Monday, September 29, 2008
Get Shirts for "Breast Cancer Awareness" Month
Janet's Blog store is open for business. I currently have shirts in honor of my favorite month of the year: October. I love October because it's my birthday month, and not because it's a pink-washed span of time for people to give lip service to the fight against breast cancer. I'm already quite "aware" and don't need pink ribbons to remind me how terrible this disease is. So I offer an alternative sentiment:
http://www.cafepress.com/jellykins
I personally think any of this stuff would make a delightful gift for loved ones, although perhaps it's not entirely child-friendly. Your teen would think you're a total bad-ass if you got him or her something with the F-word on it.
I'd like to add that whereas the prices seem high, I do not plan on making vast sums of money on the items for sale. Cafepress is kinda pricey and there is very little markup on my merchandise. I'll earn a penny if you buy a "Boobeyes Clock."
http://www.cafepress.com/jellykins
I personally think any of this stuff would make a delightful gift for loved ones, although perhaps it's not entirely child-friendly. Your teen would think you're a total bad-ass if you got him or her something with the F-word on it.
Addendum
I'd like to add that whereas the prices seem high, I do not plan on making vast sums of money on the items for sale. Cafepress is kinda pricey and there is very little markup on my merchandise. I'll earn a penny if you buy a "Boobeyes Clock."
Labels: awareness, cafepress, f-ck awareness, pink ribbon
Monday, September 15, 2008
"2 young"
Those of you who use RSS feeds to follow my blog, please click out to the actual blog.
First, you will see happy new Fall graphics.
Next, I'd like to ask you to scroll down a bit and peruse the "2 young" menu on the right side of the page. These are some of the women I've encountered on the Young Survival Coalition bulletin boards. It is by no means a comprehensive list of all the women there who have their own blogs, web pages, MySpace pages, Caring Bridge pages, Facebook pages, etc. But I quail at adding more names because it's a pretty long list, even here.
Two of the pages in the list now belong to women who have died from their breast cancer. "Jayme" would have been 36 at the end of this past July, but she didn't make it to her birthday. "Courtney - bccourtney" died last night at the age of 23. She was a dancer; she was diagnosed three years ago and the disease ate her body away.
I don't really know what to do with the links, because they won't be updated. Do I just whittle the list down, or do I leave the names, knowing that nothing new will be posted; no answers will be listed on their personal pages about where they are and what they are doing?
Sorry for the downer. It's just vitally important for people to know that young women do get breast cancer, and that young women also die from it. "Early detection" and "prevention" are worthy concepts, but insufficient. Is "Cure" too much to hope for? I hope for myself and for the women listed in the right margin--and for all women dealing with breast cancer who aren't in my feeble list--that it isn't.
I guess if you are bummed now, try looking at the happy Fall graphics again.
Love,
Janet
First, you will see happy new Fall graphics.
Next, I'd like to ask you to scroll down a bit and peruse the "2 young" menu on the right side of the page. These are some of the women I've encountered on the Young Survival Coalition bulletin boards. It is by no means a comprehensive list of all the women there who have their own blogs, web pages, MySpace pages, Caring Bridge pages, Facebook pages, etc. But I quail at adding more names because it's a pretty long list, even here.
Two of the pages in the list now belong to women who have died from their breast cancer. "Jayme" would have been 36 at the end of this past July, but she didn't make it to her birthday. "Courtney - bccourtney" died last night at the age of 23. She was a dancer; she was diagnosed three years ago and the disease ate her body away.
I don't really know what to do with the links, because they won't be updated. Do I just whittle the list down, or do I leave the names, knowing that nothing new will be posted; no answers will be listed on their personal pages about where they are and what they are doing?
Sorry for the downer. It's just vitally important for people to know that young women do get breast cancer, and that young women also die from it. "Early detection" and "prevention" are worthy concepts, but insufficient. Is "Cure" too much to hope for? I hope for myself and for the women listed in the right margin--and for all women dealing with breast cancer who aren't in my feeble list--that it isn't.
I guess if you are bummed now, try looking at the happy Fall graphics again.
Love,
Janet
Labels: awareness, cure, metastasis, prevention, YSC
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Detroit
Most of the (three, maybe four) people who look at this blog have probably already received solicitation emails, but it doesn't hurt to ask more than once.
Please consider sponsoring me in this year's Race for the Cure.
Few people know that Susan G. Komen, for whom the foundation was named, died of breast cancer at age 36. She listened to her doctors, didn't think to go to a research center, was pronounced "cured," and then found out (horribly) that her doctors were mistaken.
Sound familiar?
Susan G. Komen was treated for her recurrent cancer in a time when the medications I am on didn't exist. Perhaps with more advanced treatment, she could have survived. The drugs I am on now didn't exist just a few years ago, and I hope that even better treatments come along in the near future.
