Has the Pink Ribbon Become the Bully of Ribbons?

I've been fighting breast cancer for six years. No. the pink ribbon is not a bully. The bullies are the people using it for profit and those who have no freaking clue what it us like to fight it complaining that breast cancer gets too much attention. Get out and do something about it!!! Stop comparing other diseases and illnesses to breast cancer so that you can make your point. All cancers and other diseases are horrible, but complaining about October being for breast cancer is just petty af. It's insulting to me and many other men and women who are fighting everyday to live. I'm tired of people trying to make me feel guilty for having breast cancer. I didn't want it just like no one else wants any other disease or illness. Breast cancer has been around before Jesus walked the Earth, and look at how many people die every year from it. Shame on anyone trying to undermine this awful disease.

Its interesting and feels supportive to hear that these feelings exist within the cancer community. I hadn't thought about the uber-pressure to "be positive!" But had about the intensity of marathons, 3-day walks and other things expected of survivors.

I don't have cancer, but for 6 years have struggled with debilitating diseases that started overnight and have resulted in huge difficulty raising my children, have found me urging my husband to divorce and find a more able, fun partner while he still can, and In really dark times, have contemplated suicide, rather than face living this way - getting one condition under "management" only to have a new one crop up, or just dealing with the juggling of symptoms from each condition one day to the next. I've wondered how often people during their fight, or especially afterwards, facing chronic symptoms after "cured" have struggled with these emotions.

This month, After seeing what I thought of as the "pepto-bismol" fest on the Today show, as women in pink danced on a truck as they awaited makeovers- I got the phone call that told me I can add Ménière's disease to my list. This being the only dx I've felt comfortable sharing widely because everyone "gets dizziness." This, for me, while another hardship and difficulty for my family, driving me to the "divorce talks" again during a bleak moment, is actually one of the less painful conditions I've got to deal with.

I guess my point is, that besides cancer, which I haven't experienced so cannot even measure the difference between my experience and theirs - there are other illnesses - as someone else mentioned - most invisible, many with names no one has heard and therefore can't have instant understanding of the experience, and people with this suffer deeply. I've heard some say they wish they could either get a cure or die. It's difficult to live with the constancy, the secrets, the lack of awareness or community support, and often the same pressure that if you'd just think positively life would get better. My doctors and other care providers have told me I'm one of their most optimistic, least "sick-minded" clients - I find that so insensitive - yes, mental strength helps, but illness and recovery is a process and everyone has their own experience and right to be afforded that - , and this year, when pink month came around and I was grieving over loss of another body system, a month so far In bed, and my absolute inability to give my family the kind of experience I wish I could, I just got mad. Especially given the lack of money that makes it toward research, and the success that has made this a diagnosis where it seems - and I may be way off here -- but this is what I'm told, that survival - and good, back to normal survival - chances are getting better - that right. The attention is disproportionate. And unfortunately, the focus takes away from other cancers and other diseases that cause misery and suffering and have no cure, sometimes no treatment.

I always tell people that suffering is suffering and we shouldn't compare our experience against another's, discount or invalidate it, because when you are going through whatever it is, it is big and difficult and sometimes scary.

I hope for increased awareness of all disease. I hope for less pressure for survivors to feel like they have to "perform" or behave according to expectations of those who haven't had the experience. I hope for awareness that cured doesn't always mean "completely gone." And, that you can be a positive person but still express frustration and sadness, be allowed to have an authentic experience, be a critical thinker and yes, even sometimes experience negative data - just like the average non-sick person. Selfishly, I wish the support I've witnessed given to friends with a cancer diagnosis - food, babysitting, cleaning - all offered and organized by others - had been once offered during the 6 years of my illness. 7 take that back - it has happened, once in awhile someone will really see me and it's beautiful and magical, but this struggle for people without well-recognized ribbons - it's tough.

I appreciate the space to speak out and hope I don't offend anyone with my thoughts. And, I know it's an old post by thank a goodness for the Internet support on a somewhat negative day! Blessings to all of you.

I'm hoping to write an argumentative essay on this topic for my college English class. I need reliable resources. Do you know of any?

Yes I do. Even though they have cleaned up their act, a little, Komen has profited far more than is ethical for their sponsor-fest every October. In addition many companies promote 'Pink Ribbon' in the most God-awful ways. Pink trash bags, pink tools, pink NFL bullshit, pink undertaker outfits FS (true, google it). And the whole time the thing needed is not awareness, but research into new therapies. Less than 8% of Komen contributions goes to breast cancer research. The current CEO males close to $400K/yr. Most pink products actually contribute less than 5% to anything breast cancer related. And long-term survival rates for cancer remain pretty much unchanged despite all the pink hype.

In the mean time Who knows what the gold ribbon is? It's for childhood cancer. Brain cancer just became the number one cancer killer of children. Please visit TheTruth365 on FB to see some of the most courageous humans you'll ever meet. Children battling cancer. Please give October to these kids too, I don't want Pinktober anymore. I want every month to be Gold Ribbon Month for pediatric cancer, until kids aren't dying anymore. We need them. Talia, Delaney, Katie (KitKat), Jonny (Jackie's twin brother), my beloved Kyssi (Kyrstin Andrews), Parker, Zamora Moon, all so beautiful...... Finding cures for them may find cures for all of us. Sorry for the rant, I was just watching CureFest on FB. Annual convention of families impacted by pediatric cancer. This weekend in DC. On the Mall. Amazing love and loss and hope there. Fin.

As a 19 year old with brain cancer, I couldn't agree more. Often I have friends or family that want to spread awareness so that we can get closer to finding a cure. But it is a challenge trying to find anything supporting brain cancer. It is a little frustrating.