Cancer Battles On…And We Must Too

Until you’ve heard your father—one of the healthiest men you know—say, “It’s not as bad as it sounds, but I have a brain tumor”…
Until you’ve heard your father’s brain surgeon say, “This is the worst news I could possibly have”…
Until you’ve heard your father’s 20 other doctors say, “We can’t explain why he’s still alive and the cancer hasn’t come back (or why we can’t seem to do anything to improve his quality of life now that he has defied all odds)”…

Until then, LiveStrong bracelets and t-shirts may seem like the latest trend, rather than the badges of honor that represent overcoming the worst days of your life.

Until you’ve seen one of your closest friends stick ice packs down her shirt at parties because radiation has her burning up…
Until you’ve heard your doctor say, “We’d better order a mammogram and a fine-needle biopsy”…
Until you’ve heard a 16-year-old girl sob in front of hundreds of people at Relay for Life because her mom won’t ever see her graduate from high school, or get married…

Until then, pink ribbons might seem frilly and October-y, rather than the symbol of hope and progress that’s so desperately needed.

I know, October was breast cancer awareness month. It’s November now. But I think we should all continue to be just as aware. After all, cancer doesn’t seem to care about the calendar, why should we in our fight against it? In October, the Yahoo! Mother Board shared their thoughts on breast cancer awareness. And like Right Hand Mom, I think cancer sucks. Big time. But survivors like Linsey who share their triumphs give me hope…even on the darkest of days.

And while we haven’t figured out how to stop cancer (yet!!), we can arm ourselves for dealing with it. Teach Mama turned to various cancer organizations and has wonderful advice for talking to your kids about cancer. Since this is something I do pretty regularly these days, I know how important it is to be honest, yet age-appropriate with my preschooler. And, with some cancers, you can be tested to see if you have the cancer gene. La Jolla Mom discussed her struggle with that, and while my dad’s brain cancer isn’t something that can be passed down, I know my family history is far from cancer free.

Another way to take control and build a support community is through various fundraisers. Both BonggaMom and Rebecca Levey’s friend shared their inspiring stories of walking for the cure. I’ve been participating in Relay for Life for seven years now and every year it hits a bit closer to home as I add loved one’s names to the list of people I’m honoring.

But can we really make a difference when cancer is so prevalent and, well, undiscriminating? We can try. Tech Savvy Mama shared the great insights she learned from Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Just Precious wore pink every day in October to raise awareness (which I also attempted), but wonders how much of an impact she actually had. Jessica declared that she wouldn’t partake in the Facebook bra color game because it wasn’t the right way to raise awareness for a very serious concern.

The bottom line is cancer won’t stop. And we shouldn’t either. So if wearing a pink ribbon reminds one more friend to do a breast self exam this month, I say wear it with pride. If raising a couple thousand dollars helps the American Cancer Society support groundbreaking research that will give one girl’s dad the chance to meet his grandsons, I say walk on. If all you can do is pick up the phone or send an email to an old friend whose battle is raging on, I say show them you care. Each of us can make a difference—no matter how small it may seem.