Cancer - The Real Equalizer

Look around you, who do you see? Does she look like you? Is her lifestyle like yours? Does she drive a fancy car? Does she live in a McMansion? Is she famous? Does she have breast cancer?

Did that last question throw you off and feel like it doesn’t belong? Guess again. It’s THE question that connects all of us. Whether it’s breast cancer or any other disease, it is the only discriminator that brings equality to all of us. It matters not if you are rich or not so rich, pretty or not so pretty, young or not so young, we all get sick. The BIG thing that makes a difference for all of us is how we plan to pay for our medical bills when we do get a major disease. Many women do not have medical insurance to help cover expenses and even those who have medical insurance the out of pocket expenses can devastate a budget (my own expenses ran over $10,000).

Did you know that 50% of family bankruptcies are due to medical expenses?

Did you know that those who do not have medical insurance delay medical attention and are almost as twice as likely to die within 5 years as those with insurance?

Some sources estimate the total cost for breast cancer treatment somewhere between $75,000 to $200,000 depending on the type of treatment received.

Now you can see that many women and families just can’t afford to cover medical expenses for breast cancer. They not only have to fight for their lives but at the same time they have to worry about where the money will come from. And did I mention that most never saw it coming?

Thank goodness for organizations whose mission is to provide financial support to these sheroes. Their support only goes as far as their funds permit. One such organization who is making a difference for so many women is the The Pink Fund. It provides financial aid for medical and household expenses to get women through treatment and back to work. The Pink Fund was founded by Molly MacDonald, a five year breast cancer survivor who knows firsthand what it’s like to need financial assistance while undergoing breast cancer treatment. Watch for a post soon on Molly and The Pink Fund.

While I agree that money needs to be raised for research so that one day the word breast cancer won’t be part of our vocabulary, I absolutely know that there isn’t nearly a large enough voice for the many women who need financial assistance. If you want to support these sheroes, before you give to a breast cancer non-profit with this mission please be sure to ask how much of their revenue raised actually goes to these sheroes. Look for organizations whose mission is to put as much money raised in the hands of our sheroes….they need you. Please consider making a donation to The Pink Fund as they are one organization truly dedicated to sheroes...thank you!

"Save the Girls" Checklist

Since this is the time that most of us make resolutions of some sort, it’s the perfect time to create a check list that could “Save the Girls” (you know what I am talking about ;). By the time you finish showering, dressing and eating in the morning, BFF’s of 20 more women will hear the words “You have breast cancer”. Don’t be one of them! (Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer).

Add these routine easy to do items to your checklist for 2011: 

• By exercising only 2 hours a week you not only burn fat that produces excess estrogen, a contributor to breast cancer but you will feel much better too.  
• Eat at least 5 fruits and veggies each day
• Limit fatty foods and alcohol consumption
• Take calcium and Vitamin D every day
• Perform monthly self-breast exams
• Begin yearly mammograms starting at age 40 

See how easy that is! Starting with 2011, make every year the year to “Save the Girls”.

 

Pinky's Mammogram and Reminders



Hey there BFF’s…Every October I get my mammogram. I use the pink ribbon as my reminder just like using the month of October to remind us to change the batteries in our smoke detectors. It’s something easy that we can all do for ourselves and is a huge step towards early detection. Like you, I’m not crazy about having my small breasts squished in between those horrible paddles but I always know it only last a few minutes and it is way better than the alternative. On the bright side, being pink, it’s always fun to show up at the radiology center and meet new friends.


