Is There Less Pinkification This Year

A week or so ago, I watched an NFL game and decided that something was wrong. It was october and players did not have pink shoes and pink towels. Then I have seen a lot fewer pink events. I haven't been out much because of my stupid knee, but I just feel like there is less pink around.

This makes me happy. I would love to go back to the month formerly known as October and see orange and brown again, lots of carved pumpkins and zero pink ribbons. I don't need to have pink everything. And this is the first October in many years that it has not been covered in pink.

What is wrong? Is the country burned out of pink stuff as a result of the Komen blow up a few years back? Does the media have other things to focus on besides pink ribbon events - like the latest fashion styles of the first lady and her husband's rude tweets?

Maybe that pink thing is just so embedded into society that we do not notice special events any more.

I am happy that there is less pink... I need to go carve some pumpkins.

The Good Breast Cancer Charities

As you are asked to 'pink' all through October, you are advised to give to the good charities and skip the pink crap. Charities are rated by Charity Navigator and Charity Watch. These two organizations list the following as the 'good' ones to give to:

Charity Watch

• Breast Cancer Research Foundation - a grade of A+, 90% of their funds go to programs (not overhead), and it costs them $7 to raise $100.
• National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund - A, 83%, $13
• Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (Formerly Breast Cancer Fund) - A-, 77%, $13
• Also recommended:
• Cancer Research Institute
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Prevent Cancer Foundation 
• Entertainment Industry Foundation's Stand Up To Cancer. 

Charity Navigator

• Breast Cancer Foundation  - received the highest rating of four stars. 
• National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund - three stars
• Breast Cancer Prevention Partners - three stars
• National Breast Cancer Foundation  - four stars, score 96/100, 82.9% spent on program expenses
• Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation - four stars, 92/100, 81.9%
• Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation  - four stars, 90.9/100, 92.1%
• Bay Area Cancer Connections - four stars
• It's the Journey - four stars
• Casting for Recovery - four stars
• Sharsheret - four stars
• BreastCancer.org - four stars
• Prevent Cancer Foundation - four stars
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer - four stars
• American Italian Cancer Foundation - four stars

A special note is provided on the Susan B Komen Foundation (for a Cure):

"The charity received mixed scores from the watchdogs. Charity Navigator gives Susan G. Komen for the Cure a 3-star rating (out of four) and lists the percent of its expenses spent on programs and services at 81.6%.

Charity Watch gives the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation a C+ rating with program percentage of 62%-77% and the cost to raise $100 of $12-$27." 

Based on these numbers Komen (for the Cure) would be very low on my list of donations. But if you do I am sure you will get a thank you note covered in pink ribbons.

In reviewing charities, the important things that are looked at include how much of the money they raise is used for their cause and their programs, as opposed to overhead which covers things like salaries and rent. Those highly paid executives at many big charities can easily change their percentage just by taking a pay cut.

So let me make a few comments here. First of all I find it interesting the differences in the two lists. This shows how objective this can be. But I am taking what was quoted in a USA Today article and have not checked the two sites lists myself. 

Second of all, I am not a fan of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. These are the people who want to eradicate breast cancer by 2020. They have two years to go so I don't think its going to happen. And they do not focus on metastatic cancer, hence they are also known as #deadby2020.

Finally, my personal preference of where to donate would be: Breast Cancer Foundation, BreastCancer.org, or Dr. Susan Love Foundation.  

I Don't Do Pink Things Except....

I don't do pink things. I detest things where if you had breast cancer you are supposed to cover yourself in pink, including a few boas, etc. I don't participate in them at all.

However, I have some breast cancer friends who started out with me on the Komen message boards back in 2007. When they screwed up the message boards, we all left and moved to Facebook where we have remained friends. A bunch of them in the Midwest started what they called BreastFest at a park in northern Indiana, near where some of them live.

