I'm not going to let PINK get to me this year!

sjoc · September 2007

I don't wear a lot of pink, but recently bought a hot pink jacket. The first time I wore it someone commented on it and that I was advertising that I had had BC. I explained that I just really liked the jacket. I finished tmt almost 11 months ago and my son told me recently that everyday he has the thought "oh my god, my mom had cancer". He is away at college so it's not like he sees me or talks to me everyday as a reminder. He says its all the ads, commercials and pinkness. I too want as much money going towards research, but I hate the thought that a lot of these BC Awareness programs are pretty much making money for the companies producing them.

Anonymous · September 2007

Oh, Lini, I really was not speaking to you specifically.

It must be so hard having young children and having this stupid disease. I don't have an answser how we can get around no showing this "fact of life" when the children are watching TV. You are right. Perhaps it should be at least 9 PM before it airs. It's not fair for you child to worry about whether you will AGAIN get back this disease.

I believe most of us are frustrated. We are losing too many wonderful women to bc. And I know there are other diseases out there that are taking other's lives that are just as devastating.
Shirley

biondi · September 2007

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A COLON CANCER AWARNESS MONTH, AND EVERTHING YOU NOW SEE AS PINK, WOULD BE BROWN! IMAGINE, "COLON CANCER RUN FOR THE CURE" AND BROWN VACUUM'S, BLENDERS, M&M, MUFFINS, T-SHIRT'S WOULD BE BROWN.
SOMEHOW, I THINK PRODUCT SALES WOULD DROP DRAMATICALLY! SOMEHOW, IT JUST HAS TO HAVE THE WORD "BREAST" AND "PINK" IN THERE. WE CAN'T SELL "COLON" AND "BROWN". JUST DOSEN'T SOUND RIGHT..SO SAYS THE MARKETING GURU.. HOW ABOUT.."CANCER AWARENESS MONTH" AND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIAL BODY PART, OR SPECIAL FLUFFY COLOR.
CANCER IS CANCER.

cheryl58 · September 2007

I found this on the internet and thought that I would post it here:

"To understand where the colors came from you must first understand where the symbol for the ribbon first originated.

In 1979 during the height of the Iran Hostage Crisis, a wife waiting for her husband to return was inspired by a song to 'tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree'. The yellow ribbon soon became a symbol of loyalty for the 52 American hostages held in Iran, and when they returned after 444 days of captivity , the song was played and millions of ribbons displayed throughout the country.Later the yellow ribbons came to symbolize waiting for the first Gulf War soldiers to return. Not soon after that AIDS activists adopted a RED ribbon to support AIDS victims. The first cancer ribbon was peach colored for breast cancer and was done by a single activist, but soon the senior president of Estée Lauder , Evelyn Lauder, a breast cancer survivor wanted to do a ribbon for her product. She chose a pink ribbon when she could not reach an aggreement with the first activist.

That was the beginning of the ribbons . . and what gave a boost to corporate philanthropy. There are a ton of colors and color combination ribbons for many types of diseases and cancers."

Pink ~ Breast Cancer
Periminkle Blue~Esophageal cancer
Teal ~ Ovarian/cervical Cancer
Clear/ Pearl ~ Lung Cancer
1/2 Blue 1/2 pink~ Male breast cancer
Purple ~ Pancreatic Cancer OR supporting transplants/donations
Orange ~ Leukemia Cancer
Red~ Lymphoma cancer
Black ~ Melanoma Cancer
Grey ~Brain Cancer
Orchid/Violet~ testicular cancer
Light Blue ~ Prostate Cancer and thyroid ca.
Kelly Green~ Kidney/Renal cancer
Gold ~Childhood Cancer
Yellow~ Bladder
Burgundy ~Multiple Myeloma Cancer
Brown ~Colon Cancer
Lavender ~Cancer Awareness and survivors
Royal Bue~Asbestos lung cancer
Burgandy~Hospice care

AlaskaDeb · September 2007

OMG...TOO funny in a sick kind of way...there really IS a brown ribbon for colon cancer....

OK...I know colon cancer is not funny, and this is SO not politically correct...but a BROWN RIBBON? LOLOL

Deb C

biondi · September 2007

YES, BROWN AND ALL THE OTHER COLORS..BUT.. YOU DON'T SEE BLATANT MARKETING EXPLOTATION OF THE OTHER COLORS.."LIKE I MENTIONED, "COLON CANCER RUN FOR THE CURE" AND BROWN VACUUM'S, BLENDERS, M&M, MUFFINS, T-SHIRT'S WOULD BE BROWN.
NOT POPULAR. DON'T LIKE MY BREAST, OR LACK OF THEM, USED AS A MARKETING TOOL, TO SELL PRODUCTS.. WE ARE, AFTER ALL,VERY AWARE OF BREAST CANCER. AND THE OTHER CANCERS TOO. IMHO

lisettemac · September 2007

Interesting thoughts all around.

