MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'boycott'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:22:03 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018176&cid=t_149970_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-opt-out-of-medicare%2F2010.09.30 I opted out of Medicare several years ago. This means I don’t see Medicare patients other than in the emergency room when I’m on unassigned call. I don’t submit bills to Medicare or to those patients. I just let it slide. Last Wednesday I received the following letter from a large radiology group in my home town: September 2010 RE:  PECOS Enrollment To our referring physicians and their office managers: At __________we have begun a project to identify ordering physicians who are not enrolled in Medicare’s Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS).  Our purpose is to remind physicians of the importance of enrollment to them and to us. Beginning in January, 2011 those providers filing Medicare claims listing an NPI number on the claim of an unenrolled provider will... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018176 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4018176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726738&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fcancer-postcards-greeting-cards.html  A woman named Lurdes e-mailed me from Portugal today to tell me about her blog, which is a collection of postcards about cancer. See: Postcard About Cancer/Hope The most interesting people find me through my blog!Lurdes writes that she has been in treatment for cancer, Hodgkin's disease, since March of 2008. On her blog she asks that cancer survivors write her a postcard with a message of hope. That seems like a cool project, so I e-mailed her my cancer postcard, which is the M&Ms mosaic above. In case you don't know the history of this postcard/mosaic, it is made entirely of pink M&Ms, which is my way of protesting against the trivializing of the disease that is going to kill me by marketing pink products that are of absolutely NO BENEFIT TO ME at ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726738 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:26:07 +0100 3726738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2950957&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-the-2009-winners.html Choosing the winners in our third annual competition to find the tackiest, most trivial, most offensive pink-ribbon products wasn't easy. As readers of this blog know only too well, during October we are overwhelmed by displays of tacky pink crap whenever we venture into most retail establishments. It was especially difficult for me this year, because my good friend Debutaunt, who won both of the previous two contests, died last spring. Every crappy pink ribbon product made me grieve for Deb, who was not here to share my outrage. As always, The Assertive Cancer Patient suggests that you fight back by voting with your wallet. Don't shop at stores filled with pink-ribbon merchandise, and do patronize stores that refuse to be pink-washed. Grand prize: to Karla, for t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2950957 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:22:22 +0100 2950957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943750&cid=t_149970_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fnestle-free-week-october-26-november-1%2F We’re in the thick of Nestlé-Free Week — are you participating? At my house it’s Nestlé-Free Week for 52 weeks out of the year, but those who do not already boycott Nestlé might try to do so for just this one week and for their Halloween candy purchases in particular. This year for Halloween I chose to buy Smarties, those little pieces of pure processed sugar and food coloring. The poor Smarties company has to put on the homepage of its website: “Do not confuse our Smarties with Nestlé chocolate Smarties”! I wanted something without corn syrup and something not made by Nestlé, and Smarties were the best I could do in the two seconds I was willing to spend in the candy aisle with three children! The week before I had been shopping for popsicles and could... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943750 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:41:32 +0100 2943750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927525&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fmore-contest-entries.html A reader and friend sent in a couple more entries to our "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest. Ellana's first entry: A Pink Ribbon Police CarHer second entry: Pink Capitol Dome Don't know what I'm talking about? See: OK, I Cave, We Need a Contest After All Got an entry? Please post in the comments box below, with a link to a photo if possible. I will announce the winners on October 31, and then we can all get back to normal for another year. @ Jeanne Sather 2009.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927525 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:17:49 +0100 2927525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920441&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fthe-fck-awareness-tshirt.html I've had a lot of requests from women who want to get the T-shirt that I'm wearing in this photo. I bought it a couple of years ago. I believe I got it from the cafepress.com Web site, but when I went there just now, they didn't have the exact same shirt. I believe that is because the woman who designed my shirt has died, or so I was told by a reader.Yes, women do die of breast cancer. Even young, tough, assertive women who give everything they've got to the fight. In any case, cafepress has a shirt with the same language, although not the same design. Or you can use that site to design and order your own shirt. If you do that, please e-mail me a photo of you wearing your shirt. I'd love to see it. Here's the link: F&ck awareness If I wer... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920441 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:10:20 +0100 2920441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886676&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fpink-ribbon-overkill-on-aol.html I did an interview a week or so ago with a reporter from one of AOL's sites, Daily Finance, and the story went live today. It's a good piece, and strengthens my feeling that the tide is turning on pink marketing. Read: Pink Ribbon Overkill A note on the photo: That's me, blogging at a coffee shop in Honolulu last February. Note the T-shirt. It says, "F. awareness, find a cure," and the letter U in "f." is a little pink ribbon. However, I actually feel that rather than "raising awareness" or even working so hard to find a cure, we should be working to change behavior. We are never going to cure breast cancer as long as our environment and our lives are so toxic. 1. Don't smoke.2. Exercise regularly.3. Maintain... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886676 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:50:15 +0100 2886676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871969&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Ffrom-the-e-mail-box.html One really great thing about the increased traffic to my blog that resulted from the Boston Globe story--and also because it's October--is all the interesting mail that arrives in my in-box!I'm sure I'll make a few new friends as a result, and also be offered some interesting opportunities. Here are a few examples:Another Radio InterviewI did one radio interview on October 1, and I'm booked to do another one on Friday the 16th with the Morning Show at radio station WMJI in Independence, Ohio. This is about pink-ribbon cause marketing, of course.For my earlier interview, see: Talkin' on the Radio ... Meeting New Cancer BloggersAnother thing that happens when I get a lot of traffic is that other cancer bloggers find me. A man named David who was re... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871969 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:03:03 +0100 2871969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855797&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fhas-the-tide-turned-on-pink-ribbons.html I'm an optimistic person, and I really thought a year ago that the tide was turning on pink ribbons. But, despite a number of news stories in 2008 that examined the whole cause marketing issue in greater detail than in the past, I was forced to conclude that the tide had not yet swept away the sea of pink schlock that makes shopping such an ordeal at this time of year for those of us living with breast cancer. Now, though, I think I can say THE TIDE HAS TURNED.Why?Because Good Housekeeping magazine, politically conservative, socially middle-of-the-road Good Housekeeping, ran an article this month titled:  Who Needs Pink Ribbons With a Friend Like You?It's a good piece. I don't even mind that I've been saying these things for five years or... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855797 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:30:53 +0100 2855797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855798&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fboston-globe-sick-of-pink.html Here's the article in the Boston Globe Magazine that I mentioned yesterday. It appears in this coming Sunday's paper. It's good article, and I was happy to be interviewed for it.Read: Sick of Pink Anna, who was interviewed in the piece is a reader of this blog and an online friend of mine. She's popped up on my blog from time to time. See: Anna's Letter to Komen I have only one nit to pick about the Boston Globe story: That "one in eight" statistic popped up again, and it simply isn't true. Here's my post on that: What Happened to One in 8?  @ Jeanne Sather 2009.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855798 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:37:32 +0100 2855798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2852015&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F10%2Ftalkin-on-the-radio-.html I didn't have time to publicize this in advance, so apologies for those of you who live in New Hampshire and surrounding areas who might have wanted to listen, but I did an interview with a radio station this morning about pink-ribbon cause marketing. The interview was with a program called Word of Mouth, on New Hampshire Public Radio, and you can listen to it here: Jeanne on Word of Mouth I was a bit squeezed for time and didn't get to make all the points that the producers had prepped me for, but that's because they interviewed someone else during the same program, Kris Frieswick, who interviewed me for a story in the Boston Globe Magazine. I don't have a copy of that story, and haven't actually seen it yet, but I believe it runs this coming Sunday.&... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2852015 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:49:51 +0100 2852015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807841&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F09%2Flowering-the-bar.html Yesterday was one of the toughest days I've had in months. I didn't sleep well Wednesday night, and I threw up in the middle of the night--the second time this week. So I spent the entire day in bed, reading, nursing a very sore back, and being waited on grudgingly by younger son. Not my favorite kind of day. The crash was the result, indirectly, of a conversation I had with my therapist on Wednesday. It was one of those "come to Jesus" conversations where I finally faced something that had been dancing around the edges of my mind for weeks, if not longer. The reality that I need to "lower the bar." My health is continuing to deteriorate, slowly but surely, and I can't do all the things in a day that I did even six months ago. I... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807841 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:43:46 +0100 2807841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793389&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fpink-ribbon-fatigue-and-octobers-not-even-here-yet.html Dear Readers:October is not even here yet, and The Assertive Cancer Patient (that's the public me) has pink ribbon fatigue. I've been fighting back on the pink ribbon exploitation of women with breast cancer for years now, starting with a piece I wrote in 2004 for Seattle Weekly called "Gag Me With a Pink Ribbon." (A little sidelight, there is some sick puppy out there on the Web who keeps trying to leave comments related to oral sex on this post. I keep deleting them. This battle has gone on for years as well. What is it about the word  gag?)I have, over the years, become one of the spokeswomen for the "I hate pink" effort, and I just recently did an interview with a writer for the Boston Globe Magazine that should run soon. I keep hoping that each ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793389 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:54:04 +0100 2793389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2789166&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F09%2Foctobers-coming-pink-ribbons-pro-and-con.html You can tell October is just around the corner when the e-mails start coming in from various organizations that have wrapped themselves in pink ribbons ... As a writer, I especially dislike the cliches and the cutesy language. From a press release announcing that Energizer was sponsoring chair massages for participants in this weekend's Breast Cancer 3-Day:"The services will take place in a TRAVELING PINK OASIS ..."Ugh. Another reminder that October is coming is the e-mails I get from readers, and the comments they leave on my blog. Here are two, one pro pink ribbons, one against. I feel differently. Having gone through breast cancer this whole past year, chemo, surgery and radiation and encountering many difficulities thoughout these treatments, I totally e... