Was wondering

camul

Rague said:

Also the amount of 'pink
Also the amount of 'pink things' sold that there is no money donated from.

Metavivor web site
Here is a site that I was told about when I went to Johns Hopkins to see about a clinical trial. Was talking to another sister in the waiting room and she gave me some statistics and this site http://www.metavivor.org There is some really good info on it and the awareness section really points out the need for funding for advanced bc....

linpsu

I'm private
I am a very shy, private person, and I never wanted to call any attention to myself, either by wearing stuff with BC logos on, or by going out without a wig. I didn't want pity, I didn't want people looking at me and talking about me. I just wanted to fly under the radar and try to appear "normal". I would never in a million years wear a t-shirt that said "survivor". How long do you have to be alive after your treatments are completed to be considered a survivor, anyway? I know that we are all different, and I certainly don't want to offend anyone who goes out with BC clothes or jewelry or license plates or scarves or totebags, etc. But I personally am just not comfortable with it. My co-workers got me a BC Pandora charm to wear on my bracelet, and I have a hard time even wearing that. I just don't want to be reminded of it. Yes, I had BC, now I want to move on and forget about it.

TraciInLA

linpsu said:

I'm private
I am a very shy, private person, and I never wanted to call any attention to myself, either by wearing stuff with BC logos on, or by going out without a wig. I didn't want pity, I didn't want people looking at me and talking about me. I just wanted to fly under the radar and try to appear "normal". I would never in a million years wear a t-shirt that said "survivor". How long do you have to be alive after your treatments are completed to be considered a survivor, anyway? I know that we are all different, and I certainly don't want to offend anyone who goes out with BC clothes or jewelry or license plates or scarves or totebags, etc. But I personally am just not comfortable with it. My co-workers got me a BC Pandora charm to wear on my bracelet, and I have a hard time even wearing that. I just don't want to be reminded of it. Yes, I had BC, now I want to move on and forget about it.

We're all different, and that's completely cool
To answer your question about using the word "survivor": That, too, is a personal decision, and there are lots of different feelings, but there are many women who say you're a survivor the minute you're diagnosed, because that's the minute you know you have cancer and you're still here.

That idea really sang to me, and helped me feel a little more in control. Calling myself a "survivor" from the very beginning helped me feel like I was telling cancer, "F*** you, cancer -- I'm still here, you can't take me down."

(Or maybe I just have repressed Xena issues -- but hey, it worked for me! :-)

Traci

Annette 11

I will talk
Yes, I will share my experience and I do tell people. I have people tell me Oh, I went through it too! Or if I come across someone who is going through it I would love to help them emotionally if I can. I saw a lady in the store who was bald, I could tell she was going through chemo so I went over to her to ask, How are you doing? We talked...it was so nice...she felt good that I did that. I carry a small backpack instead of a purse...I have BC pins on it that my friend gave me so if someone spots the pins perhaps they or someone they know is having a hard time and may feel inspired to talk to me. I know when I was dx I wished I had someone to talk to...that was before I found this bc site. I have not worn a shirt. I imagine people that do are proud that they survived BC...understandable.

Different Ballgame

THE BREAST STANDS OUT
There are so many cancers and very few are noticeable. Two that come to mind are visual...skin cancer and breast cancer. If you have lung cancer, brain cancer, colon cancer, no one can see it because it is inside of your body. If it is removed no one knows.

But the breast is visible and so is the skin. If the breast is removed, it is noticed that the chest no longer has the appendage. Yes, Yes, there is breast reconstruction and prothesis, but that is not the issue. i think the fact that you can see that the breast is no longer is what makes breast cancer stand apart from all other cancers and all other diseases. It is our femininity. Not only do we see our breast, but so does the rest of the world see our breast I think that is the reason why women are more upset with having breast cancer, though I could be wrong.

If a man has cancer of the prostrate or penis, we don't see it because it does not normally stand out from the clothing. It is not readily visible.

If you really want an eye opener, look to see how many breast cancer people are on the CSN discussion board as opposed to the other cancer categories. The figure is amazing.

