Pink Ribbon Inc.

[Ivona]

Am planning on seeing this documentary this weekend....

http://www.nfb.ca/film/pink_ribbons_inc_clip/

[NWgirl]

Thanks for posting Ivona - looks interesting. I'm going to see when it shows here and record it.

[Guinevere]

I'll be watching my satellite listings for this!

[beth568]

I'm very anxious to see this. The pink sanitization of breast cancer angers me a great deal. It's a horrible disease, not something pretty, and I know more and more BC survivors who are pretty well fed up with the pink ribbon.

[babs249]

I also thank you for posting this Ivona. I've read that many women who've had/have breast cancer hate PINK. They say well meaning people give them pink-themed gifts, and they don't like it. Who can blame them - they (and we) are more than their (our) cancer, and the whole pink thing just ties it all up too neatly. My eldest sister died seven years ago from breast cancer, and while she lived many miles from me, and I only was able to see her maybe once a year or so, the six and a half year battle she had with the disease was not pretty!

Also, I wonder how many other women here have had my experience; when I'm with a family member or friend who happens to mention to another person in my presence that I am a cancer survivor, the person will say oh, breast cancer? And when I say, no, colon cancer, they frown and say "Oh." And that's usually it! They seem disappointed somehow that it was not breast cancer that I had.

[beth568]

Also, I wonder how many other women here have had my experience; when I'm with a family member or friend who happens to mention to another person in my presence that I am a cancer survivor, the person will say oh, breast cancer? And when I say, no, colon cancer, they frown and say "Oh." And that's usually it! They seem disappointed somehow that it was not breast cancer that I had.

Yes! This has happened to me many times since my diagnosis last year. People are happy to talk about breast cancer, but get really squirmy about CRC. I think they're inclined to assume that young women must be breast cancer patients, and other possibilities don't enter their minds.

I've been working on a blog post about the pink conundrum. There's a link in the middle to a letter to the Washington Post editor from a CRC advocate. http://mysemicolon.net/2012/02/17/pink-and-blue/

[nbrandt]

Thank you for reminding all of us that we as a group effected by cancer, together as a group need to "demand more dollars for researching a cure". Once again the very requirement in the Health Care Reform Legislation is under attack by those who have the best insurance and want to side with those who want to limit cancer screening for women. The Health Care Reform saved my life with the legislation mandating Blue Cross Blue Shield could not issue a policy without pap, mamo, and colonoscopies. Thank goodness for those Legislative Representatives and Senators who put the requirement in the bill.
NBrandt

[dianne052506]

Beth568,

I love your writing. In college, when I hung out with the school newspaper staff, I used to say that the sign of a good editorial writer was someone who could put into words, not just what he/she was feeling, but what I was feeling. The good writers knew what I was feeling but hadn't even come to terms with enough to try to put into words. You are that good.

Reading your work, I am somewhat embarrassed over signing the petition to "light the White House blue for colorectal awareness." However, one thing really good has come from the petition. my teenage daughter has been living with my cancer for more than five years. She has only talked about my cancer when asked, she has never volunteered information, and, when she did, it was almost always to an adult who knew me, not to one of her friends. My daughter not only signed the petition, she went out on FB and told all her friends that her mom has colon cancer, and would they please sign the petition for her. This was such a big deal to me. I'm really hoping that, down the road, she will choose a major awareness campaign as her senior year service project. If my daughter can be comfortable talking about colon cancer, then maybe she won't ever face what I am facing.

Dianne

[babs249]

Thanks for posting the link Beth. Great blog and letter. They really say it all, don't they? I think a good slogan for colorectal cancer, along with the blue ribbon, etc. would be this: Colon Cancer, Not Just An Old Man's Disease!

[Gaelen]

Well, if we're coming out, folks, then let's go all the way: coloRECTAL cancer - never really an "old man's disease."
Or as Brends Elsagher once led the Call on Congress advocates in saying out loud:
COlon - RECtal - Anal.
Say the words, all three of them.
Don't sanitize CRC by avoiding the words that make people "squirmy."

[beth568]

Yep, Gaelen's right. I've had to work a little bit to get comfortable telling people that I have *rectal* cancer, because I know that causes even more squirming. I'm OK with it now, and when pressed I'll even share some of the details of my bowel management woes.