Overtime, this has expanded to be an all day event at a local hotel. Last year I went on a road trip with a friend to go meet them all. They all wore pink because they ordered the t-shirt for last year. I didn't. I wore a green t-shirt. I didn't buy a t-shirt because I didn't want one. I wish I had. I was going to order one this year. But we didn't get to go.

My compatriot who did the driving and provided the car, is having the floors redone in her house so it didn't work for her. She didn't want to reschedule because it took long enough to talk her husband into the change in the first place. And I ended up having my knee surgery.

But I am going to miss them. Today they are meeting and will drink wine and eat 'healthy' food all day. Then it will be nap time before a big dinner. And they will play games - where I haven't laughed as hard as I did since. And generally have fun.

I would wear pink for this group. Its a wonderful group of women. I will definitely go next year. Its too far for me to drive myself so I need my compatriot. Its a pain in the ass to fly to because its 3 hours from any airport and I don't fly well anyway. And I would need to commit to being healthy enough to travel if I paid for plane tickets - this is why we drove last year because if we weren't healthy we could bail and not lose money. We stayed at my brother's house on the way out and the way back so other than gas money, we had no real expenses.

Anyway, I will miss the ladies this year and will wear pink for them next year when I am there.

Reminder What Not To Say To Breast Cancer People

As part of the universal pinkification of October, Good Housekeeping magazine has a section on breast cancer (who knew?). But one thing they do include is a list of 15 things not to say to breast cancer people.

1. You’re going to be fine
2. Everything happens for a reason
3. You don’t look sick – you look great
4. My brother’s friend had breast cancer here’s what happened to her.
5. That’s why I don’t use antiperspirant (deodorant, underwire bras)
6. I hate my large breasts; I’d love to get rid of them.
7. How did they find it? What stage was it?
8. Have you tried cutting out sugar?
9. Can I do anything for you
10. You’re a badass! You’ll kick cancer!
11. We could all be hit by a bus tomorrow
12. Stay positive
13. At least you have your hair
14. I’m praying for you, miracles do happen!
15. At least you’re single, and you don’t have kids to worry about.

Most of these I find to be just plain rude. If someone has cancer, any type, they are so stressed they do not care about most of these. Even asking them if you can do something for them can be stressful. They have to stop and think if they need anything, which they probably do, but can't think of, so you added more stress, and they just say 'nothing, thank you.' If you need more understanding here, go read the rest of the article at Good Housekeeping.

Just think before you say anything (and insert your foot in your mouth). The best thing you can say to any one with cancer is 'how are you feeling today?' A simple easy honest question.

Then say something like 'I'm going to the grocery store, can I pick you up some milk, etc? Don't offer to mow their lawn, just mow it. Offer to take their kids to school in the morning and bring them home.

In the meantime, go buy some Halloween candy to get ready for the real reason for the month of October.

Pinktober

Its now Pinktober. It will be horrible. There will be pink on everything. There were even little pink ribbons on the bananas I bought last week. I was appalled but I didn't notice until I got home and it was too lazy to bring them back.

But please brace yourself and do not get sucked into the pinkification which will be rampant all month long. Please do not purchase anything or donate to anything that claims to support breast cancer unless you know the following:

• The organization to which the money is going - are they a real organization that really will use the funds to provide what they said they will.
• That the total amount of the money you think you are giving to a organization is really going to them. You need to check the fine print on the label to learn this. 
• Is it $1, $5, or $10 or what amount going to them. Just because you spent $30 on something, what portion of that is going to support a cause. Its probably not the full amount.
• Is there a maximum amount for the program? An example of this is that big companies will say '$1 from the price of this lipstick will be donated to XYZ organization, up to a total donation of $25,000 for the year'. Read the fine print again.
• Don't purchase anything you really do not want or need. All this pinkification is designed to help sell more products. Its just a big marketing ploy. 

Breast cancer is the current 'cool cancer' and pink is such a 'pretty color' it can be splashed all over everything. But its just a big money maker for big industry. Not for the little peon breast cancer patients.

