Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink and More Pink

[betsydoglover]

Rodney, I absolutely love it! I am imagining my local Starbucks with a "Blast your Ass Free" sign. I'm not into fancy - grande skim latte is my normal (that's fancy for me), but if it ever shows up, I'll go for adeno-mocha-noma for sure!

Betsy

I have an idea for colon cancer awareness month, that I plan to pitch to a couple of local coffee shops. It's a little on the absurd side, but I think it might work in my neighborhood.

My favorite coffee drink is a mocha cappucinno, and a tumor is often called an adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma + Mocha Cappucinno = Adeno-Mocha-Noma. The adeno-mocha-noma is a mocha cappucinno, prepared as usual, with the froth (or whip cream) leveled at the top, using a knife. Bit of chocolate will then be spread upon the white, level surface, along with drops of red food coloring. This will represent one of the warning signs of colorectal cancer (blood in the stool, in case you missed that). For those that order an adeno-mocha-noma in a to-go cup, sleeves will be printed that include some facts & figures about colorectal cancer, along with the explanation "Blast your ass free of tumors ... proceeds from the sale of this drink benefit colon cancer research" or something like that. I am preparing a webpage to propose the coffee drink (it's also a class project in my graduate program, so I hope to get a good grade in my graphic design class), and I really do plan to propose it. Maybe ... who knows ... it might catch on.

[Magnolia]

I love the Blast Your Ass idea!

I was REALLY annoyed by all the pink. And annoyed with myself for being annoyed. Breast cancer survivors deserve every bit of the attention they're getting. I don't mind that they get what they get. What galls me is the fact that so many of the rest of us are being overlooked. (read "ignored")

Then my mom got breast cancer and I REALLY felt bad. Now I'm over it. I'm back to wanting equal time again. I was surfing the internet as seeing how much stuff there was available for her. I printed her out a BOOK full of local resources for breast cancer. I don't think there was 1/5 as much available for CRC and I had to search a lot more sites to find it all. The breast stuff was all there in printer friendly form. Breast cancer survivors have pretty little shops where they can buy there booby prostheses. (Jennifer's Breast Boutique) Where do we go for ostomy supplies? ACME Medical and Nursing Home Supplies.

Every time I get asked to "round up" my bill at the register for breast cancer, I'll be tempted to say, "No, I have a cancer of my own." I like that answer. Too bad the poor checker isn't the bad guy. I hate to put the wrong person on the spot. It's not the checker's fault.

The thing that tops it all for me is when some people hear that I'm a survivor, they say, "Oh, you had breast cancer!" like that's the only thing I could possibly have had. I politely reply, "No, it was colon." I feel like saying, "I have other body parts!" DUH!

Damn, that rant felt good!

Thanks

[cynnycal]

damn you guys....
i've been griping about this forever.
(check the very first post in my blog. the thing that spurred me to actually start a blog in teh first place)
http://thecolonchronicles.blogspot.com/ ... ancer.html

anywho, i feel breast cancer survivors do deserve attention. of course.

the thing that gets me is just that everyone and their mama jumps up and makes things pink.
making something pink isnt' solving anything. It's making companies look good, and making consumers feel warm n fuzzy that they're "doing something" when the dime goes to Yme after buying their pink frying pan. or ribbon shaped bagel.

i mean, ALL cancer should get awareness. in equal doses.

my friend (he's a fellow colon cancer survivor) texted me today "i just bought some breast cancer chapstick...support! they also had breast cancer vitamins, but i think i woulda looked like a transvestite buying those"

its not so much that i want to hate on the survivors. i guess i'm just disappointed (esPECIALLY after the CCA conference and meeting so many awesomely wonderful survivors) that the community of colon cancer survivors have not broken through the media and gotten the attention we deserve.

and, just my prediction here, but when (or if) the hype over pink things and breast cancer ever dies down...the next up on the list (for women) will be ovarian cancer. I was listening to a story on it the other day on NPR..."The silent killer"

sooooo. enough talk. ACTION! what are we gonna do?

[Magnolia]

Cyn, I liked your breast cancer power drill. (I AM glad there's no colon cancer power drill. Not a pleasant thought.)

I have a friend who's a Hodgkin's survivor. They're almost an orphan disease. They don't have any big numbers. When you lump all the lymphomas and leukemia together you start coming up with some numbers, and then you have the kids to add some emotional pull. But still, has anyone ever seen a lime green ribbon?

