Thoughts about October and "Breast Cancer Awareness"

So I had this big idea that I would write something about breast cancer and my diagnosis every day in October. We are nearing the end of the month and I haven't written anything. I found myself stuck as soon as this place to write was created. I had so many thoughts. Where to start. What to write. How personal. What was I thinking. It's a big deal apparently. Since I tend to like to do things easily the hard way, I've come to a place where I can start. After all, I have to start somewhere and it can be a small start.

Like many people living with or having experienced breast cancer treatment, I have come to dislike the pink messaging that happens in October. "Breast cancer awareness" has been presented with sexy pink messaging. Marketers use pink ribbons and pink products to make money off this deadly disease. They say they are donating to breast cancer "causes". Generally only a very small fraction of the profits they make go to any legitimate breast cancer research or program. They just get richer. For more information check this documentary Pink Ribbons Inc

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. 1 in 3 of those will be or become metastatic. Only 5% of funds raised for breast cancer goes to research on metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We are aware. We need better research and treatments. A cure would be nice.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2019. I knew what it was as soon as I discovered the mass. This lead me on a year long journey of intense and harsh treatments. I am still taking medications. Breast cancer is not pink or fluffy. It is most definitely not sexy.

My plan is to share some of my journey with breast cancer. Feel free to ask questions. I'll answer as best I can.

This isn't my shirt. (one day I'll get this)

 

[paradox3]

Thanks for the heads up about the pink messaging. Looking forward to hearing more from you if you feel like writing.

 

[Mendalla]

Breast cancer is one that has not turned up in my family yet. We are very male-heavy in my bloodline, with only one blood female relative in my generation and my son's generation is all male. So, most of my female relatives at this point are by marriage. The relative absence of breast cancer compared to, say, skin cancers (my brother has a melanoma coming off soon) might just be our demographics, in other words. Still, with it being such a prevalent health issue, this will be an interesting forum, I think.

As for pink messaging, I hear you. We are seeing it with some other issues and diseases, too (Movember, anyone?) but the pink messaging and pinkwashing is probably the oldest and most prevalent.

 

[ChemGal]

I wish we could take the 'awareness' stuff that has become a bit pointless and actually apply it elsewhere. It feels a little frustrating to see so much going on for Movember, pink ribbons, etc. and then go to a doctor with a condition they have never even heard of, let alone the general public.

 

[Mendalla]

I wish we could take the 'awareness' stuff that has become a bit pointless and actually apply it elsewhere. It feels a little frustrating to see so much going on for Movember, pink ribbons, etc. and then go to a doctor with a condition they have never even heard of, let alone the general public.

Indeed. I would never have heard of HAE if not for you.

 

[Waterfall]

Indeed. I would never have heard of HAE if not for you.

Me too.

 

[Waterfall]

Northwind looking forward to hearing your coping strategies from the beginning until now.

 

[Northwind]

Breast cancer is one that has not turned up in my family yet. We are very male-heavy in my bloodline, with only one blood female relative in my generation and my son's generation is all male.

Men can get breast cancer too. That being said, less than 1% of breast cancers are in men. That is according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

 

[Northwind]

Northwind looking forward to hearing your coping strategies from the beginning until now.

Thanks. I'll make sure I include that.

Thanks for the heads up about the pink messaging. Looking forward to hearing more from you if you feel like writing.

The "feel like writing" part is in the writers block category.

 

[Mendalla]

So two days after we launched this, the following letter from my current favorite singer, Dutch rocker Floor Jansen, dropped.

Short version: a routine mammogram found cancer.

Good news: Prognosis is positive, cancer is a no -aggressive form, and she currently still expects to join Nightwish on their European tour in a month (they just finished Latin America last weekend).

She also used the experience to highlight the importance of regular mammograms and other forms of detection.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1585224735654281216

 

[Waterfall]

So two days after we launched this, the following letter from my current favorite singer, Dutch rocker Floor Jansen, dropped.

Short version: a routine mammogram found cancer.

Good news: Prognosis is positive, cancer is a no -aggressive form, and she currently still expects to join Nightwish on their European tour in a month (they just finished Latin America last weekend).

