Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- Pink Ribbons anyone?

Allie said:

Raining Pink
Sorry-didn't mean to post that more than once!

Hi, Allie!!!
I agree with and support your perspective, wholeheartedly. During the several years I've now been a member of this group...

Wish I had a nickel for each time I've typed: "... it's not a competition..." Each and every aspect of breast cancer - or ANY cancer, for that matter - is crap, ABSOLUTE CRAP. Many different types of surgeries, invasive treatments, oral medications, and all that goes along with - healing & recovery, infections, side effects, permanent damage, living with risk, etc., etc., etc. ... Yep, ALL OF IT SUCKS.

Yet, we endure. And here, we support and encourage each other. No matter what...

Congratulations on your own long-term survivorship! With my very best wishes for many, MANY more years of it yet to come!!!

Kind regards, Susan

P.S.: For me, BC #1 in 2003 - Stage 3. BC #2 in 2011 - Stage 1.

3 + 1 = 4

Intending no offense to all my pink sisters here who are specifically diagnosed as Stage 4, which I am not (at least, not yet)... Openly admitting - mentally & emotionally, kinda feels like 4 to me...

Kat11 said:

Hope
What happened to the CSN that I knew and loved. I am so sadden to read all of this, What happened to all the positive know matter what stage we were.I do realize we move on with our journeys. I must tell you, in 2009 when I was DX. I was in a panic and I found this site it was my whole life. The women ( except for Joe at the time )were my life and my life savers. Dear, Dear Pammy had us laughing so hard with her surgery story that went on for days. There was never any real negative to speak of. We were sister, Yes Pink Sister's. We have lost many of our beloved Sisters in the last few years. We have also met some wonderful New ones. Once we even had a party line phone set up by CSN and we all got to talk one morning, that was so much fun, do you guys who are still on this remember that. Thats the CSN I remember. So I do not post all the time, but I love CSN, I love Pink and I love you guys. Sorry I had to put my 2 cents in.
Kathy </p>

HOPE
I second everything you just said Kathy!
I joined in 2010 I always wished that I would of known about this board when I was going through my treatments.
There are so many possitive and Kind and Loving Sister and Brothers.
It sadens me too see such negativity on here.
Karie

butterflylvr said:

Okay... I've sat back long enough
I have to unload ~

Sirod, you have been nothing but ignorant and insulting to most of those who have responded in this thread. Why is it your words and beliefs are so much mightier then ours? You have stage IV cancer to which I am sorry. I would never wish that on my worst enemy, but somewhere along your journey you lost your compassion for others dear sister.

This post was started as a beautiful thread from Robert showing his brotherly support and pride in wearing the color pink and proud to be doing so. And you turned it into a platform to preach about the bad sides of pink awareness month. Give us a little credit dear sister, we know this is the month that businesses and organizations make money off of the color pink, we aren't that stupid. We also don't need you preaching for your specific cancer research organization. God bless them for being there, and it sounds like you found strength in finding them and for that I am happy.

Robert, myself and other pinks sisters and brothers earned the right to wear pink. We are survivors and for me I wear my breast cancer angel pin every day and I do so proudly. I like being the one who's like an open book. Publicly I've shared my journey with others from day one, in hopes of being there for someone who feels they are battling breast cancer alone. You wouldn't believe the people that have called me their angel. So I... my dear sister wear my pink proudly. And don't you dare tell me I've never experienced the "DARK" side of cancer. Tell me what part of cancer is ever in the light side.

Vent away... I'm ready.
Your sister in pink ... Lorrie

I agree with you ladies. I
I agree with you ladies. I haven't posted in a long time because this negativity amongst us is not a good thing. When I first joined CSN, I was enveloped in my Pink Sisters cyber hugs. They cried with me, laughed with me and answered my numerous questions. Two of the first Pink Sisters to welcome me was Chenheart and Re. With time I got to know many other dear sisters, some unfortunately are no longer with us.

I'm very hurt with the way this board has turned. Seems like some of us have lost respect for others. We all have our different opinions and whether we like it or not.....respecting each others opinions is extremely important. We have all fought our demons, and to me it doesn't matter what stage you are, it really isn't relevant....the beast has touched you also.

Some of us have gone through grueling chemo, others only radiation and yet others both. Some of us will have to go through chemo all our lives....to me it doesn't matter. We've all been to the dark side and whether you are stage 0 or stage 4, the FEAR of recurrence is there and will most probably never go away.

Whether research is funded 100% or 50%, what matters is awareness, education in early detection and support. And this site is all about SUPPORT....after all NO ONE knows better what we are going through than our own Pink Sisters and Brothers.

Robert, I'm very sorry that this thread turned into an attack on Pink rather than focusing on your birthday and the fact that we are very happy to celebrate another year here. I'm hoping that we will still be here 50 years from now celebrating more birthdays.

SIROD said:

Didn't mean to rain pink on you!
Robert, I don't know what date is your birthday, Have a Happy One..

Didn't mean to rain "Pink" on your post. So many people don't understand that there is a difference between those who are stage 0-3C and stage IV. So many don't even know there is a special day for us, October 13th.

Doris

WOW! A lot of nerves were
WOW! A lot of nerves were touched by this. Please allow me to respond with my perspective.

