Friday, August 13, 2010

This ain't no pink cancer

Ok, so here I go.

Please, I hope no one takes no offense to this post, I'm not meaning to down anyone but these are just my feelings.

Someone had made the comment to me about getting a pink ribbon and this shirt that said "Fight like a girl". Well, nope not for me, that is breast cancer. I don't have that. I don't have the cancer that everyone seems to care about or market so well that is everywhere you go on every little item in the store. There are no 5k runs or fancy fundraisers or anything like that. There is no out cry.
I have rectal cancer. I hate even saying it. Not even colon cancer, that would be a little easier to say and heck I wish I had colon cancer then I would have had a better prognosis. Sharon Osbourne (wife to Ozzy) has colon cancer and she said after her treatment that she thought she would start a foundation to help others who are dealing with colorectal cancer. She thought it was going to be easy. She thought people would throw money at it and it would be easy to have fundraisers. Turns out she says people don't, it wasn't easy. And anyway what color ribbon would you have she said? Then Joan Rivers chimes in, not a color anyone would want. Can you guess the color she was talking about? Breast cancer has a slogan "Save the ta ta's", there is no "Save the colon". Who cares to save it? It is not sexy or important. Even in the medical community, they are not fixing it nearly as well as breasts. You can get breast implants if you choose. Heck even people who don't have breast cancer want breast implants! Because they are so real feeling and look better than the natural ones. With colorectal cancer they just cut it out, they don't give you a new fake, feels and works just like real intestines. And no one is lining up, even the people with colorectal cancer run the other way. All we have is a bag. A bag. After all these years, they still only have a bag. I guess no money and fundraising going into how to make a great fake colon or rectum. And who cares about it? Not the medical community or you would think there would be something better by now. It didn't take long to come up with fake breasts so good that make people line up to get them.

2 comments:

  1. Well, for what it's worth, I HATE (hate, hate, hate) the "save the ta tas" sloga. It's about saving lives, not specifically the ta tas (shudder). I don't so much mind the pink ribbons/t-shirts associated with breast cancer but I despise all the other crap they have to market breast cancer awareness.. Pink soup cans? Pink spatulas? Pink potholders? My mother just doed from breast cancer and I can't help but feel that all this pink cheapens her fight. Sorry to hijack your rant with one of my own. Thoughts and prayers to you as you fight. Kathy K. from Lactnet.

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  2. Ah! Someone finally says it! This is such a taboo and I am so on the same page. I am the same age as you and mom of two. My mom never met my children: lung cancer, both grandmas: breast cancer, grandpa: throat cancer. I truly believe our society is insane by marketing breasts cancer. Sure it must've started with a good intention, but hey who are we kidding now? Cancer is cancer and no one should suffer from it, find a cure, not a ribbon!!
    I read your post on Lactnet and was really touched. I just started a breastfeeding boutique in Montreal, Melons and Clementines, your idea of bottle covers was amazing. My positive energy to you and your family, you are strong.

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