Pinktober - the next level of ridiculous

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  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited October 2018

    Glad to hear that the pink hoopla for bc month is not in Japan. The disease might be on the increase, but your rates are low compared to the US and my country. I have to say that, despite all the pink publicity, and while awareness levels are very high, except for male bc, ignorance about the details of the disease is astonishing.


  • Vslush
    Vslush Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    I have no issue with pink ribbons or any reminders. It's Saturday night, my husband konked out at 9:30 and I'm not a drinker. This seemed like a great alternative to share a few laughs with like-minded, light-hearted people. Heck, the word "ridiculous" is in the title, and the OP made it clear what she wanted to share about. If it's so offensive, why on Earth would you keep reading here?

    It's not that anyone is probably offended by pink potties or ribbon shaped bread, it's just that sometimes it's nice to laugh instead of cry. Please don't admonish what is a great group of loving, supportive and informative ladies (and gentlemen) because they've chosen to blow off some steam and stress through humor.

    Ignorance is a pretty strong word. Look around these boards and witness the support and compassion, the love and friendships, the cheering and encouraging that happens here. I see no ignorance.


  • Vslush
    Vslush Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    Agree Traveltext. Myself included (as stated above). It's almost trendy to wear pink, walk the marathons and buy anything with a little ribbon on it. But the average person is very uninformed about the actual disease. It took a while to even understand my own diagnosis, and if not for this board I might still be in the dark about the ins and outs.

  • JosieO
    JosieO Member Posts: 314
    edited October 2018

    Snickersmom, I felt for you and others who posted here about dense breast tissue and mammograms vs ultrasound. My own situation is similar. Went every year, first called back for an ultrasound four years ago, but ultimately cleared until the next year. No more ultrasound, just mammograms. So when I was called back again three years later, I also assumed it was the same thing. But no-this time I had multiple mammograms and ultrasounds, a biopsy which led to a cancer diagnosis. I became even more upset when I obtained the radiologists’ notes and saw that the cancer had been noted as an abnormality, but no one, including my doctor, ever followed up. And until I saw the records, I knew none of this.

    I’ll be more supportive of “PinkOctober” when I see more real effort on addressing dense tissue and use of all the technologies available for detection. For all- not limited by insurance “rules”.

    I do my part to tell my story and encourage women to get mammograms, insist on extra testing if needed, and to seek out the very best professionals. I wish someone had done that for me. I had my first mammogram at 33 because of a friend who was diagnosed via mammogram at age 40. I kept right on, year after year, but still somehow slipped through the system.

    Those who know me don’t hit me with inappropriate questions, ribbons, etc. But I do appreciate when they take my words seriously.

    I owe my life and my health today to an outstanding cancer team.

    Somehow, we’ll get there, But not justvia promotional products.

  • VLH
    VLH Member Posts: 1,258
    edited October 2018

    OK, mean culpa. My concern was that equating the bagel with human excrement might diminish sales of an item that benefits people with cancer. Although offered as a source of amusement, I admit that it will be difficult for me personally to overcome that visual association and ever buy the bagel. Luckily, I'm apparently the exception & my local Tom Thumb is allowing cash donations to be easily added at checkout so it's all good.

    Consider me properly chastised. I'll be chanting, "Every party needs a pooper; That's why we invited you!" for the rest of the day.

    Lyn

  • Snickersmom
    Snickersmom Member Posts: 926
    edited October 2018

    Vslush- you don't owe me an apology. I don't know if I'll ever do extensions again - just felt like it this year, I guess. If it reminds just one person to follow through with a mammogram, I will have made my point.

  • Pi-Xi
    Pi-Xi Member Posts: 348
    edited October 2018

    Not going to lie, I'm pretty covetous of the pink Swiffer!

  • leftduetostupidmods
    leftduetostupidmods Member Posts: 620
    edited October 2018

    I started this thread just to have some fun.

    But tbh, as much as some initiatives are to be applauded, I am absolutely furious about how most companies are milking Pinktober to make money off of it.

    1. Labels that say "blabla % of the proceeeds will be donated to fund breast cancer awareness" - no foundation or company named, and in tiny tiny print underneath "up to $10,000".

    2. Companies that manufacture products that have ingredients causing breast cancer, coming up with pinkyfied versions.

    3. Products that only are pink or have a pink ribbon. No mention anywhere that any kind of donation or funding will be made.

    4. Last but not least, THIS

    Personally it's been years now that I make memes every October, all saying "what good is awareness, when there is no cure?"

    Yes, I am quite salty about the whole Pinktober thing. To be more precise, about the whole Pinkwashing

    Maybe because for me it's even more personal as I had the BMX on October 19. Yes, I will be celebrating surviving 9 years, but at this point I honestly feel that I survived the treatment, not the cancer.


  • Snickersmom
    Snickersmom Member Posts: 926
    edited October 2018

    I agree with you but as I said, if just one person who sees my little pink extensions (2 of them) and is reminded to get a mammogram, then I have no regrets. (And my hairdresser said "you are a survivor; I would never charge you for these extensions. You've paid a high enough price already."

    I do hate going into the grocery store and seeing the pink shopping bags for $1.99 - and when you ask how much actually goes to bc research they say 10%. How ridiculous. These companies are not making much of a difference, if any.

    And yes, let's work on getting rid of the ingredients that are causing bc.


  • Vslush
    Vslush Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    VLH, now THAT'S funny!! 😂

    Seachain, 9 years...yay!! But yes, the cure is still eluding us, and there's so much anger and frustration in Pinktober. Thanks for giving us this thread to vent and laugh. Very much needed this month!

