My Battle with Breast Cancer; Chemotherapy Sucks!
Next week, I'll go into radiation & reconstruction. I still have another procedure until I'm all done. Also, I'm going to have Dr. Morrissey take a look at the girls - I still think they're not matched very well. So, I'll be doing that at the beginning the the year (insurance reasons - ugh).
The last installment for Patch is going to be a little dicey. I've asked, and was given the okay, to write about what I & many of my breast cancer sisters hate - the "Pinkwashing of America". In October, companies turn everything pink - even the most ridiculous things turn pink. Did you know a pornographer has sent out mass emails to folks, promising to donate to some cancer charity for every page view he gets? I mean, really? Have these people no shame?
What most of the wonderful people who purchase the often times pricier name brand goods because they're helping the cause don't know is that the amount that goes to charity is paltry - at best. All companies have a pre-determined amount of money that they'll donate - period. So, after they've met the almost always minuscule amount, the rest of the month, the money good people have paid goes nowhere but the pockets of the companies and their share holders.
PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG! I do not begrudge companies making a profit!! In fact, I'm very pro-capitalism. What I DO object to is making that money by pretending to be donating big sums of money to a charity & using the suffering of others to profit. And profit they do.
I also have a problem with October being breast cancer month. What about all the other equally deadly cancers out there? I know that some have their months, but nothing like breast cancer. I'm well aware that I benefited from having such a "trendy" cancer; but what about others?
I was having insurance problems, and while speaking to the billing department at St. Luke's, I "met" a lovely woman, Diane, who went out of her way to help. During our conversation, I found out that she had beaten colon cancer. I couldn't help but think, wow; what about her? I mean, seriously, colon cancer is every bit as deadly, but it's also not quite so . . is the word "attractive"? At the very least, it wasn't trendy. I wondered how she felt every October, when the world is practically celebrating breast cancer.
There's so much more, & what I can't fit into my limited space for the paper, I'll write here. I just want people to be aware that buying something pink doesn't guarantee that much money is being donated. And these days, many of us are struggling to make ends meet. If you're in the grocery store, looking at soup, and you normally buy generic - please buy it!! Don't let that pink can fool you or make you feel guilty for purchasing the generic version. I love it that so many of you are so kind hearted and generous; and sadly, advertisers are counting on it.
And now, for something completely different!
In the event you didn't see the video my kids made for me that was embedded in the Patch article, here's that link:
The Hat Song
If you noticed, there's a Peeta standee in the video; because my kids were crazy about that movie, The Hunger Games. So, I found this photo; which I love! Thankfully, they have good senses of humour! Here it is:
The Hungry, Hungry Hippo Games!
May the paddle be ever in your favour!
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