Guys feelings on Pink Ribbons in October

 It's terrible that you were not diagnosed correctly!!! Hugs to you!

Until just the other day I have been wondering how I felt about pink this year.  I liked it before, because I felt it helped with awareness and hope for more money toward research.  However, after reading these boards, I realize that some people dread "Pinktober".  I also remember going to the store and wishing that just for a few minutes, I could forget about cancer, but there were all those pink items in the grocery store.  I have decided to go with liking the pink again, in hopes that someday, there will be a cure for all stages of cancer.  I also hope that other types of cancer will get the attention needed to help anyone with cancer.  Thanks for letting the ladies chime in.  
Diagnosis: 9/19/2009, IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 2, 0/4 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2+

Eric, another female here with 2 cents to offer; thank you for opening this thread to us as well.

I also didn't realize until recently that many women with BC have mixed feelings about the pink ribbon stuff.  I was kind of glad to see that, because I have always felt that a lot of it trivializes and makes "cutesy" what is a very serious, frequently fatal, disease.  But I guess it does help with raising funds for research, etc. 

But as for feeling a little "burned" by the lack of awareness/support because you're not in the "target" group, I can totally relate!  

I have HIV/AIDS and I'm a heterosexual female, so a lot of research/awareness campaigns/resources didn't (and still don't) involve people like me.  So that definitely delayed my finding out that I had HIV, which resulted in my having AIDS by the time I was dx'd.

It's just amazing how much different it is for the "majority" people than the "minority" when it comes to awareness/research/support for various diseases.

(Sorry if I went too off topic, but it's hard for me to talk about one disease without the other--especially since the treatment, awareness, support, etc. is so much different.)

Anyway, thanks to you, steelrose and the other people I've read on this site, I'm going to make a bigger effort to tell people that men can get BC, too. 

Oh, and my profile pic is a photo I took of my cat smelling some roses from our garden.  I didn't even "get" that they were pink until now.   

I used to think "pink" honored those struggling with breast cancer, and used to be glad to purchase products, thinking that somehow money went to help these precious women.  Now that I've had breast cancer, I get a knot in my stomach over pink.  I like the marches, since it gives visible support for a family member or friend, and gives a direction for people to put their energy.  But pink pens, donuts, and visors?  I just cannot stomach it.  Many groups use pink simply to increase profits.  And as a cancer patient, I never found any useful info or actual support from anything pink.  In some ways, I feel that it distracts from the severity by making pink all too common.  I don't have as solution, or a better idea, I just know that pink is revolting to me now, and I refuse to purchase anything resembling it.  I'd rather make direct donations to groups I know which truly help women directly.  

Hi Eric.  I haven't been on this board for quite some time - I was diagnosed in 2001.  Because I do know a male neighbor with breast cancer, I am starting to look at this topic.  

Even a few years ago there was little awareness that males could get breast cancer and unfortunately, that is still true (which is why so many males are not diagnosed until later stages). Like someone else mentioned, even women did not discuss bc years ago.

I enjoy seeing the pink ribbons just because I associate it with breast cancer.  It might be nice if one of the cancer orgs would design and promote a pink ribbon with a different colored stripe (for male bc) for more awarenes.  What do you think?   

I was just diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and am frustrated that this is always associated with the elderly (most of the people I have met on a forum are in their 30,40,50's age bracket).

I like the idea of asking a major TV talk show (like Good Morning America) to do a special on male breast cancer in October and will write them about this.  Do any of the bc non-profits do a lot of research for male bc? 

I'm not a male, but my father had breast cancer.  My brother sent me a T-shirt that is really cool, it's black with the abbreviations for "Stand Up to Cancer," which has an arrow for up, printed towards the top of the shirt.  I think you could find that website, perhaps, and get something from them, maybe, as an alternative to a pink ribbon.