These are my thoughts, You are entitled to disagree.

Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

sandejosgirl

Support
I was just diagnosed with BC yesterday at 33 yrs old so I can't address the specific issue of whether or not I will wear shirts, etc.
But, I do know that I will be looking for other women who have gone through this to try to stay sane. How else can I find them?
Even though I was just diagnosed I also feel obligate to tell others because I am so young. Most women my age aren't even doing self-exams (I found a lump myself just before my b-day, about 2 weeks ago). So, I feel like telling the world so that all my friends, acquaintances, enemies, whomever can become aware that they need to be looking for this. We are SOOO hoping that we caught this thing early.

Lighthouse_7

sandejosgirl said:

Support
I was just diagnosed with BC yesterday at 33 yrs old so I can't address the specific issue of whether or not I will wear shirts, etc.
But, I do know that I will be looking for other women who have gone through this to try to stay sane. How else can I find them?
Even though I was just diagnosed I also feel obligate to tell others because I am so young. Most women my age aren't even doing self-exams (I found a lump myself just before my b-day, about 2 weeks ago). So, I feel like telling the world so that all my friends, acquaintances, enemies, whomever can become aware that they need to be looking for this. We are SOOO hoping that we caught this thing early.

Yes we are all different and
Yes we are all different and a good discussion is always interesting. I will tell anyone I am a survivor because you never know who are talking to. I have had some fantastic conversations with strangers, who either needed to hear what I was saying, or I needed to hear them that particular day.

If we can help someone going through this or a loved one, it helps me to raise awareness. I always tell people when they ask,
the importance of getting a yearly mammo because that was a terrible mistake that I made.

I did have some ribbon pins that I don't wear much anymore, but one of my daughters wears sweat and T shirts, for her, she feels good.

Differences in all of us is what makes the world go round. Wouldn't it be a boring place if we were all the same!

Marcia527

sandejosgirl said:

Support
I was just diagnosed with BC yesterday at 33 yrs old so I can't address the specific issue of whether or not I will wear shirts, etc.
But, I do know that I will be looking for other women who have gone through this to try to stay sane. How else can I find them?
Even though I was just diagnosed I also feel obligate to tell others because I am so young. Most women my age aren't even doing self-exams (I found a lump myself just before my b-day, about 2 weeks ago). So, I feel like telling the world so that all my friends, acquaintances, enemies, whomever can become aware that they need to be looking for this. We are SOOO hoping that we caught this thing early.

sande,
You might want to check out a site for young women also. It's www.youngsurvival.org . I believe it's for women under 40.

So sorry you have to go through this so young. It is not as common but men can get breast cancer too and should be checking for lumps. Good luck with treatment.

sandejosgirl

Marcia527 said:

sande,
You might want to check out a site for young women also. It's www.youngsurvival.org . I believe it's for women under 40.

So sorry you have to go through this so young. It is not as common but men can get breast cancer too and should be checking for lumps. Good luck with treatment.

Thanks
Thanks Marcia, I'll check out the site.

And, yes. I was just talking to a male friend on Facebook who had a left breast mast. at 35. It is not often that I think of, hear of, guys getting this.

Stilltrying

Thank you ladies
I appreciate all of your opinions. I attended a Zumba class on Monday and someone was wearing a "Survivor" t-shirt which just irritated me. I think of my Zumba classes as an escape from everything (especially cancer) and seeing that shirt was like a slap in my face. I was glad when she took it off after the warm up. I know everyone has their own way of coping and I appreciate that. Thanks so much for taking time to respond and good luck to everyone.

fauxma

sandejosgirl said:

Thanks
Thanks Marcia, I'll check out the site.

And, yes. I was just talking to a male friend on Facebook who had a left breast mast. at 35. It is not often that I think of, hear of, guys getting this.