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2789166 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:05:14 +0100 2789166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734227&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F08%2F25%2Fchaos-theory-glenn-beck-finds-new-sponsors%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: Glenn Beck Finds New Sponsors. Posted in Politcal Cartoons Tagged: fox tv, glenn beck, glenn beck boycott (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734227 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:57:48 +0100 2734227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347830&cid=t_149970_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fjoin-the-may-protests-against-nestle%2F Protests against Nestlé began in the 1970s and continue strong even now 30 years later as Nestlé continues to be one of the worst violators of the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes. If you are wondering “Should you boycott Nestle?” read that article and then come back here for the details on the protests planned at Nestlé headquarters and on Facebook! Baby Milk Action operates as a non-profit seeking to protect mothers and babies from irresponsible marketing of artificial baby milks. The group supports breastfeeding and safer formula feeding. Baby Milk Action plans to target Nestlé with a demonstration on Saturday May 16, 2009 at the Nestlé headquarters in Croydon in the United Kingdom. If you can’t make it th... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347830 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:52:51 +0100 2347830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2326692&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F04%2Ftime-for-a-rerun-or-two-or-three.html It's time for a couple of good reruns, for those of you who are new to my blog and may not have noticed all the categories off there to the right ... First, the series that started it all: Jeanne's Diary. I wrote this when I was first diagnosed, so more than 10 years ago, but I think it holds up pretty well. Don't read it for treatment info, because that part is out of date. I think you will see shadows of the woman who later became the Assertive Cancer Patient--she was struggling to get out in those days, still intimidated by medical authority figures, for example. Jeanne's Diary Boycott OctoberI'm thinking of Debutaunt almost constantly today, and that reminds me that she won my "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest two years in a row--and Deb d... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2326692 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:41:39 +0100 2326692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2326694&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fdaffodils-for-debutaunt.html Debutaunt is not doing very well. I had an IM conversation with one of her sisters about an hour ago, and got this news. I'll write more in a bit, but for now I just wanted to post some daffodils for Deb. I took these photos in my front yard, just this minute, and they are special daffodils that I planted last fall--so the first time that they've bloomed in my yard, and they are blooming for Deb. Jenna and Steph--if you see this, and if possible, could you show Deb these photos and tell her I took them for her? Thanks.  @ Jeanne Sather 2009.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2326694 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:59:04 +0100 2326694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960487&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fpink-ribbon-interview-with-phoenix-fox-tv.html Between my latest round of scans and doctors appts. and then Jacqueline's visit to Seattle, I'm behind on posting to my blog. Here's the link to an interview I did with the Fox TV affiliate in Phoenix:Is Buying Pink Making a Difference? @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960487 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:07:17 +0100 1960487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943271&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F11%2Flung-cancer-mms-1.html November is lung cancer awareness month (also pancreatic cancer, I believe), but there are no displays of merchandise in the lung cancer ribbon color (pearl) at supermarkets and drug stores. After reading yesterday's post, We've Run Out of Colors, Amorette created lung cancer awareness M&Ms and sent me a jpeg. It's also possible to order M&Ms in pretty much any color you want, so if you want to "celebrate" November with pearl-colored M&Ms (as Komen celebrates October with pink M&Ms), you will probably have to order your own. I don't see Mars/M&Ms coming out with this product any time soon. For personalized M&Ms, with text, logo, or colors, see: M&MsI may order some lung cancer M&Ms, although I've be... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943271 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:57:53 +0100 1943271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1938853&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fweve-run-out-of-colors.html I was wondering what color the lung cancer awareness ribbon was--not that I'm a fan of these ribbons or of the circus of pink-ribbon-retail-therapy that Komen is responsible for, you understand--but I wanted to know. So I did a search, and it turns out that the lung cancer ribbon is "pearl." That's kind of a weird color for a ribbon, if you think about it. How often have you seen pearl-colored ribbons? Should they look like shell? Like mother of pearl buttons? Should they reflect the light with little rainbows? Will that make anyone feel better about having lung cancer? Of course, what I'm really wondering, now that October is over (thank god) and November--which IS LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, folks--is here, is where are all the:Lung cancer awarene... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1938853 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:25:17 +0100 1938853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1932993&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fjust-when-i-thought-it-was-safe.html Just when I thought it was safe to come out of my October bunker (all the pink-ribbon merchandise is dumped on the deep-discount tables at most retailers), this came in the mail, forwarded by a friend: 10 Ways to Think Pink All Year Long BAD IDEA. Thumbs down!We don't need a higher level of breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer awareness is way too high for the threat this disease poses to most American women. How about lung cancer awareness? Lung cancer kills many more women (and men) than breast cancer does--but where is the Lung Cancer Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup? Or the Lung Cancer Tic Tacs? Or Lung Cancer Barbie? (Should she come with a jeweled cigarette holder?)What color is the lung cancer ribbon, anyway?Enough, already. @ Jeanne Sather 2008. &#01... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1932993 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:52:40 +0100 1932993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1926350&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fan-idea-for-next-october.html A reader named Cathy, newly diagnosed with breast cancer, added a comment to my post announcing the winners of my second annual "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest in which she gave me a great idea. Cathy wrote:"I am SO glad I found this Web site. Although I was just diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer THIS MONTH, I am so sick of pink I could just gag. "I have informed my friends and family that MY particular colors will be purple and lime green, thank you very much. Will be back to visit often!!!"Cathy--excellent idea! So, pink haters, next October, let's each choose our own personal colors and wear them with pride. I think I'm going to get--or make--the "M for Malignant" T-shirt as well. See: The Winners (Source: The Asse... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926350 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:51:13 +0100 1926350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924391&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-the-winners.html Choosing the winners in our second annual competition to find the tackiest, most trivial, most offensive pink-ribbon products wasn't easy. As readers of this blog know only too well, during October we are overwhelmed by displays of tacky pink crap whenever we venture into most retail establishments. (Some notable exceptions here in Seattle: Whole Foods, Metropolitan Market, and PCC--thank you, all. At the top of the thumb's down list: Bed, Bath & Beyond, which had at least 30 pink-ribbon products.)As always, The Assertive Cancer Patient suggests that you fight back by voting with your wallet. Don't shop at stores filled with pink-ribbon merchandise, and do patronize stores that refuse to be pink-washed. This year's contest was international, with entries fro... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924391 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:38:04 +0100 1924391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924392&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-peters-entry.html My friend Peter, a student at Evergreen State College, forwarded the following announcement as his entry into the contest. I didn't post it earlier, because I was trying to get my hands on one of these shirts before the college athletic dept. shut him down. I THINK it's a spoof, and I would dearly love an "M for Malignant" T-shirt to wear during October, but was unable to get one. Note that the explanation of "malignant" in the flyer is not correct. --JeanneFrom: Minor, Jonathan [mailto:minjon03@evergreen.edu] Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 1:00 PMTo: Tesc Community AnnouncementsSubject: [tesccrier] M for malignant M for Malignant In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month&#016... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924392 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:04:26 +0100 1924392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924393&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-amorettes-entry-2.html I think this is Amorette's second entry, maybe her third ... Go, girl.  She writes, "Someone, in a very cheap bid to win a pumpkin carving contest, has apparently decorated their pumpkin as a PINK BREAST CANCER M & M."If they were being facetious, that's hilarious.  Except something should be happening to the M&M...something bad.   Breast cancer, maybe."If they weren't...that's sad."Given the pink ribbon in the pumpkin's hand, I think this is a serious entry. See also:  M&Ms: The Mosaic (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924393 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:44:35 +0100 1924393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920868&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-30-the-quote-of-the-day.html "Through my cancer 'experience,'  I have learned that I am not a 'survivor.' I am living with it, and will always live with it....it NEVER goes away, it consumes you and changes everything in your life. "Ribbons and outward displays of 'easy' support do nothing for the cause (the ultimate cause should be to eliminate the disease and not have to cure it).  "I have been bombarded with info and 'victim' brochures and products for all the above mentioned cancers....I will say that the breast cancer victim package was larger than the rest....it had diaries, calendars, information on wigs, skin care, etc...obviously put together by a 'non victim.' "This is how you support a person with breast cance... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920868 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:37:29 +0100 1920868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920869&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-29-the-quote-of-the-day.html This one was posted a day late, apologies.  "I'm a spinal-cord cancer patient, and my mom is on her fifth or sixth different cancer incarnation (we lost count).   One of them was breast CA, though, and when she was first diagnosed, we were nearly drowned in a tidal wave of pink. "There was all this 'support' that had been nonexistent with her other diagnoses.  I have to say, we were doing just fine without it.  Suddenly, people were handing her pink-ribbon binders to write about her feelings, giving her pink everything, and she was getting calls from one 'counselor' after another to ask how she was feeling.   "They all had these furrowed-brow expressions of intense concern that we didn't know how... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920869 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:31:39 +0100 1920869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920870&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-sarahs-entry-1.html Again, I don't have a photo of this one, but it's just so unbelievable, we had to enter it in the contest. Go to this link unfuckingbelievable to see a coupon inside a package of candy sold by Cherrydale Farms in Pennsylvania. If you use a 42 cent stamp to mail in the coupon, the candy company will donate ONE CENT "to the fight against breast cancer." Unfuckingbelievable is right!From the person who posted the photo:Well, actually a kid came to the door and was selling these. I bought some. I didn't know what the inside of the wrapper said or what the "cause" was that the kid was selling the candy for, I just thought, yeah, I want some candy.So, the bars cost $1 each...and they don't even taste good. So this bullshit company, Cherrydale... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920870 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:23:56 +0100 1920870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920872&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-amorettes-entry-1.html Amorette, cancer blogger and bento artist, sent in this entry to our contest. Sales of these pink mint patties benefit the Young Survival Coalition, an organization I generally like. YSC has THE BEST bulletin boards for women with cancer, bar none. So what are they doing taking money from a candy company? Remember, being overweight or obese significantly increases your chances of developing breast cancer, and your chances of a recurrence if you have already had breast cancer. So if you want to put something pink in your mouth, how about a fresh, ripe strawberry? Yum. And all those antioxidants too. Toss the pink mint patties straight into the trash. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.   (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920872 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:02:25 +0100 1920872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920873&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-debutaunts-entry.html Debutaunt, always on the lookout for the truly awful in cancer marketing, sent in this entry to our "How LOW WIll Komen GO?" contest. Translation of text on this mousepad: ENGLISH TRANSLATION: Frequent massaging breasts enables you to detect breast cancer before it strikes. Before you protest that Komen had nothing to do with this particular product, which was made in Hong Kong and features a sexy blonde with Asian eyes, let me remind you that Komen IS responsible for the whole cause-marketing pink-ribbon-merchandising phenomenon, and, for that reason, the contest is named for Komen, whether Komen collects money from a particular product entered in the contest or not. Glad we cleared that up. Another reason the contest is named for Komen: Komen refuses to take ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920873 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:44:59 +0100 1920873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920874&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fcancer-awareness.html OK, October is almost over, so I'm a bit testy every time I hear the words "breast cancer awareness" parroted at me as an excuse for products like pink-ribbon underpants from Hanes, pink Tic Tacs, and so on (My latest "favorite": a girly pink hammer with the words "Hammer out breast cancer" engraved on the metal). Remember, if you are 25, your chances of getting breast cancer in your lifetime are about one in 19,000. And there is research out there that says that all this breast cancer "awareness" may not actually save lives, while it certainly raises anxiety levels among women of all ages. And then there's another question that I find very interesting: Which cancers are we WILLING to be aware of, and which cancers are major compa... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920874 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:11:33 +0100 1920874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1914492&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-28-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I'm fed up with the pinking of October and the trendy-ing of women's fight for our lives ... I learned of the buttons on Young Survival and I'm thinkin' this is my kinda 'awareness.'"--NicoleWant a Boycott October button? Send me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com See: Boycott October 2008 Shopping never cured a disease. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914492 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:31:50 +0100 1914492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911280&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-27-the-quote-of-the-day.html "When was the last time you bought a pink ribbon for a man who has breast cancer?"--JeanneBREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. See also: Douglas: (Misguided) Komen Fund-Raiser or Crook? @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911280 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:45:56 +0100 1911280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901299&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-23-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I am another breast cancer survivor who is disappointed in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's marketing efforts."Five years ago, at the age of 30, I was diagnosed with DCIS. I have lost both breasts but thankfully am still here, and my prognosis remains good."Over the past five years, what started as a generalized sense of unease over the pink marketing campaign has crystallized into full-blown distaste and opposition toward the seemingly standards-free practice of slapping pink labels on any product out there."--Allison (from a letter to Komen)BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901299 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:21:00 +0100 1901299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894777&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-22-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I find Komen’s unwillingness to support initiatives such as universal healthcare deeply troubling. I was diagnosed during law school while I had a horrible student insurance plan. But for my family taking care of paying for services, I would have probably had to forgo certain medical care. With that in mind, I think you can see why it would be incredibly frustrating to me that Komen lobbied against a more proactive patient bill of rights in 1999 – 2001."--Anna (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894777 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:19:00 +0100 1894777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894778&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-21-the-quote-of-the-day.html "i stumbled on your blog linked from someone else's, and i just wanted to say that this post was a great surprise to me. the whole ribbon thing annoys me in general, because i don't like the idea that somebody can slap a colorful magnet on their car and feel very righteous in their 'action' and 'awareness' when it is nothing of the sort. (i feel the same way about those ridiculous yellow ribbons.) but it honestly never occurred to me that there might be a greater issue behind it. thank you so much for bringing TRUE awareness to this issue. it has inspired me to learn more about the pink campaign."--ChandelleBREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894778 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:14:28 +0100 1894778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894780&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fdouglas-a-reply-from-komen.html I received e-mail from Mona Locke, executive director of the local Komen chapter,  this morning:Douglas who you encountered outside of Whole Foods, has absolutely no affiliation with Susan G. Komen.  It is easy to tell since our pink ribbon has a dot at the top.  We changed our branding about a year ago to differentiate ourselves from the sea of pink ribbons out there.  Having said that, anyone who wants to raise money and donate it to us is free to do so.  We have no control over that… but; Douglas is definitely neither an employee or associated with us directly in any way.  Thanks for pointing that out to your fellow readers and bloggers.Another thing that made me doubt Douglas: His sign said 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of his merchandi... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894780 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:43:07 +0100 1894780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894781&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-judis-entry.html Judi, a reader from Australia, sent in this entry to our contest. I haven't been able to upload the image successfully, so go to the link below to see the ad. Judi writes, "There is an ad in Australia at the moment which really aggravates me every time I see it. It is featured very prominently on billboards and bus shelters, so you can't miss it."The author of the blog with the photo writes: "Two water bottles with pink lids, photographed from above. See? They look like boobs! Boobies that could fit in your mouth! Cancer’s so sexy! Hahahaha!"The text of the ad: Every mouthful helpsRAISE AWARENESSfor breast cancer researchJudi says she has had secondary (metastatic) breast cancer in her liver and spine since 1999. Every mouthful helps ... Also:The Battle for O... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894781 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:10:23 +0100 1894781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888960&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fdouglas-misguided-komen-fund-raiser-or-crook.html I met Douglas this afternoon outside the Whole Foods in my neighborhood (NE 63rd and Roosevelt in Seattle).  Douglas—whose pink sunhat made me think at first that he was a woman--had set up a table on the sidewalk outside the store with a big sign that said 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of his merchandise would go to Komen, the 800-lb. gorilla of pink-ribbon cause marketing.  Now, there is an irony here: I don’t usually shop at Whole Foods because, even though it suits my vegetarian, preference-for-organic diet, it is expensive. So I usually shop at the QFC two blocks north, and just come to Whole Foods for their great (and cheap) house-brand rennet-less cheese and a few others things I can’t get elsewhere, like the fantastic selection of fresh mushrooms.&#0... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888960 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:45:04 +0100 1888960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886236&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fthose-are-komens-pink-tents.html I should have known that only Komen would have tents made in that particular shade of pink. When I wrote My New Neighbors the other day, I said: "Yes, it was the pink tents that first caught my attention. "And, no, these pink tents have nothing to do with Komen or October or breast cancer. What a relief!"However, if the information I've been given is correct, these tents DID originate with Komen, which used them for one of its three-day walks and then donated some of them to the Girl Scouts. The people I talked to at Nickelsville said that the Girl Scouts passed the tents on to them, but an anonymous critic of my blog has told me that Komen gave tents to Real Change and to the Seattle/King County Coalition for the Hom... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886236 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:22:28 +0100 1886236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886237&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fmore-from-lori-this-months-bastard-stepchild.html Being a lung cancer survivor during Breast Cancer Awareness Month makes you feel not only like a bastard stepchild, but also a nasty, guilty one for feeling angry and jealous. How could anyone fault breast cancer for receiving so much attention, funding, support, and sympathy when it strikes one in eight women and kills up to 13% of them within five years? [Note from Jeanne: the one in eight figure is not correct, although widely used for years to help create this festival of pink we now call October. See: What Happened to One in 8? ]But lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer, and takes nearly twice as many lives annually as breast cancer. And although lung cancer is stigmatized -- it's been described as the "serves-you-right cancer" -- very few people kno... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886237 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:43:43 +0100 1886237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886239&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fa-reminder-the-rules-of-engagement-for-this-blog.html I put this note at the bottom of posts that I think might be more-than-usually controversial. Since I've been getting anonymous hate mail posted to my blog as comments, from people using fake e-mail addresses, it's obviously time for a reminder.--JeanneNote: The Rules of EngagementFinally, let me say that anyone--except for people trying to sell something, or promote their own Web sites or blogs--is welcome to voice an opinion on my blog. However, name-calling is not allowed. Please see the comments section on my post about the Hallmark cancer cards for a good example of how to respectfully agree to disagree.@ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886239 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:14:01 +0100 1886239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886240&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-16-the-quote-of-the-day.html I am about "pinked out" from this October breast cancer awareness.  Was even BEFORE the month started with all the previews. Makes me want to go into a store and tear up all the pink dresses/outfits I see!!! Not to mention stomping to death all the pink caps with rhinestones!I am a 9 year survivor and 7 years stage IV, so have watched the Pink become more and more ubiquitous. Did not used to mind it, but now it looks more like a marketing opportunity almost as bad as Christmas!--StephanieBREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity.Note: Due to technical difficulties, yesterday's post is being posted a day late. But it's a good one, from a woman I've known for years and with whom I share a very similar metastatic breast cancer history.@ Jeanne ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886240 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:34:41 +0100 1886240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1875918&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-15-the-quote-of-the-day.html "Thank God. I thought I was the only one who thought all of this pink, nicey-nice that showed up in October was , to put it mildly, unrelated to the reality of breast cancer. I know money needs to be raised but it's gone way too far."--Ellen, an 11-year survivor.BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity.See also:  October 14: The Quote of the Day (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1875918 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:17:00 +0100 1875918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1875919&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fintroducing-breast-cancer-joe.html In 2006, in October, of course, Mattel introduced Breast Cancer Barbie.  I bought one to add to my Wall of Shame, and she's been there ever since, raising awareness in a different way from what Mattel intended. See: Breast Cancer Barbie Sometimes readers write to me, confused, asking if I made Breast Cancer Barbie, because they can't believe that Mattel did. But no, I found her on the shelves at Toys R Us. In 2007, in October, of course, I created Prostate Cancer Ken, as a companion for my Breast Cancer Barbie.I thought at the time that if I did a gender-reversal people might better be able to see how stupid this Barbie doll is, and how offensive it is to a woman like me. See: Prostate Cancer Ken At about the same time, I started to hear rumors of a doll ca... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1875919 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:33:44 +0100 1875919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1875921&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fkomen-are-you-listening-an-october-story.html Today, Janice sent me this e-mail. This is the reality of life with breast cancer during the month of October. It's not about pink ribbon underpants (Hanes) and pink glitter ducks. Or "celebrating" with pink M&Ms. It's about pain and fear.  Dear Jeanne,  October will never be the same for me again.  Early last October I went for a mammogram that I had scheduled much earlier in the year but I had been putting off.  The reason I had put it off was I had had a baseline some years earlier at a job two moves ago and I could not locate any records.  I finally went without any records. At first I recalled the technician telling me that because I had no baseline to submit that I might receive a letter in the... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1875921 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:57:05 +0100 1875921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1875923&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-14-the-quote-of-the-day.html An ad on foodconsumer.org:Pink Ribbon StoreShop to save lives!I do think that's what women think they are doing when they buy pink-ribbon merchandise each October. BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1875923 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:48:00 +0100 1875923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1872973&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fi-couldnt-make-this-stuff-up-if-i-tried.html I received an e-mail the other day from someone named Blaine Dangel promoting, she said, "a project I'm working on for breast cancer awareness month."Then she goes on to say, "in celebration [emphasis added] of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month ..." At which point I stopped reading. Are we having a party here?  ... No wonder breast cancer survivors get depressed in October. Blaine will have to promote her project without my help. If she'd spent even two minutes looking at my blog before she e-mailed me, she'd know she was looking in the wrong direction for help in giving women "social media applications ... generate awareness ... the opportunity to engage in related activities to help get the word out and to raise mone... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1872973 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:24:23 +0100 1872973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1872976&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-sarahs-entry.html Sarah sent in these "Limited Edition" pink-ribbon batteries as her entry in our second annual "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest. "Limited Edition"? Don't I feel special!The batteries aren't as offensive as "Jingle Jugs," last year's winner, but score very high in the absolutely trivial category, along with the pink-ribbon foot exfoliator. Thanks, Sarah. See also: The Battle for October: A Contest @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1872976 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:05:52 +0100 1872976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1872978&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-13-the-quote-of-the-day.html Pink ribbon merchandise is:“…a particularly prominent manifestation of the tight alliances that have formed between large breast cancer foundations and corporations, of the insidiously gendered nature of cause-related marketing that helps reproduce associations between women and shopping and of a more general tendency to deploy consumption as a major avenue of political participation."--Samantha King, Pink Ribbons Inc.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1872978 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:44:48 +0100 1872978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870514&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-12-the-quote-of-the-day.html "My friend and I are both breast cancer survivors and absolutely hate seeing the mass flow of pink everywhere you turn in October. Every time you think it's behind you, this time of year comes around and, bam, it's in your face again."--HeatherBREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity.@ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870514 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:40:16 +0100 1870514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870515&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-11-the-quote-of-the-day.html "Sign me up for boycotting October! I am a thyroid cancer patient [and] I am utterly disgusted by the crass exploitation of breast cancer so that big corps can profit."--Kairol BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870515 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:16:00 +0100 1870515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865378&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-10-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I am an oncologist and thought this 'awareness' stuff was crap even before I had cancer--now it bugs me even more." MelindaBREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. See also: October 9: The Quote of the Day @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865378 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:10:00 +0100 1865378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862627&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Freal-men-do-get-breast-cancer.html Breast Cancer Joe exists for a reason: To make people aware that men can--and do--get breast cancer.  Just one more reason that this annual "Festival of Pink Ribbons" is inappropriate.About one of each 100 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the United States each year is a man. The causes and risk factors for breast cancer in men are much the same as for women: aging, a family history, the BRCA genes, being overweight, exposure to some chemicals and workplace environments. Because men often do not realize that they can get breast cancer, they may put off seeing a doctor if they notice a lump in their breast tissue. This can hurt their chances for cancer-free survival. From the American Cancer Society Web site: Some men ignore breast lumps or thi... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862627 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:29:00 +0100 1862627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862629&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Ftransforming-gi-joe-into-bc-joe-the-process.html Car Guy is incredibly handy, and he suggested spray painting GI Joe's torso pink, since the T-shirt on the doll is molded on, and it's khaki in color.  We wanted that sickly Komen-for-the-cure pink ... so off to the hobby shop to buy a spray paint that works on plastic. While we were there we cruised up and down the aisles, admiring all the remote-control vehicles, especially the helicopters, a passion of Car Guy's. That's Car Guy's hand holding the spray paint. Note how carefully he masked Joe, with electrical tape and rubber gloves. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862629 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0100 1862629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862630&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Ftransforming-gi-joe-into-bc-joe-the-materials.html Here are some of the materials I bought to transform GI Joe into Breast Cancer Joe. One of my readers suggested that Joe should wear pink camo rather than khaki, and I found a baby blanket to cut up to make clothes for him--camo fatigue pants and a backless hospital gown. I also bought several shades of pink nail polish, and used those to paint his helmet and boots pink.  @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862630 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:30:00 +0100 1862630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862631&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-9-the-quote-of-the-day.html "My daughter's husband's mother died of breast cancer when he was in high school. ... There is a sad hole in the family of the three boys and their father that 10 years later has yet to begin to heal."This pink BS mocks their tragedy."--Beth  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862631 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:25:00 +0100 1862631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862632&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Ftransforming-gi-joe-into-bc-joe-the-gear.html The process of transforming a GI Joe doll into Breast Cancer Joe was made easier by all the gear that comes with the doll. As you can see from the photo, the doll I bought, "Desert Trooper," comes with camo pants, a helmet, a gun, boots, sunglasses, and more. For a look at the naked doll, go to:BC Joe Does Yoga @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862632 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:54:00 +0100 1862632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862636&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-amorettes-entry.html Amorette's entry is actually multiple entries, because she sent me the link to a site that is also collecting BAD pink products. The most disturbing ones are the pink handguns, but I'm not sure if these products are donating money to Komen--which lets Komen off the hook for these--or if they are just trying to capitalize on pink marketing. Any women out there buying pink handguns? Please send me an e-mail and explain why you want a pink gun--especially the pink camo version. Is that cute? Does it kill people less dead if it's pink? I don't get it. Here's the link (thanks, Amorette):The Worst Pink Products Ever @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862636 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:32:43 +0100 1862636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859379&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-8-the-quote-of-the-day.html I raged against pink right from the start. I remember throwing, with force, a little pink teddy bear that one of my husband's work colleagues gave me, across the bedroom. That was back in '01. It felt really, really good!--Dawn BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. See also: October 7: The Quote of the Day @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859379 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:45:00 +0100 1859379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859380&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fwhat-do-you-want-instead-of-a-pink-ribbon.html Those of you breast cancer patients and survivors who hate pink ribbons, please take a moment and post a comment below telling me what you would rather have instead of a pink glitter duck or a pink-ribbon eyebrow tweezer. (Do you even HAVE eyebrows? I draw mine on with a pencil, on the days I remember.) I tend to think that the things that help are simple gifts, of your time, of your attention, given from the heart. If you know someone who has cancer, whether it's breast cancer or not, celebrate October by:   ***Offering to clean his/her bathroom.   ***Going to the grocery store (and paying for the groceries, if you can afford it).   ***Offering to bring over popcorn and a movie and staying to watch it together. Here's a quote from J... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859380 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:09:32 +0100 1859380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859381&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fmake-a-phone-call-please.html A reader who lives in Maryland sent me an e-mail asking for some help. Her sister has stage IV breast cancer, and the reader, Ann, asked me to ask my readers to make phone calls in support of a Maryland state program that helps low-income breast and cervical cancer patients in that state. "Our [program] may be facing budget cuts," Ann writes.  "So I am asking people who care to call Maryland Governor O'Malley's office at 410-974-3901 and say, 'I am calling to ask Governor O'Malley not to reduce FY 2009 state funding for the breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment programs' (or a similar message). It is a simple call to make & they did not request any contact information of me when I called them."Here ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859381 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:41:55 +0100 1859381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1855944&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-7-the-quote-of-the-day.html October causes a lot of anxiety and distress for breast cancer survivors.  "If someone gives me a pink ribbon, I want to cry."--one survivor wrote on a bulletin board.BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. See also: October 6: The Quote of the Day October 5: The Quote of the Day October 4: The Quote of the Day October 3: The Quote of the Day October 2: The Quote of the Day October 1: The Quote of the Day @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1855944 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:35:00 +0100 1855944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1855951&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-6-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I just Googled 'I hate pink ribbons' and came across your blog. "I didn't know there were so many other like-minded women out there. ... I am a lucky ex-breast cancer patient. I hate the term 'survivor' because it implies that those that lost the battle are 'losers.'--MicheleSee:October 5: The Quote of the Day@ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1855951 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0100 1855951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853542&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-teris-entry.html Teri, the Cheeky Librarian, sent me this entry to our contest: Hair Extensions for Breast Cancer Awareness And here is the comment that I tried to post on the ABC News site, but the "security key" (where you have to read letters against a weird background and type them in) defeated me about eight times. How about a "security key light" for those of us who are security challenged? REALLY BAD IDEA!!!! Are we having a party here? A party to celebrate breast cancer? And how do you think all the women who are bald from chemo are going to feel? This is NOT the way to show support for women with breast cancer. If you know a woman who has cancer--of any kind--offer to clean her bathroom. Offer to go to the grocery store for her. Bring over dinner and a movie. Or ask her wh... