Metavivor - 10/31/11

On this last day of "pinktober", I came across an article that really touched my heart.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/TOP/2011/10/28-39/Local-woman-starts-nonprofit-for-metastatic-cancer.html

I am warning you that I am probably going to become more vocal about MBC because I am constantly bombarded with too much information that is disturbing about this disease. My MBC sisters are dying on BCMets.org, my main source of information. I get accustomed to reading their posts, then they go into hospice, and then they die. I feel like I am losing a friend or family member each week, and I have not even met any of these people. I am not an active participant on the List, but I've gotten to know them from their posts and from sharing some of their experiences. They have become a part of me, a part of me that I lose every time I hear that one of them has passed.

Did you know that from all of the money that has been raised this year, only 2% will go to research to keep MBC patients alive? I'm guessing that billions of dollars was raised this year. Think about how much pink you've seen in the last 31 days - the walks, the runs, the NFL, the ribbons, the bracelets, and the t-shirts. MBC will take away 40,000 people this year, and out of 31 days, we had one day, October 13, to raise awareness about us. I know there are a lot of diseases and a lot of good causes out there, but please think before you pink next October. Think about www.metavivor.org/ which donates all of its dollars to research for metastatic breast cancer. We are so far past awareness. Who does not know something about breast cancer or someone who has or had breast cancer? It's time to change the focus from awareness to action. I cringe every time I hear that if you catch it early, then you're good to go. That's not always the case. I thought that I was good to go in 2003, and here I am just eight years later with cancer throughout my body. I celebrated my five year anniversary after my initial diagnosis by finding out that the breast cancer had metastasized to my pelvic bone and spine. I'm aware. Now let's donate more of this awareness money to research to find a cure to the breast cancer that kills - Metastatic Breast Cancer, Stage IV Breast Cancer, or whatever you want to call it.

I am so angry! I mean kicking, screaming, balled fists, and ready to fight kind of angry. I have to do something. I'm a part of the problem. I have to make efforts to become a part of the solution. If I ever get my body to cooperate again, I will be planning a short journey run/walk, probably across Tennessee (approximately 455 miles), but preferably along the Natchez Trace Parkway (approximately 444 miles) to raise money for Metavivor. Before that, I have to gather some courage to let the cat out of the bag. I'll explain that in a later post, but once that's done, it's on!