I have a staggering fact for you…did you know that 80% of breast cancers don’t run in families? That means that most of us are at risk for it even though no one in our family had it. So, what can we do to stay on top of early detection? With all of the controversy over when to start mammograms, the prevailing opinions are still recommending that screening mammograms begin at age 40 and continue each year thereafter. What has divided some on this issue is the fact that most women who get breast cancer are menopausal so the radiation exposure from mammograms beginning at age 40 versus the number of women diagnosed before the age of 50 may not be worth the risk. Everyone has to make the decision that is right for them. Regardless where you fall on this, just be sure to actually schedule your mammogram and not wait until you get around to it ;)

But did you know that there is another way to detect changes in your breast? I believe that breast self exams done properly can be effective. I know there is controversy over the effectiveness of these exams, but I’m here to tell you that my BFF, Kathy McEvoy, found her own tumor just three weeks after her mammogram came back negative. Her tumor was located at the sternum which could not be detected by a mammogram. Be sure to check the extreme perimeters of the breast when doing your breast self exams. Share this with your friends too, she was lucky and caught it because it would never be detected on a mammogram. So if you had any doubts about self exams, think if her.

So, as you can see, there are differing views on these simple preventative measures. The way I look at it, our breasts are one of the few organs we can actually examine ourselves and if we do it on a regular basis we become intimate with them and know when any changes occur. As we saw with my BFF, her tumor would never show up on a mammogram, which could be any of us. So let’s get intimate, know your girls!

I’m having lots of fun in October….how are you wearing your pink this month?

Pink Hugs,
Pinky

My 5 Year Milestone is Finally Here!

It is with heartfelt happiness and gratitude that I share with everyone today…IT IS MY 5 YEAR MILESTONE FOR BEING BREAST CANCE FREE!!! Hold on, let me say it one more time..today is my 5 year milestone for being breast cancer free!!! I can’t begin to tell you how it feels to finally get here. No, I am not letting my guard down in any way as I know it is possible for a recurrence at anytime but statistically speaking by virtue of making it to five years, my odds just got a whole lot better. I like the way that sounds :).

So, how do I plan to celebrate this very special day that I have been waiting so long for??? The truth is I will be celebrating tomorrow on October 14. I am hosting a Celebration of Life luncheon for my friends. I have asked them to wear pink, there will be pink everywhere, we’ll play silly games and learn about breast cancer. I have asked them to join me in supporting women who need financial assistance as they undergo breast cancer treatment by donating to The Tigerlily Foundation. It’s important to me to use the occasion not only to educate others but to help the sheroes who are fighting for their lives.


As many of you know, Celebrate In Pink partyware came about as a result of my breast cancer journey. I will be very proudly using the partyware at my celebration and honor the tremendous amount of dedication it has taken me to get it this far. It is this very type of celebration that inspired me to design a collection that women could use to show how they feel and the good that they innately want to be a part of.

So, this is MY day and it will be one of the most fabulous days of my life! It is the reason why so many of my days are filled with gratitude as I don’t take any of them for granted and try to make the most of each and every one….I hope that you do too…here’s to a day of celebrating and I wish us many many more!

My Personal Celebration...Won't You Join Me?

Meet Pinky!

I’m happy to introduce the newest team member at Celebrate In Pink, her name is Pinky! Even in this very tough job market, she had lots of offers and I’m thrilled she chose us. She will be our roving at-large contributor bringing her view to different topics, covering events for us and sharing whatever she feels like (sort of ;).

Pinky’s getting ready for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 5 in Washington DC so she has her walking shoes on, she’s ready to hit the trail and start her training. Pinky isn’t concerned about how long it takes her to walk, she wants to enjoy her walks throughout the neighborhood. She loves walking with Zeppelin, her dog (yes, she has a dog), and talking with neighbors along the way. Today she walked a mile and had a great time.

Pinky wants everyone to find a walk in your city and participate in it; the energy you will experience will be amazing. It will benefit you and a great cause all at the same time. Stay tuned for updates on Pinky’s training program and please feel free to leave her tips and share your experiences with her…she would love that!

Look for more Pinky adventures in the next several weeks, Pinky, we’re happy to have you!

