Was wondering
Comments
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I'm with you
I think it is a very personal "thing" for some people and people just have to do what is comfortable for them. Like you ... I never felt comfortable with the "pink" thing or "breast cancer survivor" etc. Of course I told people I had cancer ... although it was obvious something was not right since I was bald ... but didn't feel brave or much like a survivor. Of course I support anyone who does embrace wearing pink and letting people know they ARE a survivor. I hope I've explained my feelings ... so that I haven't offended anyone. It's just the personal way we all have to deal with "it."
love you all!
hugs.
teena0 -
the shirt
I guess I would not do that but I do like using the pink ribbon type things as key chains and the like as it brings awareness to the issue. I have a grandmother who had bc and I can always refer to her if I am asked about bc. However if the person themselves mentions that they themselves are a survivor (say for instance at work) I would then reveal the truth to them as they would have a sense of support when we crossed paths again.0 -
@stilltrying
I kindof agree....I have not worn anything other then pink braclet...Perhaps it's to make the awareness more known..!
I never thought of myself as a survivor until I found this site. I just say I had cancer.
(3 yr this month since my surgery!!!) Oncologist appt next week...0 -
Each...disneyfan2008 said:@stilltrying
I kindof agree....I have not worn anything other then pink braclet...Perhaps it's to make the awareness more known..!
I never thought of myself as a survivor until I found this site. I just say I had cancer.
(3 yr this month since my surgery!!!) Oncologist appt next week...
To her own..I say do what ever floats your boat! I don't judge personal decisions...we're all different.0 -
Teena,tgf said:I'm with you
I think it is a very personal "thing" for some people and people just have to do what is comfortable for them. Like you ... I never felt comfortable with the "pink" thing or "breast cancer survivor" etc. Of course I told people I had cancer ... although it was obvious something was not right since I was bald ... but didn't feel brave or much like a survivor. Of course I support anyone who does embrace wearing pink and letting people know they ARE a survivor. I hope I've explained my feelings ... so that I haven't offended anyone. It's just the personal way we all have to deal with "it."
love you all!
hugs.
teena
I think you've explained your feelings very well, and with no offense at all....and my feelings are exactly the opposite of yours!
How each of us thinks and feels about our breast cancer journey IS very personal. For me, I'm proud as hell of fighting my way through cancer treatment and coming out stronger for it....I'm one of those breast cancer survivors with t-shirts and bumper stickers and mugs and bracelets and my keychain from VickiSam. It probably helps that I've always liked the color pink anyway. :-)
For me, some of it has to do with being diagnosed at a (relatively) young age -- I was 40, and heard a lot of "You can't have breast cancer -- you're too young!" and "People your age don't get breast cancer."
So, I think part of my being so out and loud about being a survivor is that I feel a responsibility to educate people a little that yes, young women can get breast cancer and need to be vigilant.
Traci0 -
pinkMAJW said:Each...
To her own..I say do what ever floats your boat! I don't judge personal decisions...we're all different.
I have worn pink in a braclet, and a watch that a friend gave to me. I haven't done the shirts, etc. I told my husband the other day, that I didn't feel like a cancer survivor. Yes, I had cancer, they removed it, and I went through Radiation and am currently at a hold with Tamoxifen. I feel like I just went with the flow of treatment. I guess I am a survivor if I think about it. I don't like to have the attention put on me that wearing pink would put on me. Maybe I will change my mind someday!0 -
I'm with Tracy...although I
I'm with Tracy...although I don't have lots of ribbons, hats, shirts, etc. But I think it's really important to help raise awareness. And I specifically try and educate about IBC, because it's rare and most people don't know anything about it.
The other part for me, is that I am so very thankful to have each day to fill with the wonders of life. When I share with others I hope they are reminded for a time to appreciate the day they have today.
Hugs,
Linda0 -
I'm a very 'open' person andGabe N Abby Mom said:I'm with Tracy...although I
I'm with Tracy...although I don't have lots of ribbons, hats, shirts, etc. But I think it's really important to help raise awareness. And I specifically try and educate about IBC, because it's rare and most people don't know anything about it.
The other part for me, is that I am so very thankful to have each day to fill with the wonders of life. When I share with others I hope they are reminded for a time to appreciate the day they have today.
Hugs,
Linda
I'm a very 'open' person and agree with you on educating people about IBC - I'll talk to anyone.