She also used the experience to highlight the importance of regular mammograms and other forms of detection.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1585224735654281216

I looked up her age, she's 41. In Canada many doctors dont start recommending mammograms until much later. Depending on your province and your doctor...anywhere from 45 to 50. Women can also get breast cancer in their 20s and 30s.
During Covid there were 400,000 less mammograms which may cause many women to have their cancer detected at a later stage.

 

[paradox3]

There are long waiting lists for mammograms around here. I was told they are still catching up after the pandemic.

 

[Waterfall]

Black, Asian and Hispanic women have a higher incidence of breast cancer at an earlier age than white women. For them their peak is mid 40s. For white women it peaks in their 50s and 60s.
Even so I personally think all doctors should start screening everyone earlier in Canada. Young women in their 20s and 30s can get breast cancer.

 

[Mendalla]

I looked up her age, she's 41. In Canada many doctors dont start recommending mammograms until much later. Depending on your province and your doctor...anywhere from 45 to 50. Women can also get breast cancer in their 20s and 30s.
During Covid there were 400,000 less mammograms which may cause many women to have their cancer detected at a later stage.

She's Dutch but lives in Sweden (her husband is a Swede) so not sure which country's system she falls under, probably Sweden. And, yeah, we tend to think of 41 as a young age to be getting breast cancer but it definitely happens. Wonder how they are playing this out with their daughter, who is only five.

 

[ChemGal]

I looked up her age, she's 41. In Canada many doctors dont start recommending mammograms until much later. Depending on your province and your doctor...anywhere from 45 to 50. Women can also get breast cancer in their 20s and 30s.
During Covid there were 400,000 less mammograms which may cause many women to have their cancer detected at a later stage.

Alberta just lowered it to 45, it used to be 50. That is though for people of average risk.

 

[ChemGal]

Black, Asian and Hispanic women have a higher incidence of breast cancer at an earlier age than white women. For them their peak is mid 40s. For white women it peaks in their 50s and 60s.
Even so I personally think all doctors should start screening everyone earlier in Canada. Young women in their 20s and 30s can get breast cancer.

Screening doesn't necessarily mean a mammogram though. They tend to not work as well for younger women.

 

[Mendalla]

Screening doesn't necessarily mean a mammogram though. They tend to not work as well for younger women.

Or women with dense breasts, evidently, which is common in East Asians. Or so I heard from a source.

 

[chansen]

We thankfully have no breast cancer stories in my immediate family.

The case that sticks out to me is an old friend and teammate from my childhood ski racing days. Jane was an amazing, energetic girl. We raced together from the ages of about 8 to 15. I met her again when we I visited the McMaster campus for a weekend engineering camp in grade 13.

She went to a different school but had a great career, terrific husband and two boys. She was on holiday in 2009 when diagnosed, and died a few months later as I recall.

She had just started coming back to the ski club. After her death, her husband brought the kids back sporadically. They never joined racing. I told her husband that Jane would not want her boys to be slow skiers, so send them to me whenever he wanted and I'd coach them myself. He never took me up on that, and that's fine, but I wanted to tell them stories about their mom. I wanted to tell them about the last years, when the boys on the team would cheer on the girls in the start hut. We would yell, "Are you a GIRL, or a WOMAN?!?" and Jane in particular would scream back, "I'M A WOMAN!!!!" just as she left the start gate. I guess it was a team joke or something, but we were teens, we were having fun, and we were loud.

Her loss hit like a ton of bricks, and I was just an old friend. I wish I had a chance to tell her boys about those days, but I rarely see the family anymore.

 

[BetteTheRed]

There's a bit of breast cancer in Mom's family; nothing closer than one of her cousins, thankfully. However, lots of cancer in Dad's family, particularly colon cancer, so I'm always up to date on my screening.

And yeah, it seems like the best, the most talented, the funniest of us, die too young.

 

[Waterfall]

Screening doesn't necessarily mean a mammogram though. They tend to not work as well for younger women.

A digital mammogram will tell you what your breast category is for density, every woman who has dense breasts should know this. There are 4 levels of breast density.