The Glorified Pink Ribbon

I don't see the 'pink ribbon' as a sign of 'Survivor' but as a sign of Breast Cancer support. Personally I don't wear pink (except during Oct) and never have since I was old enough to pick out what I wear. Hubby and Son both wear 'Tough Enough To Wear Pink' bracelets all the time and both have several T-shirts with pink ribbons on them and different sayings. Son's GF also has T-shirts with pink ribbons on them.



As I see it - the pink ribbon is to raise awareness about breast cancer which it does when anyone wears it publicly. There are so many myths and misconceptions about it that any time others can be educated because it attracts attention/comments/questions.

Oh...I'm with you 100%. A tattoo to just raise awareness? Nah. I'm going to say it....she got freaked out, thrilled with the result and found attention from others that she couldn't let go of. Its totally irritating.

Ok, Really?????  I am just going to say it, THIS IS A EXCLUSIVE CLUB!!!! You are a survivor of breast cancer or you are not!!!  If I were her I would not even want that on my arm, a reminder of what she could actually have to face someday.......If only they new how devistating it really is... I feel like it is trivilized.... I am sorry do what ever you want to your body but,  I would not wish this journey on my worst enemey,  I really don't have a worst enemey but,  if I did......... People have no clue!!  I am sorry, thats how I feel.........

The only time I wear pink is on my lips!!!!!

Not big on the pink thing..... Its painful and brings back dx days, I too was dx in sept.  Pink everywhere........It was great at first but, soon you realize its like halloween, a holiday!!!    They love to bring awarness but, then thank God it's us and not them!!!! I know this because I was that person.....You can never truley understand.....unfortunetly,  you have to walk the path to really get it......I guess we can't blame the ignorent....Its bliss............Sorry, little pissed sometimes.....

love all my warriors out there......!! xo what a ramble, Geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

steph 

I am not offended with your post at all.  In fact, I love it. I plan on watching the documentary on the pink ribbon when it comes to Pittsburgh, PA. I can not tell you how offended I would have felt after hearing that story. Clearly, clearly that woman has fallen to all the gimic's of the pink ribbon.  But really, it is not her fault and we shouldn't hate her for this.

She has no idea of the real horror, pain and sadness that having breast cancer and being treated for Breast cancer brings to not only us but our families, our relationships, our children, etc...etc....And to be on here and see women every single day progressing to an incurable stage and what they go through. And then to see that ribbon everywhere in October, and women smiling and dancing, with their hands in the air! Urghhhhhhh...I used to love Fall...

And those pink glove dances, where everyone is happy. I have thought of making my own video of a pink glove dance.  I would have images of mothers portraits held by the children they left behind, and then I would have a tunnel of these children wearing pink gloves, and then someone running through the tunnel and painting black on all these pink gloves and then throwing them in a pile to represent all the lives lost to breast cancer.

And to see thousands upon thousands of women and families walking in the Komen Race, and all the sponsors taking advantage of the numbers to sell their product and still NO CURE!!!!

Honestly, I think Komen does a lot for breast cancer.  But they could do SOOOO much more.  Last year, I walked.  I bought into the pink thing.  I got a pink boa, hats, etc....I made it fun.  But guess what?  When I got there, when I walked in the survivor parade..suddenly, there was nothing fun about it.  I had to try with all my strength to not start sobbing, to hold it together so my small kids wouldn't see me in that state. This surprised me.  I felt alone.  I felt devastated.  I came back after the walk and every one of the sponsors were packing up and leaving. Where was the celebration? Shouldn't I have been offered fresh fruit in the survivor tent and not doughnuts and other food loaded with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives?  

Because of what I was wearing, I got an interview for TV.  And what I said reflected my mood, it was not happy.  It was sad.  And they put the uplifting story on the news, not my sad story. 

I stayed home this year. I decided I was not going to waste my day feeling sad for all of us who have this in their history. So getting a ribbon when you've never even had cancer is...well....sorry......but in all honesty it is just sad.  I hope that this woman will never know why it is sad that she has that pink ribbon tattoo...