Wearing pink - though I've always HATED pink and haven't worn it since I was old enough to make my thought known. That said this last Oct I got some pink fleece with hearts and ribbons and some brown with pink ribbons and made a pullover and a ponco that I wore a lot then. I buy the hot pink "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" (it's a PRCA rodeo thing) T-shirts during the Black Hills Stock Show for the whole family. (50% of the price goes to the Cancer Care Instutite I went to through the hospital.) I have a pair of earring that are pink ribbons. Hubby and Son always have pink wrist bands on that say "Tough Enough To Wear Pink" - can't ever remember either of them having anything pink but they always wear the bracelets and have pink ribbon hat pink on their hats (western).0 -
Wearing PinkGabe N Abby Mom said:I'm with Tracy...although I
I'm with Tracy...although I don't have lots of ribbons, hats, shirts, etc. But I think it's really important to help raise awareness. And I specifically try and educate about IBC, because it's rare and most people don't know anything about it.
The other part for me, is that I am so very thankful to have each day to fill with the wonders of life. When I share with others I hope they are reminded for a time to appreciate the day they have today.
Hugs,
Linda
I think it is up to the individual.Some days I feel like wearing pink and some days not.I have a necklace, bracelet and just recently purchased a sticker for my car.Honestly there will be some decision on the car sticker.That would be where everyone sees it.Those going by my house etc.
Not sure about some of you but there are people I DON'T want to know.The busy bodies that do nothing but gossip.Everytime I see people who know I have cancer say WOW you are loosing weight.I am gaining a few pounds but they have to fish for answers on my health.Those people I want to ignore. Or maybe I should say are you feeling good??? You look tired and pale.....
I go into the stores and see those wearing pink jackets and shirts.I haven't gone that far yet.I do look at them and want to say Hey I am a survivor too but just walk by.
Relay For Life I will be wearing pink.I was the newest breast cancer survivor last year.The last one called to get my ribbon and medal.I liked getting involved in that.I wasn't sure if I could walk that much but once I got started my husband and I were the ones who were walkng with all the teenagers in the end.0 -
For me it is privateGabe N Abby Mom said:I'm with Tracy...although I
I'm with Tracy...although I don't have lots of ribbons, hats, shirts, etc. But I think it's really important to help raise awareness. And I specifically try and educate about IBC, because it's rare and most people don't know anything about it.
The other part for me, is that I am so very thankful to have each day to fill with the wonders of life. When I share with others I hope they are reminded for a time to appreciate the day they have today.
Hugs,
Linda
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.
Clementine0 -
I don't wear t-shirts like
I don't wear t-shirts like that but it's obvious I had breast cancer because I did not get reconstruction and it's like going around with one headlight. At first I tried to cover it up by wearing big shirts but now I don't care. I still like the big shirts tho. Diagnosed in 2003.0 -
I wear my Relay for Life
Tee shirt that is purple and says SURVIVOR on the back, proudly. With my too short hair and that tee shirt, it is obvious that I am a survivor.
People (some I don't even know) have started to tell me how much they like my short hair and today for the first time, I didn't reply "I'm battling breast cancer and the short hair is not my choice"--instead I just said "thank you".
I'm very open about it, in the hopes that I can be an example for someone else. It seems to me that far more than 1 in 8 or 12.5% of women are being diagnosed.
I will be celebrating the end of my treatment on 4/1/11 at our local Relay for Life in Plantation FL and walking as a survivor (I hope I make it for the full lap--I'm experiencing fatigue from the 20 rads I've had so far)!
That's my 2 cents.
JoAnn0 -
What an interesting topic
I love a good discussion. Isn't it amazing how different we all think
even on a topic like this?
I am not big on the pink RaRA, the only think pink I ever loved was
the pink panther. I was very public with my cancer. EVERYONE knows LOL
But I didn't expect the strange reactions I got, but one can only go by one's
own character. I know as a fact I would have never treated anyone that way.
Pink, is just too harmless of a color to me, to represent cancer. I am all for
bringing awareness though, I don't think people realize how many of us
are out there. It would be cool if we picked one day and every cancer survivor
wore FLAMING red, people would be amazed.
Hugs,
Ayse0 -
Aysemari: I agreeaysemari said:What an interesting topic
I love a good discussion. Isn't it amazing how different we all think
even on a topic like this?