As for the White House petition, I don't think it's a bad thing at all. I think it's worth while for us to fight for some blue ribbon recognition, even though I'm certain no other "cancer color" will become what the pink ribbon has. Lung and colorectal cancers are the top two killers. We need to get people talking about them, understanding the possible causes, moving towards prevention and cure. If the blue ribbons start those conversations, good.

[babs249]

Hey Beth. I'm a little thick here. Just realized it was YOUR blog post I read. So, I'll say it again, great blog, but with more emphasis this time since I'm talking to the actual author!
Don't mind me, sometimes it just takes me a little longer than other people to catch on.

[misfit80]

Also, I wonder how many other women here have had my experience; when I'm with a family member or friend who happens to mention to another person in my presence that I am a cancer survivor, the person will say oh, breast cancer? And when I say, no, colon cancer, they frown and say "Oh." And that's usually it! They seem disappointed somehow that it was not breast cancer that I had.

I was in the hospital a week or so back for an appointment with my son and a lady had started making small talk with me. It somehow mentioned that I was going thru cancer treatment and she asked "Is it breast cancer?" I told her no, that I have rectal cancer. Her response was "Well, at least it's not breast cancer." I didn't say anything at the time, because I really didn't know how to respond, but I felt really offended. I'm not saying that breast cancer is any less serious than rectal cancer, but come on! I was 4 weeks into radiation at that point and was in quite a lot of discomfort. Not to mention that after my surgery there is a very good chance that I be pooping into a bag for the rest of my life! I think that warrants a little consideration and compassion instead of down playing CRC as if it were the common cold.

[babs249]

Also, I wonder how many other women here have had my experience; when I'm with a family member or friend who happens to mention to another person in my presence that I am a cancer survivor, the person will say oh, breast cancer? And when I say, no, colon cancer, they frown and say "Oh." And that's usually it! They seem disappointed somehow that it was not breast cancer that I had.

I was in the hospital a week or so back for an appointment with my son and a lady had started making small talk with me. It somehow mentioned that I was going thru cancer treatment and she asked "Is it breast cancer?" I told her no, that I have rectal cancer. Her response was "Well, at least it's not breast cancer." I didn't say anything at the time, because I really didn't know how to respond, but I felt really offended. I'm not saying that breast cancer is any less serious than rectal cancer, but come on! I was 4 weeks into radiation at that point and was in quite a lot of discomfort. Not to mention that after my surgery there is a very good chance that I be pooping into a bag for the rest of my life! I think that warrants a little consideration and compassion instead of down playing CRC as if it were the common cold.

I think we need to come up with a good comeback comment when people make the kind of heartless comment that was made to you. For crying out loud, would it have hurt the woman to show a little compassion to you as a cancer patient? A woman said that to me once and I was also so flummoxed I couldn't respond either. How about, "As a woman, I am more than my breasts, and though they are an outward expression of my gender, my digestive system is an inward expression of my humanity?"

A few years after my resection, when I was still largely home bound because of bathroom issues, I had a discussion with my sister about why I did not have a full-time, regular job. Now, she had had breast cancer, and she had had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Our other sister, who died from breast cancer, had a much tougher road than either of us. She fought it for almost seven years and had multiple surgeries, chemo, and radiation. Well, when I was explaining to my surviving sister the harsh reality of what my life was like in the aftermath of my resection; not being able to eat if I wanted to leave the house, many, many foods being off limit to me if I didn't want to be in the bathroom even more than I already was, the chronic pain I was in, the constant feeling of having to relieve myself, even when there was nothing there, etc., etc., she was less than sympathetic. She said, "Well, do you think everything is normal for me, just because I have a reconstructed breast?" I explained to her that I was sure it was not, but that I didn't think the reconstructed breast affected her whole digestive system and whether or not she could leave her house. When I had explained to her what my life was like, it was only because it felt like she was berating me for not having a regular job, and I was simply explaining to her why I did not. I do not like being forced into playing what I call a "top this" game, especially over an illness, and can't believe that my own sister was forcing me into it.

[Guinevere]

The only comeback I can think of to the "At least it's not breast cancer" other than "Bless your heart" (I'm from the South), is "Yeah, I got to get a whole new Barbie butt but not the boobs!" I would probably opt for the "Bless your heart" since anyone that crass and unempathetic probably wouldn't get what I was saying anyway. Bless their hearts...