I remember there was a story of a woman with metastatic breast cancer who wanted to be buried in a pink coffin. They showed her standing next to the coffin, all painted nicely.  This made her very happy. 

I suppose it is really to each his own. This is just MY feeling on the pink ribbon and the color pink in regards to breast cancer. 

I get what you mean.  It feels like it minimizes what we have gone through.  Since being diagnosed I had a friend who had a "scare".  For a whole hour she sat waiting for results of a mammogram and for a whole hour she thought she MIGHT have breast cancer.  She called me later after finding out things were ok and said, "Now I know how you felt when you had chemo."  REALLY???!!!! 

People just don't undersand unless they have been through treatment.  It's not their fault, they just don't have the experience that we have had.  It still irritates me, though. 

Jennyboog - ALL do not agree with you - I don't and said so.



I hate the color pink and have since a small child (quit wearing anything pink as soon as I could have a say about what I wore).



This is the first time/place I've seen someone say that they thought only BC Survivors could show their support with a 'pink ribbon'. So sad.



Hubby and Son did not experience what I did through all TXs, by the same token I can't begin to comprehend what they did seeing me go through what I did. I firmly believe it was easier on me than them.



Some of the slogans on t-shirt/bumper stickers I'm not wild about but we are all different. As I said before, Hubby and Son have tees and wrist bands and I totally support them in wearing them. In a way, they are just as much Inflammatory Breast Cancer survivors as I am - different ways - it hit my body but they had to see what it did to me. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat rather than having to see either of them go through something similar.



How I feel.

I wish they had a like/dislike button on this forum it would make it alot easier.....I have no problem with color pink but those commercials radio and tv....round about end of Oct I've had enough...change the channel or whatever because I'm just so sick of hearing it.

No one said that those who haven't been diagnosed can't be supportive, can't wear a ribbon, or can't wear pink. Of course I consider my family co-survivors.



What we said was there's something not right about someone who went through a scare who is thankfully ok and then labeling herself a survivor. That's not ok. Supporter, sure. Advocate, yes. Survivor, no.

Funny thing about pink....would have worn in before BC as a show of support. But since BC? No way! Can't really explain why but just can't. As far as seeing the tattoo on a non survivor, it would have bugged me too.

Jenny, You can express whatever you need too!!!!  If people disagree, thats ok.....But,  there is no room to respond rude to your post,  they are your feelings and my feelings as well!!!!!  We are a support system for each other , a safe place to talk about our feelings..........I being who I am might have asked the women with the tattoo,  how much chemo she had!!!  Or do you still have your breasts,  do you have kids????......... and are you afraid you might not get to raise them........ You see I am a survivor too.....and I pray everyday that I will live to see my children grow up.............What do you think she would have said to me..............Sometimes its ok to say,  BC is ugly and devestating,   its not wraped in a pink bow!!!!!!  If I have offeneded  anyone, I don't mind if you don't...........xoxoxo

Love ya jenny.....

 Steph

My daughter got a pink ribbon tattoo on her arm; it is so pretty.  She helped design it with her tat artist.  It says nothing, just a ribbon.  When ppl ask her, she tells them it is to support me and her aunt (a three year survivor).  My girl is a tattoo girl and has lots. 

I will say, to have a "survivor" tattoo when your diagnosis was negative is a bit bothersome.  But, whatever floats her boat.  Glad she was negative, but for those of us who were postive, well, we fight with all we have. 

Yes, Pinktober is overkill; it is marketing (but I do love the pinkribbon bagels at Panera!) to make companies money and to look better in theeyes of the mass market.  Yet, it does put the word out there.  I go to the Veterans Day parade; I am not a veteran.  I support those who served to maintain my freedom.  I read their stories and sometimes weep.  I would NEVER wear a medal or claim to be a veteran, etc. yet there I am, watching the parade. 

I walked in the Komen before my sister's diagnosis, I walked During her diagnosis and I will walk as a survivor this year.  It makes the news and if ONE person, male or female, gets a mammo because of all the hullaballoo, then in my never-to-be-humble opinion, it is hype well-spent.