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853542 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:29:05 +0100 1853542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853544&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-5-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I realize the Komen foundation takes pride in its status as a pioneer in this area. However, the lack of selectivity with which products are chosen for cause-related marketing is deeply troubling to me, particularly when I have written to these companies and asked how much they profit from these campaigns. Many decline to disclose their profits, while others make enough money in comparison to their donations to leave this cancer patient feeling totally exploited."--Anna (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853544 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:47:00 +0100 1853544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852750&cid=t_149970_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FEzEunTcWp4Y%2F Are you participating in the Nestle-Free Week starting today, October 4, 2008? For more on the why and how of the Nestle Boycott and Nestle-Free Week in particular, visit Baby Milk Action’s Nestle-Free Week planning page. Tags: angela white, baby milk action, breast feeding, breastfeeding, breastfeeding blog, formula, lactation, Nestle, Nestle-boycottShare This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852750 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:31:23 +0100 1852750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852474&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fbc-joe-does-yoga.html The GI Joe doll I bought the other day to remake as Breast Cancer Joe is pretty amazing: The entire doll is jointed. His head not only turns all the way around, but it tilts forward and back. His elbows are jointed, as are his wrists and even his fingers. The first finger moves independently of the other four, to allow him to hold weapons. Hips, knees, and feet all have great joints that swivel as well as bend (I should be so flexible!), which allowed me to put Joe into an approximation of the yoga "tree pose." His legs are right--standing on one leg with the other leg wrapped around it and the foot hooked behind the calf. But Joe can't get his elbows close enough together to do the arms. His chest is too broad and his arms too muscle-bound. I never ha... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852474 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:18:35 +0100 1852474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852475&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-my-entry.html I found this little grooming tool at Bed, Bath & Beyond the other day, in a display of pink products grouped under a banner (pink, of course) that read: "support pink!"It was tough to choose among the array of TRIVIAL pink products on sale at BB&B--who designed the pink-ribbon tweezers, for example? Does the company that makes those tweezers really think that a woman like me--living with incurable, metastatic breast cancer--is going to feel better about her cancer, or about life in general, if she tweezes her eyebrows (even assuming she HAS eyebrows) with a pink-ribbon grooming product?I poked around among pink-ribbon sleep masks, the pink "Flashing Glitter Ducks," and lots more until I found the pink-ribbon "Ped Egg." This little gadget, $9.99, &quot... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852475 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:58:21 +0100 1852475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852477&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-4-the-quote-of-the-day.html "Shopping never cured a disease,  as far as I can tell. And don't let Komen tell you differently."  JeanneSee also:October 3: The Quote of the Day October 2: The Quote of the Day   October 1: The Quote of the Day @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852477 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:02:54 +0100 1852477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847856&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-3-the-quote-of-the-day.html "Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation ... is widely credited with turning the disease into  a marketable product with which consumers, corporations, and politicians are eager to associate." --Samantha King, in her 2006 book, "Pink Ribbons Inc.--Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy."Read more:Pink Ribbons Inc. Words to Think About @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847856 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:05:29 +0100 1847856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847857&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fwhat-happened-to-one-in-8.html It wasn't all that many years ago that "breast cancer advocacy" organizations, like Komen, were scaring American women silly by telling them that their breast cancer risk was one in eight.Well, to cut to the chase, that number was NEVER right, and American women's risk was never that high. But it sure got our attention. Then, as critics continued to point out the problems with that figure, the organizations modified their line to "a one in eight LIFETIME risk," which was confusing, because they rarely explained what they meant by that. Now, for the most part, no one is claiming one in eight anymore. What's the truth? Well, the one in eight figure came from earlier stats from the National Cancer Institute that said if a woman lived to ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847857 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:51:05 +0100 1847857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847858&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fcancer-and-makeup.html My friend Anna wrote in response to my post, "Vegan Mascara???":I liked your post about the vegan mascara. I don't know if you have ever heard of it, but Breast Cancer Action out in California promotes a website called Skin Deep: The Cosmetic Safety Database (http://www.costmeticsdatabase.com). It will tell you all of the scary cancer-causing stuff that is found in some cosmetics. Not surprisingly, some of the companies with the products most associated with cancer make pink products for October. Anyway, the website also lists some healthier alternatives and I've changed some of the products I buy to healthier alternatives without having to shop in different stores or seeing a significant increase in price ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847858 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:43:09 +0100 1847858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844559&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-2-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I just read your blog ... and I was motivated to find other women with breast cancer who are as OFFENDED as I am by all the pink (just returned from Bed Bath and Beyond) and am furious with the inappropriateness of a pink can opener, set of mixing bowls, and countless other kitchen gadgets that can serve to remind me as I prepare dinner of what a 'victim' I am. "Dealing with breast cancer is a very personal matter, and I choose to live each day not giving it a moments thought, until I'm bombarded in the stores.  ... Thank you for confirming that I am not insane"--TeresaSee also: October 1: The Quote of the Day Note to Teresa: I was at Bed, Bath & Beyond this evening on a scouting mission, and I counted at least 30 pink... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844559 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:46:33 +0100 1844559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844561&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-komen-go-our-first-entry.html The first entry in the Second Annual "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest was posted to my blog yesterday by Debutaunt, the hands-down winner of last year's contest with her entry, Jingle Jugs. This year, Debs enters Selfish magazine (oops, I mean Self magazine), which apparently printed its entire October issue on pink paper. Gag me. "OK, I wish everyone could feel this pink rage," Debs writes. "[My] first entry for HLWKG contest--Self magazine published the entire monthly issue on PINK PAPER." And she includes this link: Pink Self mag Of course, what should we expect from a magazine devoted to gratification of the (female) ego through retail therapy? I mean, really. Doesn't the name just say it all? E-mail your entries to jeanne.sathe... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844561 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:10:07 +0100 1844561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844562&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fthanks-la-times.html In a post titled "Now let's hear from people who hate pink," LA Times health blogger Tami Dennis says,As with blog posts, comments come and comments fade. But this response reflects a little-heard perspective, especially among shoppers dutifully perusing the pink-bedecked, "be aware of breast cancer" shelves at this time of year:Says Jeanne Sather, aka the Assertive Cancer Patient, in response to the blog post Tired of thinking pink? Skip to the green: "Or you could go on the offensive and join the Boycott of October, led by women with breast cancer who HATE PINK and feel exploited by this whole pink-ribbon cause marketing effort."Thanks, Tami, for getting it, and for giving mainstream media attention to the pin... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844562 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:54:03 +0100 1844562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844563&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fthe-battle-for-october-a-contest.html Ladies, it's time for the Second Annual "How LOW Will Komen GO?" contest, so e-mail your entries to jeanne.sather@gmail.com.Don't know what I'm talking about?This is a month-long competition to find the TACKIEST, most TRIVIAL, most OFFENSIVE pink-ribbon products endorsed by the Komen Foundation. As readers of this blog know all too well, during October we cancer patients and survivors have to run a gauntlet of tacky pink crap whenever we venture into a retail establishment. One easy answer: Stay home. Vote with your wallet. A second easy answer: Enter the most offensive products in our contest and win fame and fortune, or at least hold these companies up to public scrutiny. Read about last year's contest:How LOW Will Komen GO?: The Winners "How... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844563 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:31:41 +0100 1844563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844564&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fthe-battle-for-october-e-mail-to-chevron.html I sent the message below to Chevron, at this e-mail address: comment@chevron.com:I've remade your pink ribbon Chevron car, "Courage," which, as a woman who has been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years, I find extremely offensive.You can read about it and see the remake of your car--into a Domestic Violence Awareness version called "Bumps and Bruises," on my blog:http://www.assertivepatient.com/2008/09/fighting-back.htmlIn addition to being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.Jeanne SatherThe Assertive Cancer Patientwww.assertivepatient.comIf you feel the same, feel free to e-mail Chevron and tell them what you think. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844564 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0100 1844564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844565&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Foctober-1-the-quote-of-the-day.html "I had the misfortune to be diagnosed last October. It was the perfect storm of fear, pain, and massive irritation: pink cocktails on airline flight, pink-jacketed teddy bears on sale at Macy's, designer pink-ribbon pins, etcetera, ad nauseam.  It felt as if people were having a party at my expense, and making money at the door"--Megan BREAST CANCER: It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844565 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:23:39 +0100 1844565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1840870&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fthe-comfort-food-restaurant.html I said something in a post yesterday about hanging out at the Comfort Food Restaurant, eating an omelette and drinking lemonade, and a friend e-mailed me to ask if I knew the book "Pereira Declares," in which the hero eats omelettes and drinks lemonade as comfort food. This is what she wrote: On reading your post "Car Guy Update" I was struck by your omelette and lemonade comfort food: have you read the novel "Pereira Declares" (or is it "Declares Pereira") by Antonio Tabucchi? It's been translated, from the Italian; it's set in Portugal under the Salazar dictatorship in the '30s. The hero, a journalist/translator, eats omelettes and drinks lemonade as comfort food. It's a wonderful book. If you can&... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1840870 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:54:19 +0100 1840870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1840871&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fthe-battle-for-october-stickers.html Yesterday, from my "office" at the Comfort Food Restaurant, I called and gave my credit card to pay for an order of 500 Boycott October stickers, so I hope some of you readers are going to want them. Here's a jpeg of the design.I suggest adding these to store displays of pink ribbon merchandise to show that you are offended. My personal "favorite" right now is the pink ribbon foot-callus shaver that I saw the other day at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I didn't buy one--I was too busy gagging and educating Car Guy, who was with me, on the finer points of pink ribbon crap and how offensive it is to women like me--but I plan to go back and get one, just so I can photograph it and write about it for my blog.That's a business expense, right? Also, I'll... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1840871 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:43:37 +0100 1840871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837038&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fthe-battle-for-october-stickers-are-coming.html For those of you who have written to tell me how much you hate going into stores at this time of year to be confronted by a sea of pink ... you can fight back. I've just e-mailed in my order for some stickers, which will be black with white lettering. Stick these on store displays for pink products that offend you. (I don't recommend sticking them on the pink products--garden hoses, tennis rackets, Campbell soup, soda crackers, foot exfoliators, yes, I saw one of those last week--themselves, since that might lead to arrest, but that's up to you.)Here's the design:BREAST CANCER: It’s a disease,  not a marketing opportunity.  www.assertivepatient.comI had wanted the stickers to be the same as my Boycott October buttons, with the ugly breast cancer c... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837038 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:39:30 +0100 1837038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837041&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Ffighting-back-the-battle-for-october.html I get e-mail messages like this one all too often. Every day, pretty much. I always answer, and I always send them buttons. And I wonder what else I can do to help. Here's the message that just came in, from Elizabeth: I just found your website today. My mother is dying of this disease and every time I go to the store the never ending stream of pink items makes me nauseous. I will not buy any product with a pink ribbon. It wasn't until today that i thought other people might feel the same way I do so I did a search and found your blog. If you have any remaining, I would love to have one of your buttons. Marketing folks, at Campbell, Chevron, Mattel, M&Ms/Mars, and more--are your listening? We won't be shopping and we won't be buying your products when you sl... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837041 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:09:11 +0100 1837041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834528&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Ffighting-back.html How--HOW?--can a pink toy car make me feel better about having breast cancer? What are the folks at Chevron thinking? Are they thinking? And did they consult any women living with breast cancer before they came up with this chubby pink car called, of all things, "Courage"? Well, you may not have been aware, but October, in addition to being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a health issue that affects, conservatively, one in four American women--a much more serious health threat that breast cancer.As part of my efforts to fight back against the use of breast cancer as a marketing ploy, this October I'm taking as many inappropriate pink products as I can, and redoing them in the Domestic Violence model. This little car, create... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834528 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:00:49 +0100 1834528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825389&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fbreast-cancer-joe-your-ideas-please.html Last October, I promised that in October 2008 I would create a "Breast Cancer Joe" to join the Breast Cancer Barbie family, which includes Breast Cancer Barbie, Prostate Cancer Ken, and Benign Girl. You probably know that one in 100 people diagnosed with breast cancer in this country is a man. You can imagine how these men--the few and the brave--feel each October when their disease is celebrated with a sea of pink shlock. You may not know that men with breast cancer, as a group, are diagnosed LATER in the course of their disease than women as a group, giving them a poorer prognosis. One reason is that they don't think they can get breast cancer, so they ignore any lumps in that tissue. Another reason is that many doctors don't think of breast cancer when a male... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825389 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:05:13 +0100 1825389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811249&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Ffight-back-make-your-own-damn-poster.html Hate pink? Want to hide under a basket every October until the sea of pink shlock recedes?Here's a suggestion for fighting back, sent to me by my friend Amorette, who has a fine eye for these things: Make YOUR OWN BREAST CANCER POSTER. Leave out the pink ribbons that make so many of us gag.Tell your breast cancer story your own way, in words and pictures, and then please send me an e-mail with the results in jpeg form and I will post it to my blog.Send art to jeanne.sather@gmail.comHere's the link to make a poster: breast cancer poster Here's the link to Amorette's blog: Amorette @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811249 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:44:13 +0100 1811249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809623&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fvomiting-pink.html It's almost October, and the e-mail requests for Boycott October buttons are coming in thick and fast.Along with the requests come messages like these:"As a breast cancer survivor, I too have come to dread October and just want to vomit pink." Alyce"I'm 27 and diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and I hate pink and October!" TracyIf you would like a Boycott October button, just send me an e-mail with your mailing address. jeanne.sather@gmail.comDonations to support my blog are gratefully accepted, but not required.Support This Blog @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809623 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:10:24 +0100 1809623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790178&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Foctober-is-coming.html I received e-mail from a reader that cheered me up. She wrote:Last year my friend (and wife of a fellow cancer survivor) gave me a couple of your fantastic pins after hearing about a pink ribbon muffin-throwing rage I had at Lucky. Not much of an Internet user, I just now FINALLY started reading your blog. You must hear this often, but honestly, you rock!I understand about the "pink-ribbon-muffin-throwing rage." Here's my response to the pink ribbon English muffin, which is full of so many preservatives that it lasted for months without molding. See Muffin Boob If you are a breast cancer survivor who hates pink ribbons, you are not alone. See:We Hate Pink! More Women Who HATE Pink @ Jeanne function (word) { return ""+word+""... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790178 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:27:06 +0100 1790178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1708844&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fpostcards-we-ha.html Every year, it seems that the pink ribbon madness starts earlier and earlier. Already, my alert readers are sending me info about pink airplanes (American Airlines) and more pink crap to celebrate breast cancer this October. In case you are new to this blog, let me cut right to the chase: I hate pink ribbons. I hate the commercialization of breast cancer by companies that have jumped on the pink ribbon cause marketing bandwagon. And no, I don't think that raising any amount of money justifies this craziness. Before you rant at me and tell me I'm wrong, please read my posts under these two headings: Boycott October Pink Ribbons In particular, read these posts: We HATE Pink! More Women Who HATE Pink You will see that many, many women who have had breast cancer feel exploited by... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1708844 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:51:50 +0100 1708844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508093&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fallisons-letter.html Another reader CC-ed me on her letter to Komen. Dear Ms. Hurvitz: I am a sometime reader of Jeanne Sather's blog "The Assertive Cancer Patient," and I am writing to state that I am another breast cancer survivor who is disappointed in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's marketing efforts. Five years ago, at the age of 30, I was diagnosed with DCIS. I have lost both breasts but thankfully am still here, and my prognosis remains good. Over the past five years, what started as a generalized sense of unease over the pink marketing campaign has crystallized into full-blown distaste and opposition toward the seemingly standards-free practice of slapping pink labels on any product out there. I agree wholeheartedly with the statement of Ms. Sather's reader Anna (text of her compell... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508093 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:05:45 +0100 1508093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508098&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fdont-shop-for-p.html The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network appears to be borrowing a page from Komen's pink-ribbon cause-marketing playbook. I received an e-mail the other day asking me to shop at the PanCan online store for Father's Day and for gifts for graduates. According to the e-mail, " A portion of the proceeds [emphasis added] from the sale of each item in our store contributes to the fight against pancreatic cancer." Not good enough. My father died of pancreatic cancer, so I don't have anyone to give a gift to on Father's Day, but even if I did, this is a bad idea. If you want to buy a gift, buy the gift (I have two grads this spring, one from college, one from high school--I will be giving them gifts). If you want to help PanCan or other cancer organizations, give a direct donation. But don... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508098 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:12:44 +0100 1508098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501233&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fan-anti-pink-an.html A reader named Pam sent me a link to her song about the color pink. It's called “Red Gone Wrong.” The chorus says: “I know little girls adore it, but I still feel pretty strong, that pink is only red gone wrong.” Here's the link: Red Gone Wrong Pam sings, "Toxic pink ..." I like it! @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501233 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:28:22 +0100 1501233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501234&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fthrowing-and-th.html A few days ago, I received a donation from a reader named Dawn (thanks, Dawn). I e-mailed her to thank her, and to ask if she would like some Boycott October buttons. Here's part of our e-mail conversation after that. Dawn to Jeanne I read a small mention of your blog on www.bcmets.org and then read all I could find of your writings yesterday. I'm a stage4BC with lung mets since 2001 and I'm living life, fully. I too am at SCCA. I was with Bob Livingston till he left for a sunnier clime. I see Dr. DJ Gadi now and feel very safe and understood with him as well. Yes, thanks, I would love a button. I raged against pink right from the start. I remember throwing, with force, a little pink teddy bear that one of my husband's work colleagues gave me, across the bedroom. That was back in ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501234 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:48:08 +0100 1501234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497323&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fannas-letter-to.html Dear Ms. Hurwitz – As a regular reader of Jeanne Sather’s (The Assertive Cancer Patient) blog, and as someone who had DCIS at the age of 24, I wanted to take a moment to echo Jeanne’s sentiment about cause-related marketing. While some cancer patients find cause-related marketing uplifting, please be aware that others of us do not. Pink ribbon products are an unwelcome, often painful, constant reminder of the disease for many of us who would like to not even think about breast cancer while shopping for sneakers, groceries, or kitchen appliances. I realize the Komen foundation takes pride in its status as a pioneer in this area. However, the lack of selectivity with which products are chosen for cause-related marketing is deeply troubling to me, particularly when I have written t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497323 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:08:01 +0100 1497323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497324&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fe-mail-from-kom.html I found this e-mail in my gmail account this morning: On 6/5/08, Julie Hurvitz wrote: Hi Jeanne, I’m contacting you today on behalf of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world's largest breast cancer organization. Cynthia Nixon has recently joined Komen for the Cure as an Ambassador for the organization. The award-winning actress, currently on the big screen as ‘Miranda’ in Sex and the City: The Movie, is not only the daughter of a two-time breast cancer survivor, but also a breast cancer survivor herself. Cynthia knows that whether through a personal diagnosis or that of a friend or family member, breast cancer is a disease that many of us know all too well. That’s why she recently recorded a series of exclusive video PSAs with Komen for the Cure. Cynthia’s messages... