Hi Shari - Boy do I hear you, girlfriend! What other disease
has such
"performance pressure" attached to it? My
beloved friends had supplied
me with an entire pink wardrobe, pins and all, before my
treatment
ended in 2001.
Mind you, I've always been something of an activist so I
naturally got
involved personally, then professionally, in whole world of
breast
cancer issues. The idea that survivor/patient should be
recruited for
the BC cause always bothered me. It can be very detrimental
to a
person's sense of wellness if the disease is in their face
all the time.
We're all different and nothing is wrong with your take on
this.
A friend of mine, who is very anti-crusade (about
everything) has often
threatened to hold her own "fart for the cause"
campaign. She truly
wants to leave this disease behind and fully detach from all
breast
cancer topics yet very few people respect her decision.
For the record, I respect that point of view. I make it a
point never to
bring up the topic in her presence which (if you knew me)
you would find
this almost unbelievable.
How nice that MD Anderson cares enough to ask their patients
about post
traumatic stress for one of their studies. (If you could
hear my tone,
you would hear this as a strongly sarcastic remark).
Hugs,
Marj> From: Shari Hoyt <dshoyt_at_COMCAST.NET>
Date: Tue Apr 04 2006 -
> Hello to all!
>
> I have not written in eons. I come and go based on how
much I can
> take. It depends on how many beloved ones pass on and
if there are
> too many in too short of a time, I have to get off of
the list for
> a while.
>
> Anyhow, the reason I was writing was that I wanted to
know if any of
> you went to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas for
treatment? I have
> received mail and a phone call from some researchers at
MD Anderson
> who are interested in talking to their patients about
emotional health
> and stability after diagnosis.
>
> The entire subject is interesting. Have you noticed how
some just seem
> to glow during their treatment and afterwards spend
every ounce of
> energy trying to help get the message out to others.
They volunteer,
> the run races, they work at cancer clinics, they set up
memorials,
> etc, etc. etc..............
>
> And then there is me....................am I alone in
this? I got my
> first breast cancer at 36 (1996) and then had a new
primary in 1999.
> Got a double mastectomy with that one. After chemo, I
took 5 years of
> Tamoxifen and am now on Femara. Back to my
question.......am I alone
> in not wanting to be out there - proactive in trying to
spread the
> word about Breast cancer. I can't stand to even look
at one of those
> pink ribbons and when my plastic surgeons get together
every year for
> the Race For The Cure and try to get me to attend, I
run the other way
> as fast as possible. I would think that after all this
time I would be
> less sensitive. But all I have to do is hear about how
someone else
> has cancer and I just don't want to deal with it. Sort
of the ostrich
> with it head in the sand.................if I don't
see it or hear
> about it, it won't be there! AAaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!
>
> Thanks for letting me jabber at you! Would like to hear
your thoughts,
> especially from those (if there are any!) who feel the
same way I do.
>
> Take care one and all,
>
> Shari Hoyt dshoyt comcast.net
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