Ignoring Pinktober

I have been doing a pretty good job of ignoring Pinktober this year. I know I went to a breast cancer friends meet-up recently and everyone (but me because I forgot to order one) wore their pink shirt for the event. I don't consider that a Pinktober event because it doesn't matter what time of year it is that we get together. The get together is the most important part.

I have seen pink ribbons everywhere. I went shopping at a mall this weekend where every store in it had a pink ribbon on its front to promote something about Pinktober. I can't even remember what it said because I didn't really stop to read one. I know there are a lot of other pinkification events but I have put my blinders on and ignored them.

I am okay with this. I don't need pinkification in my life. I can live with it. I think the worst of it has subsided due to the backlash in recent years. Some women like wearing pink and don't really care what month it is that they wear pink. I certainly don't need a pink ribbon on everything.

Some people really embrace these 'cancer' months. How many men grow a beard in whatever month it is that is for prostate cancer awareness? (I had to look that up because I couldn't remember what cancer it was.) Or is it an excuse not to shave for a month? I don't know but they do it because they want to.

I think if we all wear our blinders as it suits each of us, we will do fine. For example, if you put your election blinders on you will make it through to November 9 when we will know who our next president is. You might be less stressed if you do.

I will survive Pinktober as I plan Halloween at our house. I have a hidden candy stash. I have to talk to our new neighbors about our willingness to participate in trick-or-treating. And I will wear pink when I want.

Changing Your Wardrobe For An Ailment

I couldn't sleep last night (again - thanks to back pain) and started wondering why women with breast cancer instantly start wearing pink and accessorizing with all things pink upon their diagnosis? Why do they feel the need to do this? I just don't understand. I admit when I was diagnosed with breast cancer I did go out and purchase one pink breast cancer t-shirt which I wore to chemo once and then donated it. I was also given breast cancer t-shirts by family and friends after they participated in an Avon walk. I never wore them either.

What if your ailment didn't have a 'pretty colored' ribbon, would start wearing that color? If you were diagnosed with narcolepsy, for example, would you start wearing black and accessorize with black ribbons? Or if you had ADHD would you wear orange and orange ribbons? Probably not.

With my medical history I should then wear purple (thyroid cancer and fibromyalgia), blue and purple (rheumatoid arthritis), light blue (lymphedema), and pink (breast cancer). I am probably forgetting something but that's enough of a rainbow for now. (See the whole list here.)

Pink has always been one of my favorite colors. I have always worn a lot of pink clothes. But now I actually stay away from pink as I don't want to be identified as a breast cancer person by the clothes I wear. So in some ways I am changing my wardrobe away from pink in a cringing way.

Call it backlash.

That Breast Cancer Bond Thingy

While I was at the gym yesterday, I was on the bike getting my cardio in when I two women who I know started talking next to me. Then one of them came over to said hi. I knew she had a lot of cardiac issues last spring and I asked her how she was doing. She said she is better now but still had some soreness on the side of her rib cage. That didn't seem like a cardio issue so I asked her what it was.

She had a mastectomy because she had her third occurrence of breast cancer. Twice on the left and this third time on the right. And all three were different cancers. I thought wow three different breast cancers and now two separate mastectomies. And over twenty years.

Of course we became instant pals because I told her about my breast cancer history. That breast cancer bond showed up.

I still find it funny when that breast cancer bond shows up. I have no other ailment that inspires such close bonds. ACL injuries? Nope. Fibromyalgia? Nope. Thyroid cancer? Nope. Rheumatoid arthritis? Nope. Breast cancer? Yep! Big time.

I think its a spin-off of all the unity behind pinkification. You get breast cancer and someone wants to stick a pink ribbon on you so you can become best pals.

That Upcoming Month

This month is September. You know that first month of fall where you can feel the first crispness in the air (especially here in New England), back to school, and all that. It is also:

• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
• National Recovery Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• 18 National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
• 22 Falls Prevention Awareness Day
• 28 National Women's Health & Fitness Day

The full list contains many more awareness topics. (And the head lice one makes me cringe.) No where does it include the 'Brace for Pinktober' which it should.

Next month is Pinktober, formerly known as October which used to be about Columbus Day, Halloween, costumes and candy, and has some how evolved into being all about pinkification. Instead of everything else which include: 

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• 6 National Depression Screening Day ®
• 12 - 20 Bone and Joint Health Action Week
• 13 Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
• 16 - 22 International Infection Prevention Week
• 16 World Food Day
• 22 International Stuttering Awareness Day
• 23 - 31 Red Ribbon Week

Personally I think bullying is way more important to many more people than breast cancer because everyone has experienced bullying in some way or another. I have no idea what Red Ribbon week stands for but it is probably covered in pink as well. However it and all the other causes in October have been covered in a big pink blob. And the saddest part is that Metastatic Breast Cancer is buried under that big pink cloud and should get more than a day and a lot more focus.

But I digress. This is time for all of us to put some thought into this and ask ourselves how we are going to avoid pinkification in October. We have almost a full month to come up with ways that do not include the color pink.

(The full list of National Health Observances can be found here.)

Over pinked and then some

Its not even pinktober and this showed up:


I have no words.

I can tell its Pinktober

Yes I admit I can be a news junkie. I also like to follow information on my (many) ailments. I get daily Google Alerts for most of them so I can be one of the first to know about the latest treatment options.

I can tell its Pinktober. All my breast cancer news includes the words 'awareness', 'pink', the s-word, or other related terms. Yesterday's alert included these items:

"Harford observes breast cancer awareness month"
"Breast cancer survivor finds comfort in delivering flowers to other patients at Texas hospital"
"WATCH: 29 year old beats breast cancer, gets featured on Pink Ribbon Connection"
"Breast cancer awareness chili cookoff Saturday"
"Breast cancer survivors event"

This drives me crazy. Please stop spending money on pink and spend the money on more important things like research.