation treatment for bc - sometimes it just feels good to shock people.  I don't  really know why, but in a way it is empowering.

I will be 3 years out Nov. 8th, so it's possible that I will feel differently.  I will say that I do like to tell random people like this that I have had breast cancer because I am so healthy and 47.  Often they say "Oh, does it run in your family...." and i can say, no it does not!  No cancer in my family history!  Plenty of heart attacks but no cancer".  The general public truly is misinformed in my opinion.

I loathe the pink movement generally. I am lucky to live in a big city where everything gets a bit lost in the crowd, so I am able to avoid the pink movement quite easily. I feel so bad for some sisters who have to put up with small town papers that publish their pages in pink (!!!!kitsch, anyone????) for the occasion. Also get to avoid the pink guns and cars. Occasionally I will bump into a walk, but I can handle it as long as it is a rare occasion and I cross the street. :-)

 Susan - I remember your description not long ago on a stage IV thread of a Komen walk and how people were divided up, and what some of the signs said. Sickening... I would have felt like a head of cattle.

1Athena1 ~ Yeah... I really did feel like a head of cattle behind my "years of survivership classification".  

Doesn't it seem like the ones pushing the pink crap & Komen races never have/had BC?  It always seems to be the relatives, loved ones, friends, etc.  Recently I was in a class with a woman who I noticed wore a "Save the TaTa's" fundraiser type of shirt a couple times.  I just had to ask her what her connection was with the shirt. I was thinking there was no way someone with BC would wear that!  I was right... however, her answer still surprised me.  She said, "Oh, I just saw the shirt and thought it was cute."   I was too taken aback to say anything.  But I wish I would have.      

Kimmer ~ I noticed I started feeling more annoyed with the "pink" the more I researched about BC. I think what annoys me the most is how "light" is made of it.  I heart boobies. Save the TaTas.  When it's about cancer...it's serious.. it still kills people.  However (comma) I also can see the benefit of having so much more "awareness"... .. it's now talked about openly instead of something to be embarrassed about (like it was 50 years ago).  But I am also more aware that not everyone has the same feelings/reactions when we are diagnosed.  

Thank you for sharing that story about the parents of the Oklahoma bombing victim.  That perspective hadn't occured to me either. How heartbreaking. 

Yes, I'm glad it isn't 60 years ago.  My grandmother got diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1950s (before I was born).  She had bilateral (I assume radical) mastectomies (there was no chemotherapy at the time, and I doubt if she had radiation.)  I was told as a child that I was NEVER to say the words 'breast' or 'cancer' to her.  At that time, most breast cancer patients died of their breast cancer.  Up until my diagnosis of LCIS, I thought that the only women who got breast cancer were people who ignored their lumps.

But I hate the 'pinkization'.  Briefly, long ago and far away, I was a reseach tech.    I got minimum wage.  My PhD boss got paid about $200 a month more than I did. Best to fund research directly, so you know where its going.

This will be my first pinktober as a survivor. I remember last year my son's soccer team wore special pink jerseys in honor of BC awareness - this was literally weeks before I was diagnosed. There was another boy on the team whose mother had just passed from BC and I remember thinking how hard it must be for him to be surrounded by all of the "awareness". I have to say that I do feel the pink tends to simplify the BC ordeal for people who haven't lived through it.

I would like to chime in here...

This whole pink thing hits me wrong.  When my neighbor came over all decked out in pink from her BC earrings to her shirt, shorts and sneakers.  She was beaming and I just wanted to cry.  I didn't say anything because I didn't want to hurt her feelings. 

The restaurant that seated me under the HUGE pink ribbon swaying from the ceiling.  Eight of us and we just happened to be seated that way.  I switched with hubby.

I know it is supposed to raise awareness but it just gives me a sick feeling.

I appreciate the fact that so many are getting involved with ways to raise money for BC. I honestly avoid the pink ribbon thing it just reminds me of my BC.

Hi Ladies... I have to say I see both sides as a  survivior now the "pink" does have a new meaning for me and I am not totally oppossed to it. I own several "pink" things myself and I do wear them and honestly I wear them proudly as it is hard work going through what we have been through. On the other hand I do agree completly that there is an marketing issue with it all and where do all he funds go and many companys do make lots of money off if it for themselves and YES It does seem to simply the disease. I agree completly it is not a pretty fluffy disease at all and I do believe that all gets lost. I also think there are some shirts and signs out there that I also take offense to. Susan you brought up a save The Ta Ta SHIRT.. COULDNT AGREE MORE. My best friend no less bought me one of those and a car magnet.. I could of just thrown up or well wanted to smack her at the time!. I of course never wore it and would not put the magnet on my car... and she refers to my masectomy as a boob job! So yes all this pink does simplyfy it too much.

