I can totally understand your frustration. When I was 9 a family up the street lost the father to lung cancer (back then you didn't talk what type). Everyone was sad but knew that he smoked several packs a day so we weren't shocked. Yes even in 78' this didn't shock us.
Then over the summer of 80' the mother died of lung cancer as well. This left their 3 kids orphans. That was when second hand smoke was introduced in to my world as a reality.
But because of 1 smoker in the house the second case was blamed on that. We really can't say for sure that's the case. Not 100%. Sure it's likely.
Honestly because of my age it was just something that happened to a family on my street. Until the day the daughter who was in my class broke down in the school bathroom and I was the only one there to listen.
Breast Cancer is the one cancer people can find early on their own. So I understand why it gets tons of attention. But you're right in being upset that other cancers don't get the same money.
I think the other thing that gets me about it is that it's been taken up as such a feminist issue....gods forbid that you point out that MEN can get breast cancer. If more people thought more about general screenings, colonoscopy, bloodwork, etc., we could catch more of the other cancers, imho. The focus on breast cancer is *great* because it raises awareness. But more awareness is needed on just plain cancer in general.
I knew a woman who was practically rabid about doing BSE, getting her mammograms, breast care.....she died of colon cancer, because she was too embarassed to have a colonoscopy. *sigh*
I know a guy who's Dad signed up for a general healthy case study and in the process found colon cancer. Luck was really on his side because it was early.
My friend has 2 brothers. My friend was the only one who has gotten regular complete check ups since his Dad's cancer. He refuses to leave it up to chance that he'll be as lucky as his Dad.
yeah. People should'nt fear doctors- they should go to them when they are well to stay that way. We have medicine backwards in this country- so by the time something is broken, its a retro-fit. My dad would have never known about the lung cancer if he didn't get an xray for his back. They stopped doing annual chest xrays for people. ( even tho radiology has improved tenfold in the past 20 years.) And yet I see so many people lighting up on the streets. It is a weakness, It is addictive.And yes there are genetic factors along with the social. Now if they could find the "crave" gene, they could prevent thousands of deaths. American indians were smart enough to only use it in small doses, as special ritual, and in pipe form. Now they smoke carcinogen laced embalming fluid-dipped cigarettes. If I had a time machine I would go back and pop a cap in Raliegh's head, steal his lunch money and bury him in a cornfield. English twit. Just sayin.
There was a guy who commented on the Reddit link last night that just had his head so far up his ass that I asked Bethany to reply to him before I removed his head from his shoulders, leaving it permanently ensconsced in his rectum. Just one more person thinking breast cancer is the ONLY cancer for women, and that all fundraisers are fundraisers for research.
Bethany did an excellent job of knocking his knees out from under him, though.
That is one of the things brought up in my online support group. When I tell people I have cancer, the first thing they look at are my boobs, as if they are wondering "Which one is real, and which one is memorex".
Yep. the first thing everyone asked me is "is it breast cancer?" Because I'm female, and young. The usual response I got after saying it is Hodgkin's Lymphoma is "what's that?"
*SIGH*
oh, and the reddit dude posted an "I stand corrected" after Bethany's reply. So at least he stopped being a dork.
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Then over the summer of 80' the mother died of lung cancer as well. This left their 3 kids orphans. That was when second hand smoke was introduced in to my world as a reality.
But because of 1 smoker in the house the second case was blamed on that. We really can't say for sure that's the case. Not 100%. Sure it's likely.
Honestly because of my age it was just something that happened to a family on my street. Until the day the daughter who was in my class broke down in the school bathroom and I was the only one there to listen.
Breast Cancer is the one cancer people can find early on their own. So I understand why it gets tons of attention. But you're right in being upset that other cancers don't get the same money.
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I knew a woman who was practically rabid about doing BSE, getting her mammograms, breast care.....she died of colon cancer, because she was too embarassed to have a colonoscopy. *sigh*
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My friend has 2 brothers. My friend was the only one who has gotten regular complete check ups since his Dad's cancer. He refuses to leave it up to chance that he'll be as lucky as his Dad.
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Hearing him explain the problems they had squishing his chest into the machine was quite amusing.
Fortunately, the lump was benign and easily removed.
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American indians were smart enough to only use it in small doses, as special ritual, and in pipe form. Now they smoke carcinogen laced embalming fluid-dipped cigarettes. If I had a time machine I would go back and pop a cap in Raliegh's head, steal his lunch money and bury him in a cornfield. English twit. Just sayin.
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Although I know they don't mean it that way, my wee lizard hindbrain always processes it as 'Brave Little Soldier Bet."
I'm not brave - just cussedly stubborn. And some days, it is all I can do to put one foot in front of the other and get through it.
But really, the alternatives suck worse, so there ya are then. :>
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Bethany did an excellent job of knocking his knees out from under him, though.
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That is one of the things brought up in my online support group. When I tell people I have cancer, the first thing they look at are my boobs, as if they are wondering "Which one is real, and which one is memorex".
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*SIGH*
oh, and the reddit dude posted an "I stand corrected" after Bethany's reply. So at least he stopped being a dork.
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