Posts Tagged ‘breast cancer’

Angelina Jolie is in the headlines again.  The 38-year old actress, whose last notable screen work was as the voice of  “Tigress” in Kung Fu Panda, is once again a media darling.  This time it isn’t her relationships, children or humanitarian efforts creating the buzz.  This time she is  in the spotlight, because of her decision to have a  double mastectomy.

Her her choice to go public with this decision is laudable, but it is lamentable, that the actions of celebrities are often out of scale with their real significance.  Case in point, Todd Essig’s article suggesting, Jolie’s decision should influence public policy on climate change.  According to the writer’s tenuous point of view, Angelina is so inspiring, by following her lead, we should do all we can to prevent always lean toward prevention, even in regards to things that may not happen.  Unlike Octomom, Nadia Sulliman, most of us aren’t taking cues from Jolie, if we were, there’s be an abundance of faded “Billy Bob” tattoos, and Billy Bobs-once-removed.  By Essin’s logic, women should carry an umbrella, not in case of rain, but to prevent rain. Read the rest of this entry »

My last post was about fear.  Many in this country are afraid for the future.  I admit, I too fear what I see happening–especially the loss of objectivity that has resulted from relying on and trusting the media.      It seems we are being discouraged from the practice of critical thinking–especially in regards to social issues and public policy.  In an age when some opinions are deemed more correct than others, our individual views are no longer respected.  Whereas once, discussion and debate were the sport of the thinking person, from grade school to university, dissent has fallen out of favor. Testing one’s ideas, against those of others, is no longer encouraged, and those who argue, are disregarded as disagreeable people with distasteful views.

I was frothing with frustration over the recent flap about The Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. Many women have strong emotional allegiance to one or both organizations.  I have views on both organizations, but allegiance to neither.

On the one side is Planned Parenthood, defending a woman’s right to control her body.  Planned Parenthood’s services cover a broad spectrum related to reproductive health and sexual freedom.  Over the last 100 years, Planned Parenthood has been to many the patron saint of the sexually active, rescuing many from the consequences of their choices.

On the other side, is best known entity to any and all who have been affected by breast cancer.  Giving hope to all  who have felt the helplessness of a diagnosis of breast cancer, and comfort to those who have lost loved ones to the disease, the Komen Foundation exists for the sole purpose of raising money to fund things related to stopping breast cancer.  With their iconic pink ribbons everywhere, this organization is favored by all who have who have walked for The Cure , or counted their years cancer-free.

Though what these organizations do, can be quantified by their annual reports, it is the intangible things they provide which wins over supporters.  Both organizations have their own mission(s).  Certainly, Planned Parenthood’s status as the nation’s largest abortion provider makes them the more controversial organization, yet they succeeded in making the public angry at a benign organization devoted to saving women’s lives.

I was seething at the media coverage and social reactions to the conflict.  A controversy over money, was depicted as a clash between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice factions.  The battle line was drawn, somewhere between The T & A.  Most of us value the stuff above our waists as much as we value the stuff below, nevertheless, the media and social networks were buzzing with allegations that that The Susan G. Komen Foundation hates women.  There were accusations that Planned Parenthood was being unfairly targeted because of the political agenda of SGK.  It was reported that the funding cuts would endanger low-income and minority women.

Nobody in the media was presenting the facts.  The issue was covered emotionally, not objectively.  Illustrating the kind of angry remarks which flooded social media and the blogosphere were comments showing the gun* pictured here, as evidence Susan G. Komen is pro-death.  This seemed especially ironic to me considering one of the reasons Planned Parenthood is so revered, it that it is emblematic of women being empowered to take control of their own lives.  Isn’t Planned Parenthood the feminist solution to freeing women from men’s attempts to subjugate them?

*The Komen foundation was not affiliated or partnering with the handgun manufacturer or this gun.

Lost in the emotion and hype were the facts.

There were reasons that SGK decided to pull the grants.  Not only that, but SGK wasn’t pulling all the grants to all of Planned Parenthood, just to clinics who were under investigation for possible misuse of federal funds.  The media focused on how women would suffer because they wouldn’t have access to cancer screenings, but they failed to mention Planned Parenthood does not provide mammography.  In fact, the kind of screening they do, isn’t that different from the kind 16-year old boys dream of performing.  They do manual exams, and provide referrals to other agencies equipped to do mammography or ultrasound.  It doesn’t seem those services would be very expensive to provide, yet the SGK grants amounted to about $700,000.  That seems like a large amount, but it’s small change  compared to the approximately $300 million that Planned Parenthood receives from taxpayers via Medicaid, or the $70 million in Title X funding.  Nevertheless, some vowed to never again support Susan G. Komen’s organization.  Others rallied to raise money to shore-up Planned Parenthood.  Listening to the outrage, one could easily be lead to believe  Planned Parenthood would be significantly impacted by this loss of funding.