 However you choose to look at it there is no wrong way.

KIM.. I think you must be a very good friend because you care enough to find out what everyone is thinking and how they feel about it.  Thank you!

Have a great day ladies

Hi Girls,

I also can't stand Pinktober, although I DO support BC causes, but directly.  I went to Target yesterday and in the $1 Zone had little bags that said, "Fight like a girl!"  At first I said, "how cute," because I myself like that saying.  However, is the $1 I spend REALLY going to help fund BC research or fund mammos for uninsured women?  How?  And how are those pink flip flops going to help me?  

Here is something I wrote about it on my blog.  And this was BEFORE my BMX (although it was planned...)

http://cancerchmancerpoopoopoo.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/the-commercialization-of-breast-cancer/

Feel free to look around there, too.  I appreciate feedback on my writing and hope it helps someone with BC who is scared to smile just a bit.   Now I have to plan a marketing campaign for my DH's pizza shop for Pinktober.  Here is my way I can deal with it--on ONE DAY, we will give a certain amount to a BC organization of our choosing.  Since it is a kosher pizza place and most of the clientele is Jewish, we will donate the money to Sharsheret, a support organization specifically for the needs of Jewish women (we seem to get BC in much higher proportions than the rest of the population).  Now, why is this OK and the flip flops not?  Because we are revealing HOW MUCH of the purchase price is going to the charity and we are naming the charity.  Buying a 'fight like a girl' gift bag at Target doesn't tell me a d@mn thing about where the money goes, nor does it indicate how much of the dollar is going to 'fund research.'  And what KIND of research?

OK, I can go on, but you all get the idea or you wouldn't be here:)

Hi Ladies,

I did not read eveyone's post I had to chime in something that totally offended me as a BC survivor.. I could also post it on the "Stupid things people have said to you" however, WHAT this women was doing that had me thinking WTF. I did the Run for the Cure in London, ON. I was on a team with another BC survivor I met here on this website.... Anyways,In the 5 km walk there are lots of people dressed in Pink and have pink accessories on. The survivors wear PINK shirts and the supporters wear white. It was very cool on our walk day and I look over at a women who is SMOKING during the walk a cigerette in front of me and closeby a "survivor" mom and her young child. I was so pissed I wanted to say to her, Do you know how stupid and offensive you are by smoking a cigerette at a walk against CANCER!!!!! Clearly, she is there for the social aspect of the walk and not b/c she actually cares about the fact that I am inhaling her 2nd hand smoke as are anyone else near them. Not to mention young children were closeby her too. Sorry for the rant but that is why I am sick of the whole BC pink thing... Where is the money truly going and so many people don't really care about the cause more about the "outing" with their friends. HELLLOOOO this is a real disease that we carry with us forever. Sometimes, I think why give us the t-shirts to wear or pink equipment for the football players to wear. The money wasted on that could have gone to the cause. All the pink does is say oh ya it is Breast Cancer month. There are cheaper ways to do that. Have the networks give free air time for a respected football player to go on TV and gives the facts about BC. Really, Do men watching football think anything more about the pink eqipment then it looks ridiculous on the players. I would love to know how many of them went and booked a mammo afterwards or suggested their wives do it...... Alot of the whole pink campain in Oct in my opinion is a "marketing scam"..... Again sorry for the rant. Just needed to unload with you all. Take care my BC sisters.

Diagnosis: Aug, 2009, IDC, 7-8cm,  0/15 nodes, Grade 3, ER+/PR+ HER+ 

Booboo, that is an interesting perspective!  I think it is a source of power to reclaim the words that the 'other' uses against us...kind of like how "queer" was reclaimed by some gay-rights groups.  You are right, it is a light way of handling a heavy disease, but think about how long the word 'cancer' wasn't uttered in polite company.  In some segments of my community it still isn't uttered, leaving those who are stricken with cancer feeling alone. 

Personally, I would wear a "Save the Ta Tas" shirt before I would wear a pink ribbon, but that's just me.    Opinions are like tushies, we all have them!