Pink October – A survivor’s perspective

Beatrice, a breast cancer survivor from the Redtoenail blog had written a beautiful and eloquent post about Breast Cancer and I thought I should share it with all of you. So, with her permission, here it is

As a breast cancer survivor, sometimes I feel uncomfortable with the attention October gets, and sometimes I don’t. I think any cancer that deforms your body (removal of a breast or two) just naturally gets more attention. Our society puts alot of emphasis on women’s breasts, as a sexual thing, not necessarily as a life support system for an infant/baby. I think the removal of all your GYN parts (ovaries, uterus, etc), once again, deforms your body; not visible on the outside like the breasts, but you know all your women parts are gone; you know you are deformed on the inside.. So the combination of breast and ovarian cancer changes things like no other. It has the potential to strip you of all that “makes” you a woman. The very things that GIVE life and SUPPORT life. The breasts covering your HEART. The place where you HUG. Where you NUTURE a baby, where a young child clings to when needing COMFORT. And of couse what helps give a woman her CURVES. All gone. Maybe this is why breast cancer gets more attention than others. Loosing a kidney to cancer doesnt have anything to do with gender. Having colon cancer doesnt interfere with your mothering. Bone cancer wont make you more or less womanly. But there is something about knowing your breasts are gone, and all your GYN parts that should demand attention, and should be given a special month, and should have $ for research, and should have $ for support groups, and should have $ to help in any area needed. American Cancer Society has helped me with support and weekends, they do that for ALL cancers. Susan B. Komen raises money for research, and from what I read, it is working. Breast Cancer Network of Strength (Y-Me) supports women with their diagnosis and is a sisterhood. I have benefited from all of these, God bless all of them. I want the supportgroups/weekends to be there. I want the money to be raised. I am a third generation survivor on my fathers side and mothers side. I want this to end with my generation. I dont want this for my children or future grand-children. GO PINK! God bless all those who have run/walked/biked/swam/whatever for Breast and Ovarian Cancer-Research or Support.