May 2012 radiation

Congratulations mckenna!!!  Yippee.  I like purple -- although I like it more on shirts or dresses than on my boob, but thats just me    -- Have fun tonight, I will raise one to you tonight!!

Funny you should mention the skin thing -- that happened to me this morning when I woke up, I lifted my arm and felt like I had torn something!  Not really super painful, just a weird "tearing" feel.  

(mckenna it is weird that your computer won't let you make smileys - but it will let you put a little tilde on you "n" in "can't"  )

I loved pink.

I can hardly stand to wear it now.

I've been lurking for a few weeks (just started rads 21 May) - but I felt compelled to weigh in on the "pink" campaign. I must say that if it weren't for all the breast cancer awareness propaganda, I would not likely have discovered my bc when I did. I'm relatively healthy and rarely go to drs (unless I'm taking one of my kids) and I'm only 38 so hadn't started mammograms yet. I thought I might have felt a lump - wasn't sure, and really tried to ignore it - but honestly it was last Oct and all the bc hoopla got me thinking so I figured I might as well check it out...

Anyway, I guess my point is that awareness is a good thing - not just for us fighting cancer, but for friends and family who often feel helpless (and are most likely the ones getting us the pink swag - it helps them feel like they are making a difference and showing support). I've never been a big fan of pink - but the thought behind it, that someone cares enough about me to do something for me, I love.

Spokanellie, and Rachel, I understand - and it isn't the pink that gets me ... it is the Koman ribbons (that they make a lot of money on - and while some of it goes to research, much of it goes to keeping the "corporation" humming along).  

While I appreciate that the pink reminds people (including us) that there are many who are fighting this disease, it overwhelms some of the other cancers (like colon) because they are more difficult to talk about.  Katie Curic has talked about this a little -- how it is fine to show how to do self-breast exams on TV, and yet many people get uncomfortable if you discuss how important it is to have your colonscopy screening.

So, while I am not against pink - I wish it were more inclusive - all cancer is bad, we need more research for ALL cancer ...

I do appreciate how strong all you women are ... 

Awareness is one thing...overload is another!  For decades now, we have been told over and over the need for mammos and self breast exams....I guess many women are in denial until it happens to them!

I am glad that finally the same thing is happening with colonoscopies and lung cancer. A few years ago how many would actually ask for a colonoscopy as part of their routine physical? Most people I know over the age of 50, ask for one (usually every 5 years or so.)

I realize that in the U.S. many don't have the insurance to pay for one, even here if you don't want to wait for months, it will cost you $50 for a private clinic but to me it's worth it. Just like we have to pay for a PSA (prostate blood test) or a CA125(ovarian). I guess it's whatever makes you comfortable. To me it's worth the money for peace of mind. 

Perhaps this should have been on another thread???

I respect both points of view and don't feel very strongly about it either way as I see the pros/cons with both sides.  Thank you for sharing, Rachel and Ellen.  

We can all agree about one thing:  rads sucks!   

Neeners, congrats on the run/walk!  That's a real achievement.  Congrats also on being 1/3 finished!

mckenna, congrats on finishing rads!!  Yay you!  I'm glad you weren't pressured to ring a bell. ;-)

My appointment is still 2 1/2 hours away.  I think I'll probably be getting a certificate, since they gave me one for finishing chemo. BLinthedesert, I like your idea of making a cushion out of it to sit on!  Or how about turning it into a doormat?  I'd rather not have any more reminders of all this than I already have.  

Spokanellie, good for you for speaking up for the pro-pink folks; there's certainly room for everybody's point of view here.  

Infobabe, you might want to google "think before you pink" -- it's the slogan of a group called "Breast Cancer Action," I think. They are concerned about "pinkwashing," which is using the cause as an excuse to make money but not necessarily spending funds raised on cancer research.

Oh, update on my skin -- it's already looking pretty normal!  No sore spots, the red has turned "tan," there is some little peeling. Now all I have to do is peel off these last three stickers and wash off the magic marker! 

Neeners, ouch.  I used an electric razor and that is what happened to me, ouch.  So, I have used my usual razor about 3 times - not quite hitting down to the skin - and I haven't had any other problems.

They did not even marker me up this morning -- my amazingly red rash is such a perfect outline of the radiation field that they don't need any other marks 

Good luck Etherize!!   I will be thinking of you in a couple hours, happily reading your latest diploma  

Goodie, yes, the fatigue can really hit hard when it hits (and mine hit about #15 too) ... I am glad you napped and I hope you feel better for it later in the day. 

Rachel and Ellen I am glad you spoke up too.  Everyone deals with "this" so differently.  I have a friend who is a 16 year survivor and she loves all the pink stuff and is very proud to wear it and have it all over her house.  Maybe I don't feel worthy yet.  I do think it's tough to have all the commercials and pink october is very overwhelming especially since I was diagnosed Sept 27th.  It would be nice for all cancers to get more attention. 

mckenna - are you home from your winery celebration?  How was it?

YEA Etherize!!  

mckenna, I LOVE please find a cure before I get my boobies -- it is too funny -- that said, it can be both inappropriate and hysterical  

mckenna - yay for you for graduating!!! More than that, have you stopped to really look at what you started back on April 30? More than 775 posts so far, but that's not a 1/10th of the value. You created a space where a whole lot of women, strangers, could come and be just themselves. No false smiles or outside demands or having to espouse a position we'd really rather reject - at least for a few minutes. You maintained a friendly open atmosphere that allowed us to laugh, vent, rage or cry as we needed. There's been no judging, just open acceptance.



So I'm honoring you for a whole lot more than just finishing rads.



And I love the smiley sunglasses!

I think you can upload a pic to Google's Picasa (?) and then post the link in your post here.