I am not big on the pink RaRA, the only think pink I ever loved was
the pink panther. I was very public with my cancer. EVERYONE knows LOL
But I didn't expect the strange reactions I got, but one can only go by one's
own character. I know as a fact I would have never treated anyone that way.
Pink, is just too harmless of a color to me, to represent cancer. I am all for
bringing awareness though, I don't think people realize how many of us
are out there. It would be cool if we picked one day and every cancer survivor
wore FLAMING red, people would be amazed.
Hugs,
Ayse
GOOD misc topics...and yes are all so differnt. I met for lunch with long time friend sat..she has Melonoma (sp?)and does NOT want to talk about it at all...and me on the other hand..have no problems if someone asks me! She did open up and later told me she is comfortable talking about it with me since I have dealth with the "C" topic personally.
Denise0 -
stilltrying
I am currently going through chemotherapy. What I will wear or advertise when I am done, I don't know. But I do know that in the 3 months that I had surgeries and radiation, I identified the cancer survivor "pink". When I needed someone to talk to or "buck me up", I could find one in a crowd and not feel so alone. I was 40 when I was diagnosed and I appreciated the code "pink." Will I wear it, I don't know. But, I will volunteer and support other women somehow when I am on my own feet.0 -
I needed privacy(more insight)Katmy said:stilltrying
I am currently going through chemotherapy. What I will wear or advertise when I am done, I don't know. But I do know that in the 3 months that I had surgeries and radiation, I identified the cancer survivor "pink". When I needed someone to talk to or "buck me up", I could find one in a crowd and not feel so alone. I was 40 when I was diagnosed and I appreciated the code "pink." Will I wear it, I don't know. But, I will volunteer and support other women somehow when I am on my own feet.
I didn't want some people to know.Those I don't think highly of.AND if I don't care for them it is for very good reasons.Really bad people.Those are the ones I threw out of my life and want them to stay out of it.For them to find out didn't make me happy but they did.Alot of gossipers.
Now looking back the ones I did tell I regret.I made that mistake myself.It was just that I was working with them and thought I needed to let them know.Those are the idiots that keep asking me if I lost weight.
Lynn Smith0 -
While going thru chemo I gotKatmy said:stilltrying
I am currently going through chemotherapy. What I will wear or advertise when I am done, I don't know. But I do know that in the 3 months that I had surgeries and radiation, I identified the cancer survivor "pink". When I needed someone to talk to or "buck me up", I could find one in a crowd and not feel so alone. I was 40 when I was diagnosed and I appreciated the code "pink." Will I wear it, I don't know. But, I will volunteer and support other women somehow when I am on my own feet.
While going thru chemo I got so much fricking pink crap and tshirts with some smart saying about breast cancer that I ended up throwing them in the trash, digging them out and cutting them into ribbons, and finally burned them.
Breast cancer does not define who I am. I am not that one deminsional. I am a very open person. Never covered my head, figured people could just deal with it, I didn't have anything to be ashamed of. Due to lymphedemia I can't wear bras so I go out flat chested. I am quite comfortable answering peoples question and have shown many a woman my mastectomy scars!0 -
breast cancer awairness
I think people advertise breast cancer because it is a illness that you can survive if caught early . You would be surprised at( out of sight out of mind )for most of us but a visual reminder is the best way to get threw to young ladies that fear nothing.Breast cancer doesn't care about your age or if you are male or female...0 -
The odds of getting breast
The odds of getting breast cancer are so high, and yet there are so many who have no idea that even young people get it! I don't wear all the pink, however, I do wear a beautiful bc charm watch and when people comment on it, I have no trouble explaining the meaning and the funds that went to bc research from the sale of these bracelets.
Now if only we can get some funding for advanced breast cancer. For those of you who are not aware, only about 3% of all bc funds goes towards research for advanced (stage IV) bc. Awareness is good, but so is help for stage IV!0 -
Also the amount of 'pinkcamul said:The odds of getting breast
The odds of getting breast cancer are so high, and yet there are so many who have no idea that even young people get it! I don't wear all the pink, however, I do wear a beautiful bc charm watch and when people comment on it, I have no trouble explaining the meaning and the funds that went to bc research from the sale of these bracelets.
Now if only we can get some funding for advanced breast cancer. For those of you who are not aware, only about 3% of all bc funds goes towards research for advanced (stage IV) bc. Awareness is good, but so is help for stage IV!
Also the amount of 'pink things' sold that there is no money donated from.0
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