Here we are, another year, another Pinktober.
It has taken 14 years for me to realize the problem is not the fact that it’s October and it’s about breast cancer awareness, it’s still about all the pink crap that manufacturers shove it us saying it’ll do good.
Year after year, I check into the minuscule proportions of profit that manufacturers who try to sell you pink crap during Pinktober donate.
Year after year, I can’t believe people haven’t seen through the various marketing schemes.
Breast cancer is neither pink nor fluffy. I’m sure the pink color as identifier is because more often than not. It’s not just women who get breast cancer, men also get breast cancer.
If you want to support breast cancer awareness, it’s not being done with a cheap pink bracelet. It’s being done with the brave men and women, many of whom you never know existed who are just trying to live their best lives during an after breast cancer. It’s being done by the caring medical professionals and legitimately good nonprofits trying to help people.
If you wish to support a nonprofit look for the local ones or the smaller ones in your community that actually really help. One I think in particular is wonderful in the Philadelphia area is Unite for Her. I was introduced to them a few years ago by a woman who believes in what they do. They offer programming and they get women together in fellowship. They offer practical information and they offer support. I’m not necessarily talking about financial support, I’m talking about that friendly ear or programs that help, or even someone to babysit so you can go to a doctors appointment.
https://www.facebook.com/unite4her
This nonprofit was founded right in the county where I call home in Pennsylvania. They have wonderful programs and zoom calls that you can participate in and more.
And of course, another nonprofit that I will always and forever hold dear is breastcancer.org – this was founded by my radiation oncologist, Dr. Marisa Weiss.
The need for positive education on the topic of breast cancer or cancer at all never wanes. I realized that the other day when I was updating my friends about the state of my dog going through cancer treatment. It was like when I got my diagnosis you had the people that were normal and then you had the people that were negative to the point that one person said that they were sorry they knew it was hard to lose a pet. I was thinking what are you talking about? My dog is very much alive!
It’s funny it really annoyed the crap out of me just like when I was newly diagnosed and there were people that had me 1 foot in the grave 14 years ago or were trying to sell me iodine cures, or other quack based treatment for breast cancer.
It’s that ignorance out there that makes me say every breast cancer awareness month hey it’s not pink. It’s not fluffy. It’s not about pink plastic crap, or some stupid bracelet that has the majority of profits going into the coffers of the manufacturer.
I think it is just as important for people without breast cancer to be educated on what it’s like to have it. I think it’s important for people to be educated on what actually helps.
And I think it’s important for the public in general to be educated about the pink plastic crap and dumb stuff that manufacturers put out during the month of October to say they support breast cancer awareness.
I sign off stating once again I am one of the lucky ones.
ihavebreastcancerblog 