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#DontIgnoreStageIV #MetsMonday – Let’s Keep “Stomping”!

#DontIgnoreStageIV #MetsMonday – Let’s Keep “Stomping”!

Do you ever wonder if what you do matters? Do you ever wonder if your voice is ever really heard? Who doesn’t, right? Sometimes I wonder about these things too. Sometimes I wonder if my little old blog makes any difference at all – I mean a real difference. Or am I mostly just preaching to the choir. After all, it’s mostly people impacted by cancer who read cancer blogs, who read my blog. Don’t get me wrong. I love and appreciate all of you, my dear readers; but for the most part, if you’re reading my blog, you probably pretty much agree with most of the stuff I say. You’re probably already very much aware of the needs of the metastatic breast cancer community. So does what I say or you say matter?

Yes. Advocacy of all kinds matters. I believe that. I have to believe that.

That’s what I remind myself when I grow weary and feel like all I do is repeat myself (especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Each of us needs an advocacy niche and I don’t mean just in Cancer-land. Everyone needs something or someone to advocate for. For me one of these things is raising genuine awareness about the reality of metastatic breast cancer, the only kind that kills.

So every #MetsMonday (as well as others days, too, of course) I will keep “stomping”. I will keep advocating.

Because stomping matters. Advocacy matters. Making noise matters. Bringing attention to realities of metastatic disease matters. Putting real faces of real women and real men to the numbers matters. Sharing their stories matters. Remembering lives taken and lives presently struggling with metastatic disease matters. Reminding whoever is listening that real lives are at stake matters. Changing ingrained pink ribbon messaging matters, even if it’s a slow evolution. Informing listeners about the entire spectrum of breast cancer matters, even if it’s hard and makes some uncomfortable. Striving to generate more research dollars specific to metastatic disease matters.

It all matters.

Because the lives of our loved ones matter.

Every life impacted by breast cancer, regardless of stage, matters.

This is why I intend to keep stomping.

I hope you will too.

Let’s keep stomping together!

Together we can make more noise.

Need ideas for what you can do? Click here and here.

Do you ever wonder if you’re being heard?

Who or what do you advocate for?

What keeps you “stomping”?

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When sharing this post, please include the hashtags #dontignorestageiv and #metsmonday. Thank you.

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Image via Live From Stage IV. Click on the image to learn more about #projecthashtag.

 

 

agrieconomics

Wednesday 10th of June 2015

Nancy your work is being heard and appreciated.Even that one soul you saved by just reading your post.Keep it up.

festus

Thursday 21st of May 2015

Everyone has their own calling i bet yours is this. Good thing is now i know and i will use your blog as a crusade for this exercise. Be blessed

Jan Hasak

Monday 27th of April 2015

Keep stomping, Nancy. We are listening. What you do and write about does matter. xxx

Nancy

Monday 27th of April 2015

Jan, I will keep stomping. How could I not when I've got dear friends like you grappling with mets? Thanks for stopping by. xx

Beth L. Gainer

Thursday 9th of April 2015

Nancy,

I agree that advocacy is an important thing, and I admire your tenacity in addressing metastatic breast cancer, yes, the kind that kills. I think the stomping out that occurs on #MetsMonday is effective. It helps to let people's collective voices be heard. I participated in one a few weeks ago, but this Monday escaped me. Metastatic breast cancer affects all of us. Thank you for all you are doing; bit by bit people will take notice.

Nancy

Thursday 9th of April 2015

Beth, Everyone needs something or someone to advocate for and as I said in the post, not just in Cancer-land. I like the stomp out BC #MetsMonday campaign that seems to be picking up momentum because I believe so strongly in the power of collective voices. I believe in the power of one voice. Thank you for reading and for all your support, Beth. It means a lot.

Wendy

Wednesday 8th of April 2015

Hi Nancy, just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you are doing. I have stage 2b breast cancer, but I still appreciate learning and understanding the full scope of this disease and what I could be facing down the road. Your blog and others that I read about metastic breast cancer have really educated me and it is information that I share with others who ask me if I'm "cured" now that I have finished treatment. There is so much education that still needs to happen around breast cancer. Thank you for being part of it.

Nancy

Wednesday 8th of April 2015

Wendy, I appreciate your kind comment very much. Thank you.