Renee Sendelbach October is here and ugh, what I see does not make me happy.
Pink, pink, pink – everywhere is pink.
It might make you think everything is Pretty in Pink.
IT IS NOT.
I am not one to really rock the boat – most of the time that
is, but if you push me enough I will break. And this is me breaking.
I am sick of pink….SICK OF IT!!
I am warning you. This post is going to be a bit of a
soapbox rant with a purpose!
I don’t want to wear pink to announce to the world that I
have breast cancer.
I don’t want a pink
hair dryer (really, people – people going through chemo usually don’t have hair
anyway).
I don’t want a pink can opener or some other stupid gadget
to help me show my support of breast cancer.
I will tell you what I want.
I WANT A CURE FOR STAGE 4 BREAST CANCER
How exactly are you showing support with a pink can opener?
I am sick of companies selling stupid sh*t in pink and
people buying it thinking that, somehow, more than a tiny percentage of that
profit actually goes to breast cancer research or charities.
And the kicker is, we don’t even know what part of breast
cancer that tiny percent goes to…it could go to making more products to
“support” breast cancer…I am just speculating here SO don’t get offended by
this.
I think we are ALL aware of breast cancer. I mean, if the
stats don’t lie then 1 in 8 women have it. For it not to affect us on some level
is pretty much impossible.
Next step up on the ole soapbox – I get it, a lot of the
money raised goes to research to stop this sh*t – GREAT…it is great because
this needs a cure!
But what about the money raised that doesn’t go to research
for a cure?
Where does that money go?
Does it go to the little people who need help during their
battle??
When I say little people, I mean the ones who make just
enough not to qualify for government help but get diagnosed with cancer – what
happens to them and all this money raised?
From what I hear, they (the “little people”) are made to
jump through hoops to get only a little bit of help.
Let me tell you, as a stage 4 breast cancer “thriver,” doing
paperwork with chemo brain is not only mentally exhausting, it is next to
impossible.
So now, you have someone who is stressed from the cancer
diagnosis, working, getting chemo treatment, taking care of a family, and in
order to get a little help with the bills, is expected to fill out lengthy
forms!
And yes, I get it.
And I realize we can’t just hand out cash to everyone, BUT
every once in a while there is a story that touches you and you KNOW you have
to help in some way.
That is why I am asking you to think before you pink this
year.
If you are going to spend money to help the cause, I am
asking you to help these 2 organizations that I KNOW where the money goes.
There are post mastectomy shirts created with the woman or
man in mind. No more wearing a shirt 3 sizes too big.
From giving us support groups to be with other going through
any stage of cancer, to providing each person with a patient navigator to help
her figure out what in the hell is going on, BCRC has been a rock in my WHOLE
cancer thing.
Tomorrow join me for a completely different view on pink
from my best friend.