To begin, I must applaud you for your dedication to doing the research and getting the word out there about metastatic breast cancer. That kind of dedication put to the proper use could do wonders for any cause! And you are right. There is a difference between those with mbc and those diagnosed with stages 1-3. However, I don't see that it warrants the comments about the rest of us not knowing the "dark" side of breast cancer. It's dangerous to make comparisons about someone else's illness. There is and always will be someone around who will have a darker side in their life. I lost a brother to pancreatic cancer. There was much light at all to that one. My neighbor lost a niece at age 30 to ovarian cancer. Again, not much light. Although I do not face the same prognosis as you, (at least not at this point) my breast cancer was (sometimes still) dark. It was dark for me and my family. Two years prior to that I was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm that required craniotomy surgery. Do you want to compare now? The up side: I learned a lot and I received a ton of blessings through both health scares.

If my cancer comes back one day, I want to make sure that the days I have left are spent living, not whining. That's a hard choice to make when receiving a dianosis, but for me it was the only decision. I choose not to waste my cancer. In a way, neither are you, with your efforts to get the word out about metastatic breast cancer. Again, you are to be commended for that. But please be cautious about the words you choose. The rest of us who have NOT had mbc went through treatment, as well and have worries about it returning, and hold all the other fears that accompany ANY kind of cancer diagnosis.

My philosophy is that we're all in this life together and it's our responsibility to help others through it. In your efforts to do that by supporting those with mbc by getting the information out there, be careful that you do not offend or fault those of us who have been fortunate enough to have their cancer caught earlier. I have met women with mbc. They didn't throw a pity party at me because I wasn't in the same place as them. Let me repeat, kudos to you for your efforts because someone will benefit from it. But give credit to those who (including the Komen foundation) put great efforts out to give awareness to breast cancer. I wonder where we would be without that. Would it be better if only mbc got attention? If that's the case, then it seems that there would be more cases of mbc since many women would NOT be diagnosed at an earlier stage.

If you don't want to wear pink, don't wear pink. Don't buy the trinkets. I don't. Just as I don't buy all the sports trinkets. I'm spending my money on things that give me joy in life and maybe hope to others. If I choose to wear pink it is only to bring awareness. Education is important, as well as fund raising for research.

Before I close, allow me to add one more statistic to your's. It is a guarantee, no question at all that 100% of ALL people will die. . . .at some point. In the meantime, I choose to live.

Bless you for allowing all these comments to come your way. DON'T GIVE UP YOUR CAUSE! I only hope your aren't as unhappy as your letters appear to convey. That would be sad.

butterflylvr said:

Okay... I've sat back long enough
I have to unload ~

Sirod, you have been nothing but ignorant and insulting to most of those who have responded in this thread. Why is it your words and beliefs are so much mightier then ours? You have stage IV cancer to which I am sorry. I would never wish that on my worst enemy, but somewhere along your journey you lost your compassion for others dear sister.

This post was started as a beautiful thread from Robert showing his brotherly support and pride in wearing the color pink and proud to be doing so. And you turned it into a platform to preach about the bad sides of pink awareness month. Give us a little credit dear sister, we know this is the month that businesses and organizations make money off of the color pink, we aren't that stupid. We also don't need you preaching for your specific cancer research organization. God bless them for being there, and it sounds like you found strength in finding them and for that I am happy.

Robert, myself and other pinks sisters and brothers earned the right to wear pink. We are survivors and for me I wear my breast cancer angel pin every day and I do so proudly. I like being the one who's like an open book. Publicly I've shared my journey with others from day one, in hopes of being there for someone who feels they are battling breast cancer alone. You wouldn't believe the people that have called me their angel. So I... my dear sister wear my pink proudly. And don't you dare tell me I've never experienced the "DARK" side of cancer. Tell me what part of cancer is ever in the light side.

Vent away... I'm ready.
Your sister in pink ... Lorrie

LOVE YOU LORRIE!
i just typed up a half page email and then decided to erase it. not worth my precious words! all i can say is that negativity is a disease worse than cancer. right on my pink sisters! love you

ps- i haven't been on in a long, long time. i prefer to use our facebook page. a positive, fun experience! i just felt like i needed to show my presence today after the things i've heard.

pss happy belated birthday robert!! *hugs*

carriesoup said:

LOVE YOU LORRIE!
i just typed up a half page email and then decided to erase it. not worth my precious words! all i can say is that negativity is a disease worse than cancer. right on my pink sisters! love you

ps- i haven't been on in a long, long time. i prefer to use our facebook page. a positive, fun experience! i just felt like i needed to show my presence today after the things i've heard.

pss happy belated birthday robert!! *hugs*

We all love you Lorrie!
Well said Carrie! The negativity on CSN is exactly one of the reasons I very rarely sign on here anymore. When I was diagnosed last year, I found this board so supportive. I cried and laughed reading all the posts for weeks before I finally joined. I really think the women and men here helped me through the journey I didn't plan on going on. No - I don't have mets (Thank the Good Lord) but I still consider it a very dark period in my life. It's sad CSN has changed so much as it has the capability to help so many!

I continue to pray for every one whose life has been touched by cancer - any type of cancer.

Hugs, Debi