It really is a matter of
It really is a matter of what you are comfortable with and very individual how you feel about wearing the shirts, hats, etc or having lots of pink stuff. As you see there are many different feelings about this but we all agree it is a neiter right or wrong thing, just a choice. My sister and I both have our diagnoses months apart. She is into the pink thing, the shirts, keychains and when she brought gifts to her team they were themed around the breast cancer ribbon. It is what works for her. For me, the only pinks I have were gifts. I have no teeshirts, etc. I don't dislike them but they aren't me. I accept them because they are given with love and I am grateful I have not been given any tee shirts. All of my gifts of pink are in a treasure box because I treasure the love that they brought to me. I do the Relays and get the tee shirts but honestly I never wear them after the event. Again, this is just me. My gifts to my medical providers were very generic, no pink theme. We do what works for us. I really like this topic. Good discussion. There are two pink things I did receive and carry with me. They are a little angel with a pink ribbon and my pink cross message that I just received. These both touched my heart in the most special way. I have sent pinks to others but I realize now that maybe I should have thought through whether they are pink people. Mostly when I send a gift, I try to send something that conveys strength, hope, inspiration, love, courage, etc. so I have found these little pewter shells with works inscribed on them. There are small and easy to carry or put in a jewelry box and I have several myself. I have a friend who has given me small rocks with these messages on them and they are in a dish on my dresser with a candle in the middle. It is the candle I light for my sisters here.
Stef
Stef

Lynn Smith

Stilltrying said:

Thank you ladies
I appreciate all of your opinions. I attended a Zumba class on Monday and someone was wearing a "Survivor" t-shirt which just irritated me. I think of my Zumba classes as an escape from everything (especially cancer) and seeing that shirt was like a slap in my face. I was glad when she took it off after the warm up. I know everyone has their own way of coping and I appreciate that. Thanks so much for taking time to respond and good luck to everyone.

Why BC is out there.
There are more and more young women diagnosed.My mom was 21(1941)lived 60 years,my niece at 30 and my oncologist has a new patient who is 22.Her lump was found when she was breast feeding. I was diagnosed at 62 and it was hard.I was just getting to the point I was doing great.Lots of years without being diagnosed since having benign tumors and cysts.BUT the age between 60-80 is a high risk. I didn't think that a couple years ago.I've read that over 192,000 new cases a year are being diagnosed and with those cases more and more are living longer lives.So there is so much out there about Breast Cancer.One of the cancers that people recognize or have been touched by because of someone they know or someone in their family.Probably why all the advertising.Making people aware. We're told do self exams and get your annual mammo after 40.But we need to let the younger people know it can happen to them.

I've already talked to my 4 granddaughters about Breast Cancer.They are in their teens and 20's.With Self exams I found 2 tumors but my gynecologist found my first 2 tumors.Four benign tumors by the time I was 30.

Lynn Smith

Katmy

Clementine_P said:

For me it is private
and I don't wear anything that would lead someone to believe that I had cancer. I feel like it is my business and I will discuss it with people who are close to me. I feel like it is a personal thing and if you want to wear the shirts and pink ribbons, then that is great. Really an individual choice.

Still, though I have had strangers come up to me (when I was wearing a headscarf) who interrogated me about my situation. Towards the end of last year I was in Italy with friends at a bar in a hotel and a woman all decked out in pink came over to me and in a very loud voice (because I was speaking Italian with my friends and I guess she didn't think I was American) and in English started telling me all about her breast cancer and asking about my situation. I was really appalled.

In fact, tomorrow I am seeing a friend that I haven't seen in 13 years who must have got an inkling from my Facebook page that something health related was going on with me. I don't want to discuss my situation with her other than to say that I am out of treatment now and am doing fine. I haven't seen her in 13 years and I don't really feel like she is a close friend anymore (we didn't keep in touch for most of that time, just recently reconnected via Facebook), but I am pretty sure she is going to ask me a lot of questions. I am not really sure how to handle that. I don't want to be rude as I am sure she is concerned, but I do feel like it is something that I only share with good friends. Any advice? How would those of you that want to keep your medical situation private deal with it?

Thanks a bunch.

Clementine

I have found that even my
I have found that even my close friends now sometimes ask too intimate a question. I just "stone wall" the question politely and then immediately ask them a question about themselves or their families. After 2 or 3 subject changes they get the hint.
Best of luck to you. I love the elephant photo.