An Answer to Pinktober

A couple of weeks ago, I took my husband to the airport at 5:00 am.  I was stunned to see this pink lighted control tower....done in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  My response? YOU HAVE TO BE FRIGGING KIDDING ME!  Does this pink phallic symbol have ANYTHING to do to HELP those of us who have been stricken? Does it really do anything to help "breast cancer awareness?"

I have to admit, some of us are getting a little bit militant about this.  Me included.  After 20 years of "breast cancer awareness" don't you think we ARE aware?  While strides have been made, those of us who have metastatic breast cancer (MBC or stage IV breast cancer where it has attacked a site outside of the breast of the lymph nodes) are largely ignored by the pink tide.  For most people, they have no clue.

Yes, catching breast cancer early does help...but 25-30% of those diagnosed with breast cancer will have a recurrence, quite a few of those early breast cancer diagnoses will have it return as a stage IV cancer.  In all the funds raised for breast cancer awareness only 5% of the funds go to study MBC.  Over 40,000 people (MEN and women) die of breast cancer each year...Yet....it often seems like in the pink hoop-de-la, we're forgotten.  I am aware...and I have a second recurrence of mets to the bone...this time in many areas.

For a lot of people who were diagnosed with MBC, talking about it is scary.  Those of us putting out the numbers are putting out a lot of scary information.  Yes, it IS scary.  But we have to talk about it.  It was only through the promotion of various organizations, the Pink Ribbon project and Susan G. Komen that we have brought the fight to the stage we have....it is rare these days for a woman to go in for a biopsy and come out without a breast like Nancy Reagan did, and that's a good thing.   But we need to do more.

Nancy's Point did a really good post on why it is important to talk about it and to remind people that there are those of us who are literally fighting for our lives.  Take a look at her blog post here  In addition, there is a great website for those of us who have it, Metavivor.org.  Their website has a lot of information, but their blog is very useful.

And here is a simple thing....sort of a silly thing....but oh so needed. MBCaware.org has put out a call..if you go to their site, $1 is donated to MBC research; if you share it on Face Book, another $1 is donated...if you tweet or share through other social media, then more money is donated.  So...go here and read more.  I will be very glad you did...and if you share? Well, I'll be happier yet again!

Cures and treatment

The other day, I wrote about the argument that my neighbors were having about prevention vs. cure. Quite frankly, I think we need to have both at present because we aren't moving ahead on either front in very swift time. At least that's how it feels to me.

For a long time, I have supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation. When I lived in Connecticut, I ran or walked in every race except for the first year they held it. I raised as much money as I could because I believed in the work that they did.

One of the things that the Komen Foundation does is keeps a significant portion of the money raised in the community, in the community. Much of it goes to provide free mammograms for those who can't afford it. The organization also works hard to educate and serve women in groups who are largely missed, or have higher mortality rates. Breast cancer, for a variety of reasons, is often diagnosed late in the game among African Americans and Latinas and the Komen Foundation is recruiting women from these groups to speak to their "sisters" and help them understand that cancer, if detected early, can be cured, or at least isn't a death sentence.

Currently, the Komen Foundation is working on a petition for elected officials to sign a Breast Cancer Bill of Rights. It is as follows:

Breast Cancer Bill of Rights

Every woman deserves access to timely and affordable high-quality breast health care but not every woman has it. As a breast cancer advocate, I pledge to support the Breast Cancer Bill of Rights and its ten tenets:

1. EARLY DETECTION: Every woman has a right to access breast cancer screening tools that may save her life.
   
2. FINANCIAL STABILITY: Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have a right to fight the disease without fear of bankruptcy.
   
3. ACCESS: Breast cancer patients and survivors have a right to health coverage.
   
4. TIMELY CARE: Every woman who has an abnormal mammogram has a right to a diagnosis and treatment, if needed, without delay.
   
5. HIGH QUALITY: Every woman has a right to high quality care, no matter where she seeks medical services.
   
6. STRONG SAFETY NET: Uninsured women have a right to a strong breast health care safety net.
   
7. RECONSTRUCTION: Breast cancer survivors have a right to insurance coverage for full mastectomy care, including reconstruction.
   
8. CLINICAL TRIALS: Breast cancer patients who participate in a clinical trial have a right to coverage for routine health care costs.
   
9. PATIENT EDUCATION: Every woman has a right to make informed choices and take control of her own health.
   
10. INNOVATION: All Americans have a right to a government that invests adequately in innovative cancer research.
    

I promise to protect our newly acquired rights in the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act and keep fighting until the entire Breast Cancer Bill of Rights is enshrined in law and extended to all women.

You can sign up for the petition here. Find out more about the Susan G. Komen Foundation here.

Two branches of attack are better than one, and one is better than none.