If you really want to support breast cancer, find a worthy cause - American Cancer Society, BreastCancer.org, or a local organization you know well. And send them a nice check. You can even put it into a nice pink envelope if you want.

Ignoring Pinktober

I have been doing a pretty good job of ignoring Pinktober this year. I know I went to a breast cancer friends meet-up recently and everyone (but me because I forgot to order one) wore their pink shirt for the event. I don't consider that a Pinktober event because it doesn't matter what time of year it is that we get together. The get together is the most important part.

I have seen pink ribbons everywhere. I went shopping at a mall this weekend where every store in it had a pink ribbon on its front to promote something about Pinktober. I can't even remember what it said because I didn't really stop to read one. I know there are a lot of other pinkification events but I have put my blinders on and ignored them.

I am okay with this. I don't need pinkification in my life. I can live with it. I think the worst of it has subsided due to the backlash in recent years. Some women like wearing pink and don't really care what month it is that they wear pink. I certainly don't need a pink ribbon on everything.

Some people really embrace these 'cancer' months. How many men grow a beard in whatever month it is that is for prostate cancer awareness? (I had to look that up because I couldn't remember what cancer it was.) Or is it an excuse not to shave for a month? I don't know but they do it because they want to.

I think if we all wear our blinders as it suits each of us, we will do fine. For example, if you put your election blinders on you will make it through to November 9 when we will know who our next president is. You might be less stressed if you do.

I will survive Pinktober as I plan Halloween at our house. I have a hidden candy stash. I have to talk to our new neighbors about our willingness to participate in trick-or-treating. And I will wear pink when I want.

Changing Your Wardrobe For An Ailment

I couldn't sleep last night (again - thanks to back pain) and started wondering why women with breast cancer instantly start wearing pink and accessorizing with all things pink upon their diagnosis? Why do they feel the need to do this? I just don't understand. I admit when I was diagnosed with breast cancer I did go out and purchase one pink breast cancer t-shirt which I wore to chemo once and then donated it. I was also given breast cancer t-shirts by family and friends after they participated in an Avon walk. I never wore them either.

What if your ailment didn't have a 'pretty colored' ribbon, would start wearing that color? If you were diagnosed with narcolepsy, for example, would you start wearing black and accessorize with black ribbons? Or if you had ADHD would you wear orange and orange ribbons? Probably not.

With my medical history I should then wear purple (thyroid cancer and fibromyalgia), blue and purple (rheumatoid arthritis), light blue (lymphedema), and pink (breast cancer). I am probably forgetting something but that's enough of a rainbow for now. (See the whole list here.)

Pink has always been one of my favorite colors. I have always worn a lot of pink clothes. But now I actually stay away from pink as I don't want to be identified as a breast cancer person by the clothes I wear. So in some ways I am changing my wardrobe away from pink in a cringing way.

Call it backlash.

That Breast Cancer Bond Thingy

While I was at the gym yesterday, I was on the bike getting my cardio in when I two women who I know started talking next to me. Then one of them came over to said hi. I knew she had a lot of cardiac issues last spring and I asked her how she was doing. She said she is better now but still had some soreness on the side of her rib cage. That didn't seem like a cardio issue so I asked her what it was.

She had a mastectomy because she had her third occurrence of breast cancer. Twice on the left and this third time on the right. And all three were different cancers. I thought wow three different breast cancers and now two separate mastectomies. And over twenty years.

Of course we became instant pals because I told her about my breast cancer history. That breast cancer bond showed up.

I still find it funny when that breast cancer bond shows up. I have no other ailment that inspires such close bonds. ACL injuries? Nope. Fibromyalgia? Nope. Thyroid cancer? Nope. Rheumatoid arthritis? Nope. Breast cancer? Yep! Big time.

I think its a spin-off of all the unity behind pinkification. You get breast cancer and someone wants to stick a pink ribbon on you so you can become best pals.