Actually, Katie Couric has been working hard for years to bring more awareness to issues of colorectal cancer. They even refer to the "Couric effect" as the increase in colonoscopies that occurred after she had one live on the Today show.

I'm not offended by all the pink, but I don't want to be flooded with it, either. I think it was Bono who really popularized the idea of getting corporations to create items that people really want and donate some of the profits to charity with his popular Red campaign. I think he is really onto something because asking people over and over again for a contribution to charity creates donor fatigue. But give the masses what they want and do some good at the same time is bound to create more $$$ for the cause.

As for where the money goes, I think it really makes people feel good to say it is going to "research." But my hubby (who has worked in the pharma industry for 20 some years) says that the amount that these organizations can contribute to research is like a drop in the bucket compared with the amounts that private industry is doing to find a cure. You think Wyeth, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers and the like wouldn't all LOVE to come up with a drug that effectively fights (or prevents) cancer?!? He thinks the money is better spent on services in underserved communities (like mobile mammograms, etc) like the Susan G. Komen does (in addition to research).

Food for thought.

Fireweed · September 2007

Prepare now for October!
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/

Anonymous · September 2007

I also don't mind the pink ribbon monsoon IF the money truly goes to awareness, prevention and research for cure. So thank you, Fireweed, for that link. I think I'll create a forward from my personal email and send it to everyone I know, encouraging to 'think before they pink'!

~Marin

Anonymous · September 2007

There are a few (a verr few) companies who donate all the profit to bc for their item. One is Philosophy. They will come out with something in October. However, I don't know what ingredients are in their products. I did buy some shower gel that had a pink ribbon on it with a placard that one hangs in the shower that shows how to do self exams and on the other side the poem "Unforgettable" is on it. I gave one to each of my daughters last Christmas.

I like seeing the magnet pink ribbons on cars. I'll buy another one this October. I like the awareness. Yes, all cancer needs recognition. Hell, I'm not griping because bc gets a lot of recognition. We don't have to buy all the pink products. I doubt if many people want pink blenders, vaccums, etc. I for one want to know how much money they are donating for whatever cause they are representing.
Shirley

cmb35 · September 2007

Lini - I know exactly what you mean, I was finishing my chemo, and quite frankly looked and felt a mess, in October 2005. My baby boy was just 9 years old. Unfortunately, there was a lot of TV watching going on, as I was hit hard by the last 2 rounds of chemo, and really wasn't up to much. I hated the look on his face every time he heard the "you need to know your breast cancer may come back", it just broke my heart. I think it's very compelling, but just as I wished I didn't have to deal with the &#(^&#^ disease, I wished he didn't have to deal with the reality of if recurring before I even finished fighting it the first time.

As far as the onslaught of pink, I guess I look at it this way... bc gets a lot of attention, and I'm extremely grateful for that. Lord knows I don't ever want to benefit from it again, but being 43, triple neg with pos nodes, well, you know... Like anything, corporate America saw an opportunity and is capitalizing on it. I guess it's kind of like the commercialization of Christmas for me, I try to focus on the positives of it, and not get too aggravated by the other stuff. I do take opportunities to educate folks to check out how much money is actually going to cancer research before they pick up some pink!

Love to you all

Fireweed · September 2007

Went to buy groceries today and saw the pink TicTac display. Oh no! I will starve if I can't shop for two months ...

laureniris · September 2007

OCTOBER is breast cancer awareness month??? I can't believe it's not September, with all the pinkiness around. Does anyone know if Duane Reade (huge drug store chain) is doing a BC thing? I recently received a pink shopping bag from them, and saw that they put up a pink awning on one of their stores? I couldn't figure out if they were just saving money and using a single-color image on their bag rather than the usual blue and red.

And, for NYers out there, Zabars has a whole window display of pink appliances. Pink Kitchenette mixers, blenders, LaCrueset stuff. The color like Love's Babyfresh products from the 70s; I can't imagine someone from these parts with a baby pink kitchen appliances.

Do any of you have a reaction to the dancing pink ladies when you get arimidex mail? I live in an apartment building, and the postman leaves the arimidex mailers on top of the mailbox area. (I still get arimidex mail, even though I've switched to Femara.) Anyway, it seems like a loss of privacy for me to have my whole building see me get envelopes covered with dancing pink ladies. I'm embarassed that I care -- I know I should be cool with this -- but I do.

I still like pink, in context -- just not on my LeCrueset saucepans.

Anonymous · September 2007

Can you say, commercialization!? Before you know it you'll be seeing Christmas decorations up.

Shirley

Shirlann · September 2007

Does anyone but me feel that the comment, "part of this cost goes to cancer research" is a huge marketing ploy?

Rats, I just know they either never send the money to the BC research, or, just up the price to compensate.

Talk about cynical.