The politics of women’s health are filled of controversy, but the commitment to women’s health shouldn’t be. These organizations have different agendas, and represent different things to different women.  The media wanted us to believe that if Planned Parenthood lost, women would suffer, but it’s not a zero sum game.  The big losers in this round were neither the clinics, nor clients of Planned Parenthood.  The real losers were women–as an organization funding breast cancer research became the enemy, while the organization representing a woman’s right to choose, made it clear they believe they are THE only choice.

Deb’s Note: This controversy will have a lasting impact on The Susan G. Komen Foundation for The Cure, as those who Pro-Choice supporters express disdain and Pro-Life supporters distance themselves from SGK for their affiliation with Planned Parenthood.

There are bigger cars and better cars.  There are certainly more expensive cars–especially those with aftermarket enhancements, but I like my own best.

I am truly fond of the older vehicle I drive!  People might wonder why I like my ride better than anyone else’s.  I can’t explain it–the old gal fits me, we go together.

I feel exactly the same about my gals–the ones  on my chest.  I’ve seen bigger, better  and more expensive, but I like these.  They fit me, we go together.

When I was younger I didn’t think beyond size and shape.  It was all about appearance.   Back then, I didn’t realize they would come to be a reminder of the wonder of motherhood or the vulnerability of womanhood.

I love mine.  They are so much better than a hanger for showing off sweaters.  I’m still amazed that they nourished the newborns.  I love that they’ve often often provided a wonderfully soft place for a kid who needed comfort to rest a sad head.   Unfortunately, just as with old cars, sometimes they go bad.  Inherent with  having breasts is a threat of breast cancer.

Having spent the first third of my life without breasts, it’s not like I couldn’t live without them.  Sure, I’d miss them, but I’d be okay.  Given a choice, I’d rather not have to say goodbye to mine.  I spent more  than the first half of my life without children, but unlike the breasts, I couldn’t bear saying goodbye to them—which is why I never skip the mammogram.

There are always questions about the worth of routine screening tests like mammograms, but they can and do save lives by diagnosing cancer in its earliest stages.  Not a sure thing, but a good bet.  I’ve won poker with a lesser hand–which in this case is nothing more than holding two of a kind.

The calendar having reminded me, it was time for my annual photo-shoot again, I had mine yesterday.  It took less than an hour of my life–20 minutes of which was spent browsing a copy of  ESPN’s NFL Preview. Except for the  marginal magazine selection, I can’t understand why women avoid mammograms.

Had to take of my shirt.  I’ve done that before.
Had my breasts handled and squeezed.  Not the first time for that either.
What’s the big deal?  Granted, I would have preferred a gentle fondle, but the big squeeze was over quickly, and still preferable to a prostate exam.
As the technician reviewed my latest series of B/W glossies,  I was thinking about the reasons some of my girlfriends give for avoiding the procedure.

It’s unpleasant. Valid argument, but life is filled with little unpleasantries.  Chemotherapy and radiation are more unpleasant.

If I have cancer, I don’t want to know.
Sorry, but if you have cancer at some point, you will not have the luxury of not-knowing.  If the prospect of having cancer frightens you, it makes no sense to avoid something that might afford you the chance to eliminate cancer before it eliminates you.

It’s a personal choice.
Yes–dumb choice, but okay.  If you’re a fan of making your own choices, consider how a terminal illness would limit yours.  Are you the only one who gets a choice?  Run this one by your kids:   “Given the choice would you rather have Mom around  or watch her die a painful death?”  I’m guessing the kids won’t have any trouble making a wiser choice than you.

I’m going to die anyway.
No arguing that one, you have nothing to lose.
Maybe you won’t lose your breasts, maybe you won’t lose your hair, maybe you won’t lose your sense of well-being or your future, but the people around you will lose sleep over losing a person who plays an important part in their lives.

It’s my life.
Yeah, about that.  Your life overlaps with those around you.  Nobody wants to see you sick.  Nobody wants to see you suffer.    You may never be diagnosed with breast cancer, but refusing to have a mammogram shows a selfish disregard for those whose lives overlap with your own.

It’s your choice.  It’s your life.  You’re gonna die anyway.