That Upcoming Month

This month is September. You know that first month of fall where you can feel the first crispness in the air (especially here in New England), back to school, and all that. It is also:

• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
• National Recovery Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• 18 National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
• 22 Falls Prevention Awareness Day
• 28 National Women's Health & Fitness Day

The full list contains many more awareness topics. (And the head lice one makes me cringe.) No where does it include the 'Brace for Pinktober' which it should.

Next month is Pinktober, formerly known as October which used to be about Columbus Day, Halloween, costumes and candy, and has some how evolved into being all about pinkification. Instead of everything else which include: 

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• 6 National Depression Screening Day ®
• 12 - 20 Bone and Joint Health Action Week
• 13 Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
• 16 - 22 International Infection Prevention Week
• 16 World Food Day
• 22 International Stuttering Awareness Day
• 23 - 31 Red Ribbon Week

Personally I think bullying is way more important to many more people than breast cancer because everyone has experienced bullying in some way or another. I have no idea what Red Ribbon week stands for but it is probably covered in pink as well. However it and all the other causes in October have been covered in a big pink blob. And the saddest part is that Metastatic Breast Cancer is buried under that big pink cloud and should get more than a day and a lot more focus.

But I digress. This is time for all of us to put some thought into this and ask ourselves how we are going to avoid pinkification in October. We have almost a full month to come up with ways that do not include the color pink.

(The full list of National Health Observances can be found here.)

Over pinked and then some

Its not even pinktober and this showed up:


I have no words.

I can tell its Pinktober

Yes I admit I can be a news junkie. I also like to follow information on my (many) ailments. I get daily Google Alerts for most of them so I can be one of the first to know about the latest treatment options.

I can tell its Pinktober. All my breast cancer news includes the words 'awareness', 'pink', the s-word, or other related terms. Yesterday's alert included these items:

"Harford observes breast cancer awareness month"
"Breast cancer survivor finds comfort in delivering flowers to other patients at Texas hospital"
"WATCH: 29 year old beats breast cancer, gets featured on Pink Ribbon Connection"
"Breast cancer awareness chili cookoff Saturday"
"Breast cancer survivors event"

This drives me crazy. Please stop spending money on pink and spend the money on more important things like research.

Who has the time?

I started wondering (which I admit can be a dangerous proposition) who has the time to waste spend on all this pinkification? It takes a lot of shopping to buy all the pink crap, time getting dressed in all the pink stuff, and everything that goes with it?

I am just amazed at the people I see out almost in a costume of pink at this time of year. Everything from jewelry, feather boas, shoes, bags, clothing, etc. Then there are the pink ribbons on everything. NFL players have pink towels. Buildings are lit up in pink.

I admit I bought a pink t-shirt with some slogan on the back of it to wear to chemo. I wore it once to my second infusion and never took it out of the closet again. I like the color pink and wear it often but I do not pinkify myself.

Personally I do not have the time or the energy to allow any one thing to take over my life like that. I live a multi-faceted life (note the big word early in the day) and allow myself to enjoy many different things, and squeeze in a few million doctor appointments.

I cannot imagine allowing anything to monopolize my life like that. I think a bad medical diagnosis, like breast cancer, is a wake up call that life is important. But it is not appropriate or healthy to obsess over it and allow it to monopolize your life. No one thing should be so important in anyone's life. Life is meant to be enjoyed and not have an obsession. Don't waste your time on any one thing.

Once again its Pinktober

Except I do not celebrate Pinktober. At this time of year I look forward to apple picking, Columbus Day weekend, leaf peeping, and Halloween (which is the best annual excuse for a sugar high).

I am braced for the onslaught of pinkness and really do not care for it. I will not be walking, running, shopping, or donating for anything pink. Because of Pinktober, I actually resist contributing to anything pink for the month.

And it is also Liver Cancer Awareness Month.

