Yesterday saw the kick off of Breast Cancer
Awareness Month. Be prepared for an onslaught of PINK!
Awareness Month. Be prepared for an onslaught of PINK!
I’d not been diagnosed long at this time last
year, so it was all a bit overwhelming and I tried to stay away from it a bit,
feeling like I didn’t have a right to get involved. But this year, with a bit
of perspective on the last year I’ve had, I’m not sure how I feel about
it.
year, so it was all a bit overwhelming and I tried to stay away from it a bit,
feeling like I didn’t have a right to get involved. But this year, with a bit
of perspective on the last year I’ve had, I’m not sure how I feel about
it.
Yes, it’s amazing that there is a month dedicated
to raising awareness of breast cancer, raising money for research, generally
making people more au fait with the signs of breast cancer because in so many
cases early detection is key. But the pink, it somehow seems to trivialise it
(Ironic I know given the pin we’re selling
is pink – but it’s a year round pink – not just for October!)
to raising awareness of breast cancer, raising money for research, generally
making people more au fait with the signs of breast cancer because in so many
cases early detection is key. But the pink, it somehow seems to trivialise it
(Ironic I know given the pin we’re selling
is pink – but it’s a year round pink – not just for October!)
And if, after just one day I’ve seen so much of
it already, know that for people on the
‘outside’ it must get boring – being told to donate and wear pink and post
hearts or the contents of your handbag to Facebook! It must be easy to put it
out of your minds, forget about it when there is essentially a pink washing
happening. But posting a silly status on Facebook won’t help anyone – if anything
comes out of breast cancer awareness month it should be the message to check
your boobs more, go see your GP if you’re at all worried, and make sure your GP
takes you seriously.
it already, know that for people on the
‘outside’ it must get boring – being told to donate and wear pink and post
hearts or the contents of your handbag to Facebook! It must be easy to put it
out of your minds, forget about it when there is essentially a pink washing
happening. But posting a silly status on Facebook won’t help anyone – if anything
comes out of breast cancer awareness month it should be the message to check
your boobs more, go see your GP if you’re at all worried, and make sure your GP
takes you seriously.
There are loads of helpful tips on how to check your
boobs on the Breast Cancer Care site and about a visit to your GP here, on the Coppafeel! site. You can even
sign up a boob check reminder here!
boobs on the Breast Cancer Care site and about a visit to your GP here, on the Coppafeel! site. You can even
sign up a boob check reminder here!
But the reality for me is I can’t forget about
cancer – it’s there when I wake up in the middle of the night with hot sweats,
it’s there when I catch a glimpse of the collapsed vein in my arm, or I can’t
control the regrowth of my hair, it’s there when I feel a random pain in my
body and my mind instantly goes to a bad place. It’s there when I see tweets
from the wonderful people I’ve met
online who’ve had the worst news imaginable. I hope the further I get away from
this, the less it’ll be there, but the reality is, for now, it’s on my mind
more than maybe it should be.
cancer – it’s there when I wake up in the middle of the night with hot sweats,
it’s there when I catch a glimpse of the collapsed vein in my arm, or I can’t
control the regrowth of my hair, it’s there when I feel a random pain in my
body and my mind instantly goes to a bad place. It’s there when I see tweets
from the wonderful people I’ve met
online who’ve had the worst news imaginable. I hope the further I get away from
this, the less it’ll be there, but the reality is, for now, it’s on my mind
more than maybe it should be.
I now don’t need a month to make me aware of
cancer. And I hope you never do either!
cancer. And I hope you never do either!