The Susan G. Komen Race for the cure is dedicated to supporting "the eradication of breast cancer as a life-threatening disease." I'd like to see that shortened to "the eradication of breast cancer." Neither will happen without awareness, better screening, patient advocacy and research, all of which are causes supported by Race for the Cure.
You can support it, too.
A year and a half ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever be walking without assistance, and I am happy to be participating in the Race for the Cure for the second time since then.
I also have very selfish reasons for asking for donations: If I raise enough money, I get a hat. Brian took the hat I got last year so I need another one.
Please consider sponsoring me in this year's Race for the Cure.
Few people know that Susan G. Komen, for whom the foundation was named, died of breast cancer at age 36. She listened to her doctors, didn't think to go to a research center, was pronounced "cured," and then found out (horribly) that her doctors were mistaken.
Sound familiar?
Susan G. Komen was treated for her recurrent cancer in a time when the medications I am on didn't exist. Perhaps with more advanced treatment, she could have survived. The drugs I am on now didn't exist just a few years ago, and I hope that even better treatments come along in the near future.
The Susan G. Komen Race for the cure is dedicated to supporting "the eradication of breast cancer as a life-threatening disease." I'd like to see that shortened to "the eradication of breast cancer." Neither will happen without awareness, better screening, patient advocacy and research, all of which are causes supported by Race for the Cure.
You can support it, too.
A year and a half ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever be walking without assistance, and I am happy to be participating in the Race for the Cure for the second time since then.
I also have very selfish reasons for asking for donations: If I raise enough money, I get a hat. Brian took the hat I got last year so I need another one.
Labels: awareness, Brian, Race for the Cure
Friday, September 29, 2006
Think Before You Pink
I want to say first that I do not personally object to the use of pink to represent breast cancer awareness. I don't mind pink ribbons. I've got a pink ribbon Beanie Baby sitting on top of my computer monitor, and am eating special edition pink M&Ms which Brian bought yesterday. It makes me feel good when I realize the ribbon on the car in front of me isn't one of those red white and blue "Support our troops" ribbons (no offense, troops...y'all need to come home), but a pink one in support of ME.
However, not all breast cancer survivors are thrilled with the pink, or with the pink ribbons, and it might be a good idea to ponder why.
Think Before You Pink is one organization which raises some serious questions about the history of the pink ribbon campaign, where the funds go, what actually gets supported, and whether or not it's all just a marketing gimmick designed to make people shell out big money while feeling warm fuzzies.
I've been reading messages on the Young Survivor's Coalition bulletin boards posted by women who've had their love for pink (if, indeed, they ever had it to begin with) utterly destroyed by its association with breast cancer. One woman even wrote to comment that seeing little girls dressed in pink is now very weird and creepy. Another wrote to say that her husband had black shirts made with "cancer sucks" printed on them in teal for her family.
Try to be sensitive, and don't assume that the pink bracelet or pink ribbon ribbon pins will be welcomed by those dealing with breast cancer. The pink campaign isn't really meant for us, you see. Survivors, especially those actively battling the disease, are already perfectly aware of breast cancer.
Aren't we all already aware that cancer is bad? Can we hope for action, instead of just awareness? Can we hope for prevention or a cure, instead of old hormonal medications (I'm talking about YOU, Tamoxifen) that cause other cancers, or highly toxic treatments that destroy healthy cells in addition to cancer cells? More on that later. Right now I've got pink chocolate candies to eat.
However, not all breast cancer survivors are thrilled with the pink, or with the pink ribbons, and it might be a good idea to ponder why.
Think Before You Pink is one organization which raises some serious questions about the history of the pink ribbon campaign, where the funds go, what actually gets supported, and whether or not it's all just a marketing gimmick designed to make people shell out big money while feeling warm fuzzies.
I've been reading messages on the Young Survivor's Coalition bulletin boards posted by women who've had their love for pink (if, indeed, they ever had it to begin with) utterly destroyed by its association with breast cancer. One woman even wrote to comment that seeing little girls dressed in pink is now very weird and creepy. Another wrote to say that her husband had black shirts made with "cancer sucks" printed on them in teal for her family.
Try to be sensitive, and don't assume that the pink bracelet or pink ribbon ribbon pins will be welcomed by those dealing with breast cancer. The pink campaign isn't really meant for us, you see. Survivors, especially those actively battling the disease, are already perfectly aware of breast cancer.
Aren't we all already aware that cancer is bad? Can we hope for action, instead of just awareness? Can we hope for prevention or a cure, instead of old hormonal medications (I'm talking about YOU, Tamoxifen) that cause other cancers, or highly toxic treatments that destroy healthy cells in addition to cancer cells? More on that later. Right now I've got pink chocolate candies to eat.
Labels: awareness, cure, pink ribbon, prevention, tamoxifen, Think Before You Pink, YSC