I think this year I will support Liver Cancer instead of pinkifying anything.

Get braced for Pinktober.

Please watch this video before you bite into your crispy KFC that arrived in a pink bucket.

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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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I find it annoying!

Why, oh why, do we have to have stupid pink ribbons everywhere???? Seriously? I knit and crochet and have tables at craft shows locally in November and December each year. Yesterday I was at a show and there were pink ribbons up in the bathroom. Do we need them? Why?

Every craft show also seems to have someone who decides to plaster pink ribbons on at least half their crafts. I don't think I would mind it if they were equal opportunity ribbons for all the different types of cancer and not just the pink ones.

I don't mind the informative posters you see here and there, its just the stupid pink ribbons that annoy me.

Its not October any more. And I really find them annoying in October. Can't we just get rid of them all? The world doesn't need more pink (ribbons)!

Okay, its Monday morning and I am in a 'mood'. I don't have to work but have to take my father to the doctor today. I want to go to the gym first and a friend may stop by later and the house is a MESS!

And then tomorrow I take my father back to the hospital for another adventure. Meanwhile my husband is threatening to clean while I am gone. The problem with him cleaning is he throws everything he doesn't know what to do with in a bag or box and sticks it in the basement and then I hunt for it for six months as he has forgotten what he put where.

Then the Thanksgiving cooking starts.... which is the fun part.

Maybe I'll be cranky today. Don't tell anyone.

Overpinked

Yesterday I went off for a day of fun and shopping with a friend. On the way home, while stopped at a light, I noticed pink signs in front of the Valvoline oil change place for windshield wipers.... We didn't get the connection.

Some Hollywood stars have put pink strips in their hair to support breast cancer. You can get pink drill bits for fracking and offshore oil drilling. According to The Onion, the Komen spaces ship is on its way to the outermost parts of the galaxy.

I am so overpinked. Only 11 days to go. I'm waiting for Halloween.

When will this end?

We have reached a new low in pinkification. Yes, nothing lower than this ever before.




Do you know what this is? Its an underground drill bit (hand) painted pink to help raise breast cancer awareness. These tiny little drill bits, 85-260 lbs each, are used in oil drilling. The company, Baker Hughes, has partnered with the Komen Foundation (for the Cure) to help do their 'bit' for the cause. They are aiming at the roughnecks on the oil platforms who might not yet be aware of breast cancer and will ship each bit with literature on breast health facts in pink topped boxes.

For some reason, I think this a horribly misguided attempt to waste money on breast cancer awareness. I am sure that the workers on the offshore drilling platforms are no less aware of breast cancer than the rest of the American population so I do not think there is a need for them to be 'made aware' any more than anyone else. Any drill bit is going to be instantly covered in dirt, the paint scraped off through its use, and the paint is a completely wasted effort. And aren't the drilling companies producing and using chemicals that are known carcinogens?

"But drill bits are used, of course, to drill oil and natural gas wells, some of which are later exploited using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. We don’t know a lot about the health risks of fracking, owing to drillers’ and regulators’ drill first, ask questions later strategy, and because the industry, in many cases, protects the precise mix of chemicals used as a “trade secret.” (Baker Hughes announced last week that it will begin disclosing all of the chemicals used in its fracking operations.) Of the 190-some chemicals commonly used by the industry, we’re lacking publicly available information about the safety of about a third of them. And in August, a federal study tested urine samples in workers who monitor fracking flowback, and found that some had been exposed to “higher than recommended” levels of benzene, a known carcinogen."

But since Baker Hughes has also donated $100,000 to Komen, they are happy to sink to a new low with pink drill bits.

Avoiding pinkness

In an effort to avoid pinkification (and take a break from blogging), I ran away and joined the circus. No, actually my husband's family had a big family reunion on the coast of Oregon - a place we had never been. It was a lot of fun and a nice get away to avoid over pinkification. I didn't mean to take a break from blogging but I had some technical issues as well.

