I know I mentioned in my last post that in my next one, I would be sharing some tips on how to build up one’s body image and self-image post cancer diagnosis, but that will have to wait. I just returned from a wonderful visit with dear daughter and dear son-in-law in sunny California (gosh, that was a nice beak for so many reasons) and learned there was an event called Stomp Out BC Monday planned for today. Read more about it here and watch a video here. I am super excited about this event and decided I just had to write a post about it today. How could I not? The self-image post will be up tomorrow, so stay tuned.
A couple of incredibly driven women (both stage 4) whom I am delighted to be getting acquainted with, Beth Fairchild and Susanne Kraus-Dahlgren, collaborated to bring an idea of Beth’s to fruition. Determined to be heard, they devised a brilliant plan, aka Stomp Out BC Monday and Project Hashtag, with the goal of bringing more focus, and ultimately generating more research dollars, specific to metastatic breast cancer research. Their idea is to pummel the internet/social media venues for a day with informational posts, tweet messages and images using the hashtags, #MetsMonday, #BCKills and #DontIgnoreStageIV added. When hashtags are used extensively on social media, they are considered to be trending and this is a big deal because it garners more attention to causes. I am thrilled that “my hashtag,” #MetsMonday, is one of the chosen hashtags with which to do some of this internet pummeling. (When choosing which hashtag(s) to use, I’ve been told it might be better to go with one or two).
When I first started my Mets Monday efforts over two year ago, one of my goals was to try to get as many others involved as possible. I wanted anyone and everyone to join in by taking one day a week to share primarily mets related stuff on her/his social media account pages. Of course, it’s not like I (or anyone else) only think about and share about mets topics on Mondays, but I needed wanted a simple and easy to remember campaign name for this particular effort. Admittedly, I worried about it sounding trite and even patronizing. I asked some metster friends and they all assured it me it was neither.
So this #MetsMonday I will say what I say every #MetsMonday:
Read something. Write something. Say something. Share something. Do something to help others better understand metastatic breast cancer.
Need ideas?
-
Read a metster’s blog. I have a list on my mets page. If you are a metster with a blog, let me know if you want to be added. I am more than happy to do so.
-
Share a blog post or article about metastatic disease on your social media account page(s).
-
Check out the exciting new site, Live From Stage IV.
-
Talk with a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or whoever will listen about what metastatic disease is. I am always amazed by how many people do not know what metastatic even means. This is a BIG FAIL of breast cancer awareness campaigns in October and all year long.
-
Visit Project Hashtag for lots of fantastic images (thank you, Christine Fields) to view and share.
I am asking you, my dear readers, to share this post. Click like on the button below. Tweet it. Share it on Facebook and elsewhere. If you do choose to share, be sure to use one or two of the hashtags: #MetsMonday, #bckills, #dontforgetstageiv and #bcsm. Of course, you can use other hashtags, too, but please include at least one of these.
Join me and so many others in helping to get the topic of metastatic breast cancer “trending” and not just today, but every #MetsMonday. Because…
Breast cancer awareness without mets awareness, isn’t awareness at all.
What will you do today to help others better understand metastatic breast cancer?
Sign up for news from Nancy’s Point here.
Thank you, Chrissy Fields, for making this awesome image.
Beth L. Gainer
Thursday 5th of March 2015
Hi Nancy,
I'm glad your #MetsMonday hashtag went viral because it is helping to contribute to awareness about metastatic breast cancer. You have wonderful suggestions for awareness of MBCN. Whenever I can, I try to read blogs of people who have metastatic disease. I'm proud to say, I took part in Monday's Stomp Out BC event, though I didn't post and share things all day. Truth is, lately I can only check Facebook at night mostly. So I did what I could. I think this population of people is so underserved and neglected, it really is a crime.
Nancy
Friday 6th of March 2015
Beth, Thank you for taking part in Monday's Stomp Out BC event. If each of us posted/shared one time every #MetsMonday, think how many shares that would be. I hope people keep making more 'noise' about mbc each and every Monday, in fact, each and every day. Thanks for your support, Beth.
Lynn
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
regarding ridiculous alternative treatments : I think it takes away seriousness for our message I would like to see all of those removed before I would be interested in continuing to utilize the Facebook page. I do not want the general public to see discord among the patients
I want to keep going. Until everyone we all know is hearing about us as we are about being pink to death and October I say this tounge in cheek, because I think that part is funny. This is a great FB page that I think it would be nice to continue using for people to post their stories and for us to post the next push for MetsMonday. Next slogan: Pink Out. With a ribbon upside down so the ribbons are reminiscent of the Peace sign.we need to find the Facebook pages for our politicians and our cancer centers and our hospitals and our doctors and invite them to join. This present in their life, their Facebook page , or the hospital's Facebook page, or just a copy in MyChart or a hard copy left on their desk. wherever we could get it to keep it fresh in their mind. They might realize you were not particularly happy as you were sitting there chatting with them about whatever your side effect of the month is, which combination of drugs are we going to use to maybe make you feel better and maybe not. If we make it more present on their mind they will discuss it amongst themselves more, they will bring it up at meetings that they are hearing an awful lot from patients about what they feel is the lack of appropriate research, incomplete inbalance pp of tracking deaths, and in distributing research dollars around to metastatic and coordination of research results."
Nancy
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
Lynn, I'm not sure which Facebook page you are referring to in your first paragraph. And then you mention a 'great' FB page too. Guess I'm confused. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Lots more to be done that's for sure.
Cancer Curmudgeon
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
Shared this post! And am vowing to myself to: "Talk with a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or whoever will listen about what metastatic disease is. " !
Nancy
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
CC, Thank you for sharing and I hope you do have some of those conversations. Let us know how they go.
Jordana
Monday 2nd of March 2015
Thanks so much for the inspiration and use of your hashtag!!!
Nancy
Tuesday 3rd of March 2015
Jordana, It was my pleasure to share. From the start, I've always wanted to get more people involved and using the #MetsMonday hashtag. This effort helped with that. Thank you!