Today is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Day!
Today is a reminder that life's not all pink.
Every 14 minutes a woman dies from breast cancer.
Every year 40,000 Americans will die from breast cancer.
These numbers haven't changed since 2000,
yet there is more and more pink!
yet there is more and more pink!
Awareness is great--BUT it is NOT enough!!
It is time for a cure!!
Faces of Breast Cancer Video
Throughout the day I have spent time pondering on if I was going to write a blog entry about today being National Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. I find myself at a loss for words, so I will share what Dr Susan Love shared on Army of Women Blog.
A message from Dr. Susan Love for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
"By now you have noticed that it is October, and that a pink haze has settled on the land. The message of “early detection saves lives” has been broadcast on every form of media available. But there is a part of the breast cancer story that is less “feel good” and less frequently mentioned– woman living with metastatic breast cancer.
Have we gotten better at detecting breast cancer? Yes. Have we gotten better at treating this disease? Yes. But we haven’t gotten good enough. Despite doing everything that we now can, about 25 percent of the women who are diagnosed with and treated for early-stage breast cancer will later learn that they have metastatic disease. An additional 4 to 6 percent of all breast cancer cases will be in women whose initial diagnosis is stage IV, metastatic disease.
Right now, about 150,000 people in this country are living with metastatic breast cancer. At this stage, the cancer can be treated–and women can live for many years with stage IV disease– but it is not considered curable.
These women, as Roni Caryn Rabin wrote in the New York Times, “…are not [leading] pink-ribbon lives: They live from scan to scan, in three-month gulps, grappling with pain, fatigue, depression, crippling medical costs and debilitating side effects of treatment, hoping the current therapy will keep the disease at bay until the next breakthrough drug comes along, or at least until the family trip to Disney World.” Some will live for years; others won’t be so lucky. Elizabeth Edwards comes to mind.
October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, and I can’t tell you how important it is that there is at least one day in October that is dedicated to acknowledging that not everyone is cured and not every cancer is found early. We need to stop congratulating ourselves on our progress and start focusing on figuring out why these women have not benefited from all the money we have raised. Reach out today to someone you know that represents the other side of breast cancer, the one that is not so pink. We will not have accomplished this goal as long as one woman dies of this disease!"
My heart grieves for all who find themselves on this journey.
May God's love bring you some comfort and peace.
May God allow a cure to be found!!
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing this important truth with all of us. We're all standing on different "stages" are we not... from stage I to stage IV... daily trying to live with the realities that have presented themselves within our bodies. And while my cancer wasn't metastatic, the effects of my tumor has been wide-spread throughout my body. Cancer makes its mark in so many lives, not just ours. Our friends, our families, our doctors and nurses. All of us, in many ways, cancer survivors of one sort or another.
I'm grateful to have linked arms with you, sister-survivor. I shudder to think where I would be without the support of other survivors who come alongside to bless me with the encouragement and grace of Jesus.
Blessings and peace~elaine
Hi Kim,
I agree with you and the "Pink thing" Although we have made the awareness popular and politically correct, we still have a major problem that women and men are still dyeing from Cancer. That is the reality for so many. At work this week we had "Pink day" which was almost festive. There are so many people who don't get it, but I guess if the initiative
gets people to be aware we have taken a step.
PS I love your new blog look!
Thanks for your words today. Let's continue to fight the pink fight.
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