too much pink???

So I just reread Nancy Brinker's book, "Promise Me". She makes a comment towards the end about being accused of 'pinkwashing', essentially trivializing BC...

Well I have been mulling that over.

And I have come to this conclusion for me. Breast cancer robs a woman of her natural comfort and understanding of having breasts. Breasts are life giving, fun and decorative. They symbolize becoming a woman, sexiness, fertility... womaness.... if you will... breast cancer makes one of your essential womanly features murderous. like a betrayal.... Add in baldness from chemo and you have one desexed, neutered feeling gal. no breasts, no hair, why don't you just sew my vagina shut! but NO!!!!!! I am a WARRIOR, I am a real GIRL!

so the PINK for me is life affirming, I am still a woman, I am still girly, I can be sexy, sassy, femine, a REAL GIRL. I am sparkly, pink and (hopefuly) PRETTY. PINK ROCKS and anyone who doesn't like it, BOOO!!

I am so excited!!! I bottled hope and the great people at work were very positive!!! Thanks to all who are supporting me! I think the Bottled Hope necklaces are a win!

Well, I am thinking that a good fund raising option will be "Dishrags for the Cure"... I crochet, not too well, but I sure can make a square, and if I make pink dishrags and ask for a donation, that might be cool. So it's something we all use and need, so it might as well support something, right? What do you think?

So I am fast approaching my 1st year "anniversary", my breast cancer anniversary. I have such mixed feelings.. I can't believe it's been a year, I can't believe this happened to me and my family, I can't believe the ups and downs of my surgery and treatment. I am humbled by all the love and help I received, I am grateful I found it when I did, I am beyond pissed that it was there in the first place, I am so glad MD Anderson was here for me.

And I can't believe it, I am fundraising for the SECOND time for Komen!!!! Last October I walked 6 days after my first Chemo. I was dizzy, sick, medicated into a stupor and shy! Yes, shy. I did not feel like a survivor, I didn't feel like I was in the club, I was sort of embarrassed to be calling myself a Survivor... Like I didn't really have cancer, or not really "bad cancer"....

Now I kind of giggle at myself. You better believe I will line up for that survivor parade and get me some applause! I will plaster "survivor" on every inch of my body, I will shamelessly work that angle to get donations. I owe a lot to Komen, being able to choose what surgical treatment I felt was best for me, having effective chemo, insurance paying for my reconstruction, being treated like a person with cancer, not a cancer patient. Now it's my turn to give back, to make the treatment I got look primitive because we eliminate breast cancer, or because the treatments are so effective and so good they essentially cure it...

With your help we can do it!!!!

Donate today!!!

http://centralflorida.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/DAB_CentralFloridaAffiliate?team_id=171456&pg=team&fr_id=2261

images from my last chemo, to remind me how far I have already come

Just wanted to share some pics of my last chemo. I was in the van, really really wanting to be anywhere else. ANYWHERE. ELSE. Dave, as always was my rock, got me in the van and into MD Anderson. It still shocks me when I see myself, I am still harboring some small bits of denial, even almost a year later.
Funny huh?
So one of my motivations for fundraising for Komen is the strong hope that maybe someday noone will have to go to chemo. Because there will be no more breast cancer.

No more missed first days of school for any more moms. I think missing Avery's first day of 5th grade because I had just had my mastectomy was one of the worst moments of the whole mess...

Race for the Cure 2011!!!

Hello!

Welcome to my blog!

I want to keep you all updated and hopefully generate some excitement for Race for the Cure this year. It will be on Oct. 16 at BrightHouse stadium @ UCF again this year. I am very excited and hope to raise a bunch of money!

here is my team page:

http://centralflorida.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/DAB_CentralFloridaAffiliate?team_id=171456&pg=team&fr_id=2261

I am looking forward to seeing you all there!