Selfishly, its hard to watch a loved one go through another type of cancer and see pink ribbons everywhere.
For those of you feeling left out, here are some other cancer awareness months:
Colon Cancer - March
Lung Cancer - November
Leukemia - September
Pancreatic - November
Prostate - September (Thanks, George)
Ovarian - September (Thanks again)
Cervical - January
Skin - May
Kidney - July
Thyroid - September
Brain - May
Maybe its because most people love boobs and can’t find the pancreas or even tell you what it does.
I’m no marketing genius, but 12 types of cancer / 12 months shouldn’t equal 7 of them stuffed into September, October & November. Perhaps, George Bush in his infinite wisdom felt that reproductive like cancers should be jammed into September. For as pro-life as he is, you would think he wouldn’t want them competing with one another for awareness.
But what about the rest of them? I have no idea what it takes to make a ‘national awareness month’ out of anything. While Prostate and Ovarian probably took the traditional route of going through the president, I’m more new school and figure a couple of AdSense banners and a bunch of bloggers can turn anything into a ‘global awareness month’.
Don’t get me wrong, clearly the Breast Cancer Awareness people are doing something right. They have walks and ribbons and fancy jewelry and designer cell phones and celebrities to raise awareness. They raise mountains of money that exceed the GDP of many small countries. Their PR person should become the national ‘every kind of’ cancer awareness PR person. I’m glad that they are doing it. Their research is paving the way to the prevention and cure of all other types of cancers. But selfishly, I’d like to see a little more blue.
Come to think of it, I’d really like to see them all become obsolete.
Though I am a testicular cancer survivor I also help all survivors. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month I have turned my blog PINK. Yes, a man with a PINK blog. I am blazing a trail here…LOL. I do it to show my support for all survivors (women & men.)
Breast cancer does get a lot of press, but that is do to the outstanding job all of the cancer survivors and organizations are doing. Good press does not come without hard work and dedication of the people PUSHING the issue.
You may not know it, but your blog & inspiring video is the begining of you putting a stake in he ground for colo-rectal cancer. You are PUSHING the issue! Something tells me over the next few months more people will be made aware of your wife’s fight and determination.
Keep up the great work!
Have all the various cancer awareness and fundraising activities been so widespread for a long time, or am I just noticing them now that I have cancer myself?
Breast cancer has a couple of decades’ head start on some other varieties, such as our friend colorectal cancer, so I’m not surprised that it has a higher profile. It also seems remarkably prevalent: the number of women in the circle of people I know who’ve had breast cancer is rather frightening, so it does deserve that publicity.
Here in Canada there’s a pretty strong campaign building for colorectal cancer screening, so people are becoming aware that it’s also shockingly common. But I do think it’s easier for people to talk about palpating boobs and getting mammograms than having cameras stuck up their butts.
I have lymphoma which a fast rising blood cancer. It fits in the leukemia area.
Sept.
I agree its over whelming to see the pink ribbons and I have friend both who are living with it and have died from it. But its not the only cancer affecting young women today or is it the only one. It seems it and gyn cancers get all the attention. Sadly I like many women, your wife included are affected by so many different cancers out here.
I decide to join in with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and walk for the case and mentor others working towards the cure. I have dealt with cancer three times and feel if I don’t talk or write..people don’t know about my disease. So talking gets it done..
I agree many pushed for pink to be out and about. That takes big backing and bucks. I walked through the grocery store yesterday..And there is pink on everything. In every isle there is something. I to think awareness is awesome. But at one point is enough enough.
I have a good friend whose wife had cc for 6 years he and others formed the Colon Cancer Alliance. But I think to get attention we have to talk and talk and talk.
Keep pushing the buttons.,Keep writing and most of all keep talking.