I have a great button from www.ChooseHope.com It has all the colored ribbons and says Together We Will Win. They also have a bracelet and a Christmas ornament.

That story about the race with all the survivors in pink and only breast cancer survivors being allowed to wear the pink shirts was so disturbing. It was like there was some sort of exclusive club or something.

I'm beginning to imagine a big cancer rainbow with all the colors and no more stupid competition.

[cynnycal]

Really? Lymphoma is the orphaned cancer? Man, I know TONS of lymphoma survivors.
Actually, I think I said once that when you meet someone my age with cancer (male or female) chances are high that it's lymphoma.
When Gilda's club approached me about starting a young persons with cancer support group (b/c til then there wasn't one) it was pioneered by me and two other girls, and they were lymphoma survivors (one hodgkins, and one non).
Oh, and when i got to go to the oprah show last week (a show with the crazy sexy cancer girl, and with a prof. from carnegie mellon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were featured) the executive producer of the show was a hodgkins survivor.

aaannywho, i think a cancer 'rainbow' is great. lets all be cancerous together!

[Liz]

I, too, have been disappointed that people with other cancers are ignored during this month. I have nothing against breast cancer research, especially if a cure is found and applied to other cancers as well. I really believe that October should just be Cancer Awareness Month and every cancer should be recognized.

I wear a blue ribbon on my cap. It was noticed by a woman in a store one day. She thought it was great that I supported Victim Rights. I explained that is was actually in support of colon cancer. She told me that Victim Right groups use the exact same ribbon/color. I love the idea of a blue star to specify our cancer and would love to see this happen. Does anyone know if there is a site or group that has blue star pins? Is this the way we get the word out about us!!!

[Magnolia]

The Colorectal Cancer Coalition has them and I think the Colon Cancer Alliance has them too.

While you're at it, check out www.CoverYourButt.org

I agree about other cancers getting overlooked, but it's not just October. I't's all the damned time. I have no problem with breast cancer having it's own month, but everyone else is invisible all year. I'm a healthcare provider and I get uniform catalogs in the mail all the time. There are always a couple of pages of scrubs with pink ribbon designs on them. Do the companies think nurses only care for one kind of cancer patient? What is this?

[Magnolia]

Cyn, all the lymphomas together add up, but Hodgkins alone has pretty low numbers compared to colon, breast, lung and some of the other biggies. Pretty good survival numbers, though.

[Magnolia]

Hodgkins hits mostly young people, so that may be why you see so many young survivors.

[cynnycal]

Hey Liz,
forget a pin on your hat!...check us out:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... D=19929857

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... D=19929871

http://a725.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/im ... 3579b4.jpg

c'mon...join the darkside...muah-ha-haaa...

[pantherfan]

There has been a lot of venting about our lack of awareness. What's next? Do we stage a rally on the steps of Congress next March?

[nthomas220]

Liz, I agree with you so much. For a while I thought I was selfish, but then I realized that cancer is cancer, whether it's colon, breasts.....I"m also looking to start a colon cancer walk in my area. It was nice to know that i'm not alone in my thinking. Question, do you know where I can get the blue ribbon? I haven't been able to find it anywhere.

[Liz]

For: nthomas220
I found my blue ribbon at my doctor's office. I will try to find out where they got them. However last night I went to the Colon Cancer Alliance site and bought 200 star lapel pins to pass out to friends, family and coworkers this coming March. Thank you all who sent me websites to review.

I also love the idea of the rainbow to raise cancer awareness for all cancers - let's hope the pot of gold at the end is a cure!! In the meantime Be Cool!! Support Blue!!
And with that, I send you all peace, love and positive thoughts

[Magnolia]

Pantherfan, as a matter of fact, we do. The Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C3) is sending a group of advocates from all over the country to meet with Congress to ask for more NIH, NCI, and CDC funding for CRC research and screening. It's called "Call on Congress". Some of us on this board went last year. There's no reason there can't be a rally or two going on too. March is a big month.

My sister said today that breast cancer awareness month has been going on for three or four months now. Feels like it.

I'm liking this rainbow idea more and more. Can we do this? Does anybody know how to go about claiming a symbol for a cause? Do we even have a cause, officially? The pot of gold may be more than a cure. More concretely, it's the FUNDING!!!

[Lifes2short]

Rainbow ribbons are a good idea. The rainbow itself has come to be considered a symbol of gay causes. Not that it's such a bad idea. We could do a movie called "Brokeass Mountain". Controversy creates awareness!