Somewhere during my blogging travels, I came across this site, which is encouraging blogs to go pink, in whatever way they can, for the month of October. This is, of course, in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's a little hard to read, but hey, pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations (guess I'm reliving the preppy craze of the 80's - does anyone remember Bermuda bags?) to boot!
It has been six years now since my dear cousin died of inflammatory breast cancer. She was and is a mom to two beautiful, self-confident, self sufficient daughters, wife to a wise-cracking jokah, and the best "older sister you never had". I miss her.
If you haven't already, go visit the fabulous WhyMommy and check out her post on inflammatory breast cancer. I think I can speak for her when I write that IBC was not exactly part of her life plan, but she's doing okay and, hey, she digs comments. Click on over and say hello!
While we're on the subject, I'd like to share a little pet peeve of mine...companies that use the month of October to shamelessly promote their pink products. Hold on, let me explain. I don't see a problem with encouraging people to purchase goods in order to support a cause. The problem I have is the amount of money that actually goes to the cause. I just cannot get on board when a company offers to donate 5% or 10% of the proceeds to something as vague as "breast cancer research." Now, I'm not talking about small businesses, of course. I'm all for financial solvency too!
Are their any eco-friendly "pink" items you feel are worthy of your support this month? OrganicBouquet is selling breastcancer.org pink passion roses, for example, with 5% of the retail price to breastcancer.org. (Nevermind that the flowers are being flown hither and yon.)
What's your opinion? Do you think that every little bit helps?
Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
Monday, October 1, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Stealing a Post
It's not often (okay, it's been never) that I've used my blog to round up support for a person facing difficult times. Now is the time. WhyMommy has allowed me (and you!) to re-post her post on inflammatory breast cancer. She has it. My extended family has also been touched...scratch that...ravaged by IBC. So drop WhyMommy a line at her blog Toddler Planet and feel free to five-finger discount her post. It's the right thing to do.
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WhyMommy's Post on Inflammatory Breast Cancer
We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?
I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.
Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.
Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.
There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.
Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.
You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.
***
WhyMommy's Post on Inflammatory Breast Cancer
We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?
I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.
Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.
Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.
There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.
Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.
You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.
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