Survivor's Blog- October 5, 2012

Dear Breast Cancer Foundation,

I love the marketing job you have done this month! There is breast cancer merchandise everywhere. Many people have let me know that they will be walking this weekend to benefit cancer. Every show on day time TV is having benefits to raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund. Even my local Publix Super Market is hawking T shirts to support the cause.

While I fully support finding a cure for cancer.I am not happy that one type of cancer gets an entire month of marketing and national support.  I feel totally left out - where is Ovarian Cancer Month??

Did you know that according to Cancer Research UK there are over 200 types of Cancer out there in the world? People are not even aware of many of them.  I consider myself a well read, inquisitive person   and I  honestly did not know you could get cancer of your ovaries until the day I woke up in the hospital with it. No one told me about the symptoms or what to look for. (Not even my doctor's but, that is a subject for another day!)

Wouldn't it be nice if we could take a chunk of the donations that are funding all this advertising and endless pink T shirts and  inform people about the less glamorous cancers too. What if some of that money was dedicated to researching alternative treatments? What if we earmarked our donations so that they supported education and choices that would actually help patients decide how they are treated? What if our donations made it possible for us to go to the hospital and have someone really discuss our treatment options with us instead of handing us a stack of cancer booklets we are too sick to read?

Don't get me wrong I really appreciated getting any help at all when I was in the hospital! As an independent person, I did not go into this expecting anyone to offer to help me . The American Cancer Society  helped me with a tank of gas to get to treatment, they also provided me with new cosmetics so I could keep my skin healthy while I went through treatment, and they  gave me a wig to cover up my bald head. I think that all of those things are fantastic and I am grateful for them.  Their   help  was wonderful and it added a little cheer to some otherwise dark and depressing days.

I just want to make it my goal in the future to do something more.  So I have been thinking..how can I make this illness of mine count? How can I help other people like myself,  whose backs are against the wall.. while they fight for their lives?

 I have a couple of ideas ( which I will unveil if I get them off the ground). For now I would like to hear your thoughts.. what kind of things can I do.. to make this easier for the people that come after me?