    Thanks Snickersmom, and your hairdresser sounds like a compassionate person who gets it ☺️

    Vickki

  • Egads007
    Egads007 Member Posts: 1,603
    edited October 2018

    Pixi(dust) - I’ll buy you a one year supply if you come on over to my place and do all the swiffering! Might even toss in a pair of gloves to seal the deal ;)) btw, how you doing, we miss you over in the cave!


  • Wildplaces
    Wildplaces Member Posts: 864
    edited October 2018

    image

    madness - speechless on this one - can " i have just been diagnosed" be on the same page with a day at the races by a support/charity foundation

  • Pi-Xi
    Pi-Xi Member Posts: 348
    edited October 2018
    I'm still around Egads! Just very busy. I might take you up on the pink cleaning supplies. If only I had the energy to clean!
  • leftduetostupidmods
    leftduetostupidmods Member Posts: 620
    edited October 2018

    I honestly think that one of the most cherished gifts one of us could get would be.... a full house cleaning, laundry done and food cooked for a week. pink utensils would be non-important.

  • VLH
    VLH Member Posts: 1,258
    edited October 2018

    That would be fabulous, Seachain! Shoot, bring on the mop, gloves & buckets of any hue if it means practical solutions.

    Lyn


  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited October 2018


    Does it get much tackier than this?


    image

    Image via Susan G. Komen Facebook page


  • Peregrinelady
    Peregrinelady Member Posts: 1,019
    edited October 2018
    That is disgusting on so many levels.
  • Vslush
    Vslush Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    Wow! I'm not usually speechless, but...

  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited October 2018

    Whats the tolerance limit on vulgarity here? Because I am ready to break it over that... that... Holy shit, I don't know what to call it. And those poor dogs being subjected to that.

    So other cancers may not get as much attention, but on the plus side, they aren't treated like a bad joke.

  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited October 2018

    I think events around bc fundraising, not just in October, but year-round, have hit rock bottom. As AB says, other cancers just don’t do this. Missing, in our sphere is the reality of this disease. There’s a perception out there that you get this disease, you get treatment, then you join a club that has annual pink, fun celebrations. In reality, if we’re not already there, we live on the brink of the real risk of recurrence.

    A bit depressing, really.


  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited October 2018

    October saddens me. It used to be one of my favorite months.

    I'm embarrassed to say that even as a nurse, even after losing a coworker to MBC - I really had no idea of the trauma of BC.

    TravelText said it well. The perception is of a tiny bump in the road and an everlasting pink party afterwards. It makes me feel ill.

  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited October 2018

    I went to a HS football game last night. The cheerleaders were wearing pink bows, tops that said something about "punting" breast cancer, and using pink pom-poms. Why does this seem like a celebration of BC?

  • pingpong1953
    pingpong1953 Member Posts: 362
    edited October 2018

    NotVeryBrave, it feels that way, doesn't it? Rah Rah Rah!!!

    Although, I have to admit that before I had BC I didn't realize how many different types there are, and I'm pretty knowledgeable regarding medical issues. I knew that stage IV was very bad and that inflammatory BC was unusual, but that was pretty much it. Didn't know about IDC vs ILC and all that other stuff. It's been a steep learning curve for sure. I don't bother to try to educate most people because most of them don't really want to know beyond the basics. 

  • georgiaredskin
    georgiaredskin Member Posts: 214
    edited October 2018

    Sisters (and brothers) God bless us. Today at work they are having a “Breast Cancer Celebration". Someone asked what the actual activity was and I said “It's a celebration! Yay Breast cancer!!!" And people knew I was kidding and obviously know I had breast cancer. I mean seriously! I asked what the celebration is about? They haven't found a cure. Someone else said “it's really for Breast cancer awareness." Ok, I don't see how eating pink cookies and getting together makes everyone want to check their breasts. I wear my pink but I will open my mouth withsnide remarks when I want to!

  • Vslush
    Vslush Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    I actually saw a pink cement mixer (like a dump truck size) complete with pink ribbons and all. Pretty sure that's what they use to make those hard assed expanders for recon. Lol.

  • Traveltext
    Traveltext Member Posts: 2,089
    edited October 2018

    Well put CC. The ignorance out there is astounding and the lack of information offered by the medical profession is unprofessional. It's mostly on a "need to know" basis.

    We really do need to be our own advocates and that's why BCO is so valuable.

    Here people share information and experience so that our knowledge, combined, is great er than the sum of its parts.

    BCO has just released a video which I contributed to in an effort of raise funds.


    #action=share

  • VLH
    VLH Member Posts: 1,258
    edited October 2018

    TravelText, I saw a segment on the news this week about an older couple who'd been married for many years. The husband was diagnosed with breast cancer and, not long after, so was the wife. Cancer isn't something one wants to share with a spouse, but that news segment and the fictional TV show others have mentioned are helping get the message about male breast cancer out there. Annoyance about the abuse of pink ribbons aside, the program helped women talk openly about cancer in a way they never did when I was young. Hopefully, men will see a similar change.

    There was also an article in 'The Dallas Morning News" some time ago about a man with breast cancer. The focus of the newspaper section was on fitness and cancer. Unfortunately, the article was almost exclusively focused on his exercise program to the extent that, to my probably jaded eyes, it implied that being self-disciplined and exercising vigorously would form a protective layer that would ensure safety.

    Lyn



  • Pi-Xi
    Pi-Xi Member Posts: 348
    edited October 2018

    image

    Which breast cancer has a cure??? Hard to see through the pink haze of October.

  • sherrmue
    sherrmue Member Posts: 25
    edited October 2018

    Thank you for the pink pics and cancer doo pamphlet. They made me laugh.

  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    Seachain, that's hilarious!! I'll keep my eyes open ,but that's hard to top😂

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