Friends Helping Through Breast Cancer

Do you have a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and don’t know how to help? Sometimes we feel awkward and helpless when one of our friends announces that she now belongs to a new club that none of the rest of her friends belongs to. Being a breast cancer survivor myself, I know how that feels. I was the first and thankfully, still only one of my friends to go through cancer. Being in the club, you speak a whole different lingo, go places you’ve never been before, meet all sorts of new people and endure things you never thought you would. All of which are off the radar with everyone else except your immediate family.

Even though your friends don’t belong to the club, they want to help I any way they can. Being the strong person that you are, you want to put on a happy face every day and be the friend that you were prior to joining the club. You don’t want this beast to be an inconvenience for anyone else except you (and maybe your hubby) so you turn down offers for help. Thankfully one of my dear friends who routinely asked to take me to treatment, I of course said I was fine, was strong enough to look me in the eye and let me know that I was denying her of quality time with me and of preventing her from doing something that she really wanted to do. I didn’t realize that by not allowing others to do for me when they so wanted to, I was being selfish and only thinking of me. Your friends who offer to help, they really do want to, they are not only doing it for you but for them too. So, let them! This was one of the most valuable life lessons I learned on my journey, graciously allow others to give of themselves, it makes them feel a part of it and gives them a feeling of joy.

Lesson for the day…when your friends offer help, please let them, you are denying them of their God given right to feel good about helping others and why not let the ‘others’ be you? Hope this helps make your journey better, it did mine…Kathy

The Power of Pink

You’ve been invited to a girl friend’s house for a girl’s night-out party. It’s not your typical party but has a definite theme. She ask you to bring an appetizer to share and item that you once treasured but would like to see someone else enjoy. During the evening you have a chance to chat with friends, learn about breast health and raise money for a local organization that supports women undergoing breast cancer treatment….would you go?


Become part of the Celebrate In Pink Movement and partake in socially responsible partying. That treasure that you were asked to bring will be recycled and raffled off to raise money; the breast cancer information sitting on the sideboard may save your life one day; the fellowship with friends is just what your needed and the women being helped by your party is priceless! Think about how great you will feel at the end of the party tallying up the money raised knowing that the power of pink makes such a difference for others.

Join the Celebrate In Pink Movement and host a party with your friends. Of course using Celebrate In Pink partyware will make your party even more special and reinforce the theme. To help raise more money, we offer our products to the hostess at discounted pricing for resale at the party, so that any profits can be given to support your local cause. Who knew that one party would change someone’s life? Who knew that you and your friends would pay for transportation to and from treatment or chemo co-pays? Start planning your Celebrate In Pink party now and make a difference one party at time. Call us for more ways to raise money at your party or for help finding a local organization in your community.

Do not underestimate the power of pink!

Girl Friend Tuesdays

Starting today, we will double our charitable donation on any product purchased on Tuesday from CelebrateInPink.com. It's our hope that you will share Girl Friend Tuesdays with your girl friends and they with theirs. We call it Girl Friend Tuesdays since through your purchase you will be supporting someone's girl friend.

We provide financial assistance to women undergoing breast cancer treatment and help with expenses such as transportation for treatment, co-pays, utilities, wigs, etc. Each Tuesday we will endeavor to provide funds to assist a breast cancer survivor with a specific item. For example, today, we hope to raise enough money to provide four co-pays for chemotherapy.

Girl Friend Tuesdays is a way to ‘connect’ to the girl friends we haven’t yet met. Let Celebrate In Pink be your mutual friend. The best part about Girl Friend Tuesdays is the awesome pink ribbon partyware, stationery or chic t-shirt you get to sport while providing families with financial relief.

So, what will be your favorite item today??? The Full Monty gift set, beautiful note cards or a chic t-shirt that says it all with three little words “Save the Girls”. Did I mention that if you use the promo code SAVEME10 at checkout you get 10% off your entire order? What more can one ask for…great items on sale that directly support our girl friends…spread the word, its Girl Friend Tuesday!!!

Thanks for your support…Kathy