It worked in the sense that we were off line and avoiding pink. But it was not without its ups and downs.

First I was very efficient and packed two empty reusable water bottles. And I left the better one one the plane. Second, I left the one of a kind charger for my tablet in the hotel in Portland where we were spending the first and last nights. By the end of our second day, my feet were hurting from RA so much I had to stay off them more for the rest of the trip. And our spare water bottle appeared to have sprung a leak.

It was a great time catching up with relatives and enjoying the Oregon coast. We even saw seals, sea lions, and whales. We did not see many signs of pink. To be fair we were in a small town and avoided the areas with chain stores. It was only when we ventured near them, were we assaulted by pink. Then on our last night, Sunday, we watched the Patriots destroy the Chiefs while wearing pink gloves, pink shoes, pink socks, pink towels, pink ribbons on their helmets, etc. I am not sure if the pink weakened the Chiefs but we were happy to see the Patriots win.

While watching the game, my husband suggested that instead of manufacturing all that pink crap (particularly if in some factory overseas), that all NFL players should donate 1 day's pay to breast cancer research instead. 32 teams times 53 players = 1696. Average salary is $1.9 million or a total of $3,222,400,000. So one hour's salary would be $368,864 or a day's salary would be $8,852,747. A tidy sum indeed. Why don't they just donate that directly and we can skip all that pink?

But I digress. We did successfully avoid pink by avoiding chain stores and chain restaurants. We also didn't watch a lot of television.

The views were from our windows at the Elizabeth Street Inn, Newport, OR. It was peaceful and relaxing.

Are we all braced????

It starts tomorrow. That ugly pink month. Go celebrate Columbus Day, Halloween, apple picking, leaf peeping and other seasonal activities. Go help organizations with their fundraising activities that do not require pink feather boas.

For myself this month I am doing the following:

• Arranging a luncheon for a non profit that I volunteer with. 
• Awaiting a back procedure which should relieve a lot of my current pain at the end of the month.
• Enjoying a family reunion on the coast of the Pacific Northwest - some place I have never been and always wanted to go. (We always have a house/cat sitter while we are gone so burglars, don't even think about it.)

This is what I am not doing:

• Wearing more pink clothing than I usually do. I like the color pink and have many pink pieces of clothing.
• Participate in any pinkified event
• Purchase any non-essential pinkified item.

Will you join me in boycotting pinkified items and events?

Thank you.

A warning

Please brace yourself for the annual onslaught of pinkification in the month that starts on Wednesday, formerly known as October but know is Pinktober.

Pink is not the new black. We do not need a world wrapped in pink. Buildings lit up in pink do nothing. Football players dressed in pink do nothing. Regular items, including kitchen utensils, trash barrels, clothing, changed to pink do nothing. We are all aware of breast cancer.

If it makes you feel good to pay for something pink, please read the fine print. The advice to all is to do your research before donating to a cause to make sure you know how much is really going to the cause. However if you are in a store with a huge display of somethingfabulousinpink and you succumb to the pressure and decide to purchase it, please stop, breathe and read the fine print.

If it says 50% from all profits go to somepinkfund, put it back. What that means is that 50% of the manufacturer's profit is probably some tiny amount. For example, if the item costs $50, the wholesale is probably around $20-$25. The manufacturer probably sends it to a distributor who marks it up another 30%. So a quick shot at doing the math means that the manufacturer sells it for around are around $15 for the $25 wholesale item. And the manufacturing costs probably are around $13. (Note these are rough estimates but I do work in marketing and at a distributor so I am probably in the ball park to give you an idea.) So the 50% of the profits are maybe $1....

You are better off buying something you would prefer that is not pink and sending a check to your favorite charity.

Besides that pink item will probably clash with the rest of your kitchen and will get hidden away.

So skip the pink bandwagon. If we stop buying pink stuff, they will stop making it (some day....).