Hugs, Shirlann

CherrylH · September 2007

Shirlann,

I am so with you about the "part of this cost goes to cancer research." I use to love the color pink, acutually I still do, just not in October. I am a 7 year survivor and am so damn tired of the commercialization of this disease.

It really ticks me off to see "pink"products" touting "awareness" with $.05 - $.10 of each sale going to research, up to $xx,000.00" You know the total sales will exceed the $xx amount. Where do these additonal dollars go? Into the till of the manufactuer. I lost a breast, hair and a good deal of my energy level to this disease and I really don't want some corporation to make money off of me.

End of rant.

Cherryl

Sandra1957 · September 2007

P.S. Any "pink products pushers" out there: I'm still looking for a wireless pink bra in my size.

Seriously, there aren't very many choices, pink or otherwise, in wireless bras that aren't choking on your neck or armpits. Help bra manufacturers, you're missing the boat. How many of us with reconstruction can't wear underwires and still want cute, sexy bras??

Heck, I'd even take a BC pink one at this point.

ADK · September 2007

Shirlann & Cherryl,

I am so with you guys on this - why don't they just donate the upper limit of the money and be done with it? It is so commercialized and taken advantage of by corporations. I intensely dislike all of it - I saw the pink-ribboned cooking mitts in Target in July!!! It's so disheartening. Is it any wonder we are cynical?

abbadoodles · September 2007

lini, I've worn variations of the same Warner's bra for about 30 years! No shaping, no wires, slinky enough for me. I believe it's the Fit to be Tried Bra and here's a link that I hope works

http://www.essentialapparel.com/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/1583/catid/35/Warners-Fit-To-Be-Tried-Super-Cross-AllStretch-Wire-Free-Bra

If the link doesn't work, just Google Warner's bras and you will see they have lots of wireless styles. I HATE big and serious underwear so love these mini-bras. Of course, I don't have big boobs (34A) so have lots of latitude in that dept. I tried an underwire once and paid good money, then threw it away. Yuck.

Tina

Sandra1957 · September 2007

The size has been my trouble. My little hard foobies measured a 34DD. The Wacoal cup fit perfectly, as did the Victoria's Secret, but neither come in black and they are cut high in the pit area. The Wacoal is cut high in the cleavage and doesn't come in black. The VS shows too much in pits when I wear tanks. I did order the Wacoal to wear with higher cut clothing. It is very comfortable.

Thanks for the link, Tina. I'm thinking that we BC reconstruction girls should go into the bra business and make what we need and like.

Anonymous · September 2007

I fella was selling a pretty ribbon pin on QVC the other day. I think it cost $30...perhaps less. $2.00 was going the breast cancer research.

Shirley

Sandra1957 · September 2007

Shirley - If I'm not mistaken, jewelry has a 300% mark up and they couldn't even donated 10%, people tip more on a drink than that?

Maybe that's what keeps the major bra manufacturers from making bras for us, they want to keep too much of the profit.

I wonder how much of the cost of making prosthesis, camis, bras, and inserts goes toward BC. They seem to be quite expensive for the product. Lots of mark up there and lots of money possibly being made on BC ladies.

lvtwoqlt · September 2007

Lini I was wondering the same thing about how much of the cost of the prosthesis, mast bras, and such go toward BC. I wonder how we could find out?

Sheila

gsg · September 2007

I know lots of people have the "NO MORE PINK" reaction, but I'm not bothered by all the pink stuff...in fact, I feel grateful for it. If I had to get cancer, I'm glad I got one that gets a lot of attention....although I'm not grateful for getting cancer. That part makes me see red.

RobinTN · September 2007

I love pink and am actually looking forward to october.

My daughter bought me an oreck pink bc vaccum in may for mothers day and i love it,have handheld and pink iron also.

If i am gonna do it i am gonna do it right.

Think i will check out target next week when i go to the ps there is a super one next to the office.

Amy I agree with you,I wish I had more money to spend on pink stuff.Maybe next year.I am just glad to be alive one more pinksmonth.

Anonymous · September 2007

Lini, I had no idea that any money went toward bc when buying mast bras and such. I'm happy I have insurance because I believe I only have to pay 10% of the cost of bras. Can't remember if I had to bay anything towards the $300 prosthesis. And, the mast bras are no better than a regular bra that cost half as much or less. My bras were $45 a piece and that's absolutely ridiculous! If I didn't have insurance I'd be up the creek.

I agree that when one buys some of this stuff in retail for bc they surely do not give enough money toward bc.

QVC has an event in October where I believe designers give all the profit to bc. Don't quote me on that, but it's not a silly $2.00 for a $50 pair of shoes.

I don't wear a pink pin (maybe sometimes during Oct), but I do have a key chain with the pink ribbon. No quite so "in-your-face." LOL

Shirley

I'm not going to let PINK get to me this year!

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