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497324 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:43:29 +0100 1497324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404107&cid=t_149970_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F279517458%2Fx2q6BxtbF2E%26amp%3Bhl%3Den Living in Vermont, I get to meet really interesting people sometimes -- and this weekend, I had the serendipitous fortune to meet a woman who decided she, one person, was going to try and make a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404107 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:07:47 +0100 1404107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360489&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Four-italian-cor.html I got a handwritten letter yesterday, complete with photos, from the friend of mine who is traveling in Italy. (Or maybe she's just hanging out in Italy, not moving from place to place, but anyway, she's there.) It made me think about how rarely I receive real paper letters these days, especially those that are handwritten. A card now and again, sure, but a letter? When is the last time you received a letter? Anyway, back to the topic, which is Benign Girl. This is the friend who wrote and told me she had spotted Benign Girl pink toy phones for sale in Italy. She sent the photos to prove it, but I won't be able to post them until I get to Kinko's to have them scanned. She writes, from a hotel in Firenze (Florence): ... It was easier to set the scene than to get a proper shot of the B... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360489 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:02:35 +0100 1360489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1346107&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fa-benign-girl-s.html A friend of mine, who is also living with metastatic breast cancer, is on a trip to Italy, and she has spotted Benign Girl! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this Chinese-made Barbie Doll knock-off is for sale around the world, but I am. Photos to follow. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read: Benign Girl Lives! Meet Benign Girl (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1346107 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:05:39 +0100 1346107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1221224&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fsunday-in-seatt.html It's Sunday, and I woke up with a burst of energy--very welcome after the past week. I felt myself sliding toward depression: I missed a therapy appointment (didn't check my calendar) on Wednesday, then on Friday I skipped my treatment appointment. (I did call and reschedule for tomorrow, so I wasn't all the way down into depression--where you're there, you can't even move.) Erasing Barry The first thing I did this morning was go through my blog and delete all my posts about Barry and his daughter Rose. Turns out "Barry" wasn't real. Just someone playing games with me. Boycott October 2008 Then I got the mailing list of people who have sent donations to my blog from PayPal and packaged up Boycott October buttons for them. So those will go to the post office tomorrow, and you should have... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1221224 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:38:13 +0100 1221224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1177606&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fboycott-october.html Well, I am incredibly organized, for a change, and have already ordered my Boycott October 2008 buttons (they should be here within a week or so), and it's only January! The 2008 buttons are the black square ones. The text is hard to read in the photo (but not on the buttons). It says: "It's a disease, not a marketing opportunity." I was going to keep the buttons and not send them out till about September, but then I realized that Komen is not taking a break the rest of the year (remember Pink Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving?) so I don't think I should either. I'm sending out buttons (either the new ones or the 2007 pink ones or both) to everyone who sends me a donation. So if you'd like some buttons, just send a donation in any amount using the button below. Your mailing addre... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1177606 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:29:47 +0100 1177606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124131&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fthe-2008-boycot.html Nothing like being ready in plenty of time! I already have the design for the 2008 Boycott October button, thanks to Sara, who sent me this design a while back. I think it's a great counter-point to that sea of sickly pink that we all have to wade through every October. The only thing I need now is a company that can make me a square button. Any ideas anyone? @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124131 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:01:47 +0100 1124131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1117541&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fbenign-girl-liv.html OK, so this is cancer-related silliness, but I think we're entitled. We have to get some humor out of our situation, and Benign Girl, a Chinese Barbie-doll knock-off, so perfectly fills the bill. When you have a tumor, which in and of itself is not cancer, the big question is whether or not the tumor is cancerous (bad) or benign (good). Most of the people who read my blog have been in cancer territory for some time, and for one person, at least, they were ALWAYS there. I think I started paying special attention to the comments and posts of my friend and fellow cancer blogger, Amorette, when she drew my attention to the existence of Benign Girl, and then again when she commented that she had never had a chance to be Benign Girl. Because of some nasty industrial polluting by Dupont, Am... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117541 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:37:08 +0100 1117541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036813&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fjust-when-you-t.html ...Or safe to venture back into a grocery or department store, anyway, now that October is over and the pink shlock has been dumped on the deep-discount tables ... But no, Komen just can't stop beating that Retail Therapy Dead Horse. The Friday after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year for most retailers, is sometimes called Black Friday. Now, one electronics retailer has decided to rename the day "Pink Friday," and donate $250,000 of its customers money to, of course, The Komen Foundation. Bad idea. Isn't one month of the year enough? Actually, one month of the year is too much. I know where I'll be on Friday--hiking with younger son, a friend, and the dogs. And I'll go out of my way to make sure I don't spend a dime at any retail establishment, certainly not at Tig... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036813 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:53:45 +0100 1036813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036814&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fsome-loose-ends.html I mailed out more than 100 Boycott October buttons this year, and received dozens of e-mails from breast cancer survivors and women living with breast cancer who hate pink ribbons. Many of their comments are posted to my blog. See We Hate PINK! So far, only ONE (1) WOMAN who has had breast cancer has written to tell me that she likes pink ribbon merchandise. The other people who like this shlock are the marketers who sell it, and a number of people who have (or had) a friend or relative with breast cancer. They seem to feel that they are doing something to help by buying pink merchandise, and they don't want to hear the facts that would pop their bubble. Next year's Boycott October button has already been designed, by Sara, an artist, blogger, and friend of mine. Sara writes, "Anyone ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036814 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:28:39 +0100 1036814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1005096&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fmeet-the-breast.html Meet the members of the Breast Cancer Barbie Family: Breast Cancer Barbie (issued by Mattel, 2006) Every single thing that Breast Cancer Barbie wears is pale pink: gloves, gown, spangled stole, lipstick, and the tiny pink ribbon stitched to her left shoulder. The shawl wraps across her shoulders and crosses behind her back, just like the pink ribbon symbol of breast cancer awareness. The box, of course, is pink. Prostate Cancer Ken (created by Jeanne, 2007) I decided to make Prostate Cancer Ken because I was so pissed off last year when Mattel came out with the pink ribbon Barbie doll, the doll I call Breast Cancer Barbie. I thought if I did a gender-reversal people would better be able to see how stupid this Barbie doll is, and how offensive it is to a woman like me. Benign Gi... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1005096 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:00:54 +0100 1005096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=998530&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fslate-finds-the.html I noticed people jumping to my blog from Slate, so I followed the links back and found this post, by Meghan O'Rourke, Titties, Beer, and Breast Cancer. (So now we have a nice little circular link going, my blog to Slate, Slate to my blog. Very neat. Here's her response to my award to Jingle Jugs: Now, the original Jingle Jugs product sounds totally ridiculous, and this "Jugs Across America" tour is juvenile at best. (Traveling Breast Museum? Please.) But the vilification of the company's breast cancer product raises some questions in my mind: Is it really all that bad for the makers of this yucky product to preach a philanthropic message to their customers, however self-serving it may be? Is this product purely a shameless attempt to win some easy PC-points? Or is it indicative of the ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=998530 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:46:15 +0100 998530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=994878&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--9.html Choosing the winners in our month-long competition to find the tackiest, most trivial, most offensive pink ribbon products endorsed by the Komen Foundation wasn't easy. As readers of this blog know only too well, during October we cancer survivors have had to run the gauntlet of tacky pink crap whenever we ventured into a retail establishment. (One easy answer: Stay home. Vote with your wallet.) However, allowing for personal biases on the part of the judge (me), some clear winners did emerge. And they are: Grand Prize: to the blogger Dubutaunt, for her entry: Jingle Jugs for Life Jingle Jugs sells life-size boobs, or "racks," that bounce in time to the song "Titties and Beer." Its market? Frat boys. From the Jingle Jugs Web site: “Our newest version of Jingle Jugs comes with a ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=994878 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:59:53 +0100 994878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=991713&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fdebutaunt-takes.html My friend and fellow blogger, debutaunt, wrote Komen a letter about Jingle Jugs and the company's affiliation with Komen. (I use the word "company" loosely here: This outfits markets life-size boobs, or "racks," that bounce in time to the song "Titties and Beer." Its market? Frat boys.) The Komen staffer who answered the letter appears to have lied, but (to give her the benefit of the doubt) maybe she just ducked the question. Note the word "national" in her reply. The check was given to the Orange County chapter of Komen. Debutaunt said in her letter, in part: "Desirous of giving back to the community, the Jingle Jugs founders have initiated several charitable gifts and programs, including their “Send a Rack to Iraq” program to support the troops, and ”Jugs Across America.” ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=991713 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:38:49 +0100 991713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=991714&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--7.html Actually, a number of these entries in our How LOW Will Komen GO? contest have been sitting in my e-mail in-box for a week or more. But anyway, here they are now. From Amorette High School Bans Breast Cancer "Awareness" T-Shirts Amorette says, "What gets me is that the whole thing is one big roil of confusion. It looks overtly explotative, for one. But then their moms ... and they're only high school students. Not sure how to feel about this one." Note from Jeanne: The shirts said "Save Second Base." Sounds to me like high school students pushing the sexist window to see if the adults were dumb enough to let them get away with it. One more: "Oh ... forgot about the syndicated morning show, 'The Daily Buzz,' with their 'Man-Up' campaign....'Support your wives and girlfriends by giv... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=991714 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:21:05 +0100 991714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=988382&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmeet-benign-g-1.html Benign Girl, a Chinese Barbie knock-off, does exist. I’ve heard from two blogging friends who have spotted her, either in dollar stores or flea markets. (Amorette sent me the photo at right.) If you do see one, please buy it for me and I will reimburse you. But in the meantime, I’ve found my own Benign Girl at a second-hand store in Vancouver, B.C. Paid $2 for the little darling and she is going to join my “Wall of Shame” as Breast Cancer Barbie’s little sister. You can see from the photo how much Benign Girl resembles me as a child—the photo in the background is me at age 6—the same freckles across the nose, the same red-brown hair with thick bangs, the same chubby cheeks. I haven’t played with dolls for decades, but I’m going to enjoy dressing this one. ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=988382 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:42:13 +0100 988382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=988383&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fjoin-the-sister.html This October, in addition to boycotting products and companies that exploit women with breast cancer, do something positive to help: Join the Sister Study. (And sign your sister up too.) From the Sister Study Web site: The Sister Study is the only long-term study of women aged 35 to 74 whose sister had breast cancer. It is a national study to learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer. In the next three years, 50,000 women whose sister had breast cancer, and who do not have breast cancer themselves will be asked to join the study. Note that the study will be looking at environmental factors--something that is sorely needed. Read more: Sister Study (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=988383 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:15:30 +0100 988383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979094&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmore-women-who-.html October's not over yet, although I certainly wish it were. I still have Boycott October buttons to give away, so e-mail me if you want one (or two or three...) jeanne.sather@gmail.com Here are a few new voices who hate pink. Are you listening, Komen? Mars/M&Ms? Arm and Hammer? Beth Thanks for the voice you have given to those of us who find pink ribbon English Muffins and M&Ms (loved your mosaic) insane! I look forward to reading the rest of your blog. Michele I just Goggled “I hate pink ribbons” and came across your blog. I didn’t know there were so many other like-minded women out there. I loved reading all the comments. I am a lucky ex-breast cancer patient. I hate the term "survivor” because it implies that those that lost the battle are “losers.” I was diagnosed wi... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979094 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:20:23 +0100 979094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=976280&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--6.html Beth sent in this entry. She writes: I think I've got a winner here. I didn't believe this when I heard it on the radio. In Phoenix, the county sheriff who bills himself as the "toughest lawman in America," forces his inmates to wear pink boxer shorts. Here we have a promotion selling, yes, pink boxer shorts with "Sheriff Joe" on them--with some of the proceeds going to Komen. Doesn't bother saying how much. Check out Boxers for Breast Cancer. They also state "We are not responsible for closed establishments." I have absolutely no clue what this means... (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=976280 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:35:52 +0100 976280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=969978&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Ftell-me-this-is.html Here's an e-mail a friend of mine received from a company willing to sell her (or anyone) pink products that IMPLY that the buyer's organization "supports the search for a cure." Nothing on giving a share of the profits to cancer research, please note. This is a totally for-profit venture. Subject: Support Breast Cancer Awareness and build goodwill with your customers October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To help you recognize this event, we've assembled a simple collection of "Pink" products that will help you show your employees and customers that your company supports the search for a cure. You can choose from tasteful ribbon lapel pins, "Believe" bracelets, "pink" chocolate bars and more. Lots of choices help you send the right message, the right way. Take a look: http://p... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=969978 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:05:49 +0100 969978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965712&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fprostate-canc-3.html Read my rant about Breast Cancer Barbie. @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965712 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:50:42 +0100 965712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965713&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fprostate-canc-2.html The text on the back of the box reads: Prostate Cancer Ken Prostate Cancer Ken comes with the following accessories: Backless blue hospital gown Blue prostate cancer armband Teddy bear Book: Prostate Cancer for Dummies Depends adult diapers Viagra Breast Cancer Barbie sold separately @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965713 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:44:06 +0100 965713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965714&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fprostate-canc-1.html There is nothing like being stripped of your own clothing (and identity) and dressed in a backless cotton hospital gown to make the most self-confident among us feel like a powerless child. Or a doll. Woo! Do you feel a breeze, Ken? @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965714 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:35:16 +0100 965714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965715&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fprostate-cancer.html In the Barbie doll tradition, Prostate Cancer Ken comes with a number of accessories. These include a copy of "Prostate Cancer for Dummies," a bottle of Viagra, Depends diapers for men, and a teddy bear. How many of you--adults--received a teddy bear when you were diagnosed with cancer? (I have three, at least.) Even worse, was it pink? Shoot me an e-mail and let me know. jeanne.sather@gmail.com The label on the Viagra bottle reads: Viagra. Take one (1) tablet by mouth 30 minutes before attempting sexual intercourse. Refills: 3 (The "pills" inside are blue M&Ms.) Remember, this is a drug that all health insurance companies pay for, while many still do not cover birth control for women. (Fill in the expletive of your choice HERE.) @ Jeanne Sather 2007. Sabino Canyon (Source:... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965715 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:27:47 +0100 965715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961567&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--4.html Here's my entry in the "How LOW Will Komen GO?" Contest: A pink-ribbon English muffin. Komen defenders, please feel free to write in and explain to me how I, a woman living with metastatic breast cancer, am supposed to get Komen's message of "awareness and support" from this almost-inedible food product? The message I get, loud and clear, is EXPLOITATION. I feel exploited by Komen, and by companies that market stupid products with pink ribbons on them. But let's keep this light, folks. Send me your entries--what pink product really makes your blood boil?--with a digital photo, if possible. The winner gets my remaining supply of Boycott October buttons (I have about six left). A New Use I do not recomment that you eat these English muffins, even if you can get past the pink ribbon... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961567 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:15:29 +0100 961567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961569&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwe-hate-pink-1.html Just in case you thought The Assertive Cancer Patient was a pink-hating voice in the wilderness, here are the voices of some of the women who wrote to me asking for “Boycott October” buttons. "It felt as if people were having a party at my expense, and making money at the door"--Megan The buttons are almost gone, but I’m ordering more from the Busy Beaver Button Company, so just e-mail me if you want a button or two. Absolutely free. No obligation. And I will not sell your address or use it for any other purpose, I promise. e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com Beth My daughter's husband's mother died of breast cancer when he was in high school. I never met her and for that I am very sorry. There is a sad hole in the family of the three boys and father that ten years later has yet ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961569 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:42:08 +0100 961569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=958801&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Ffrom-rose-on-pi.html A comment posted to my blog by Barry, whose daughter Rose died of cancer yesterday at age 20. Barry wrote, Someone bought my daughter (fighting metastatic osteosarcoma) an actual pink ribbon. She replied, "Thanks, I'm still dying, but I'm sure this will help." Bless you, Rose, you were my kind of woman. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=958801 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:10:46 +0100 958801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947930&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fkomen-accepts-f.html Well, the question posed by our contest, How LOW Will Komen GO?, may have been answered. Here's a photo showing some unidentified, but smiling, Komen reps accepting a check for $50,000 from the folks at Jingle Jugs, which markets life-sized boobs that dance and sing. It targets the Frat Boy market. The special pink-ribbon set (there are no post-mastectomy, one-breasted versions) comes with a special tune about breast cancer. Can't wait to hear it. Komen--What were you thinking? How about good taste? How about the feelings of women who have lost one or both breasts to cancer? Do you think we find this amusing, or even OK? The answer is, NO. We feel exploited. Debs' nomination: How LOW Will Komen GO?: A New Front Runner? @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Pat... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947930 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:04:11 +0100 947930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947231&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--3.html "I win! I win! I win!" says Debs of debutant.com. Debs' entry has indeed hit a new low in the exploitation of women with breast cancer: Jingle Jugs for Life. The product is clearly geared to the Frat Boy market: Interfraternal and Panhellenic Philathropy [sic] As a member of a fraternity or a sorority, raising money for philanthropy can be weary and burdensome. By combining comedy and charity, Jingle Jugs for Life can change this by making philanthropy a fun and rewarding experience. See the Get Involved Now tab for details. But what are they selling, you ask? Jingle Jugs are life-sized breasts that jiggle and play music. Another quote from the site: OUR NEWEST VERSION OF JINGLE JUGS Our newest version of Jingle Jugs comes with a pre-recorded breast cancer message. A second re-rec... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947231 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:37:22 +0100 947231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=945284&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmms-cancer-th-1.html M&M’S® BRAND CHOCOLATE CANDIES LENDS SWEET SUPPORT TO SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE IN FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER The press release is presumably the handiwork of the PR flack whose name is on it, Ryan Bowling of Weber Shandwick. It says, "The brand will ... make a minimum guaranteed contribution of $550,000 in support of Komen for the Cure’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever." I'm underwhelmed. Send Ryan an e-mail, telling him what you think of cause marketing. ryan.bowling@effem.com I've already e-mailed Ryan, asking him for M&Ms sales and profit figures for 2006. Let's see what this company can AFFORD to give. Also, I need to check and see if Mars is buying its chocolate from reputable sources, or if it is exploiting child labor in Africa while increasin... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=945284 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:36:37 +0100 945284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944433&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmms-cancer-the-.html I've been waiting all afternoon for the Elmer's glue to dry on my mosaic so that I could take a digital photo to post. Patience is not my strong suit, as my regular readers know, and one of my friends has been sending me regular e-mails, "Is it dry yet? Is it dry yet?" The mosaic, made completely of M&Ms, with a few red vines for outlines, is titled: "What I See in the Mirror Every Morning (And It Ain't Pretty) The most difficult artistic challenge was to make sure as many of the M&Ms as possible were right side up, to give Mars Inc. which makes the pink M&Ms, the most exposure possible. @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944433 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:44:42 +0100 944433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944434&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--2.html It's too soon to announce the winner, although Komen is going to have to really exert itself to top this entry, sent to me by Nancy in Canada. Pink Wedding Gowns for the Cure Go to that link, and not only is there a photo of a bride in that nauseating shade of pink, but you can also watch a video clip of an all-pink wedding. ABC News has this quote: "With this gown sale, we hope to harness the power of the wedding dress — an icon viewed around the world as a symbol of hope for the future — to impact the lives of seriously ill women in a positive way," said Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of Brides. Uh, huh. If this is the winning entry in our little How LOW Will Komen GO? contest, I'll send Boycott October buttons to Nancy AND to the editorial staff at Brides magazine.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944434 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:19:14 +0100 944434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944435&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmms-and-cancer.html As promised, I am making a mosaic out of pink ribbon M&Ms. Here are some shots of this work in progress. I hope to have the mosaic completed by tonight. Then I will post a photo. I plan to send the mosaic, titled, "What I See in the Mirror Every Morning (And It Ain't Pretty)," to the makers of M&Ms. @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944435 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:34:49 +0100 944435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941746&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will--1.html Amorette's Entry: Eat (Chicken) Breasts for the Cure Read the label carefully. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941746 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:01:31 +0100 941746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941747&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fhow-low-will-ko.html Here's my entry in the "How LOW Will Komen GO?" Contest: A pink-ribbon English muffin. Komen defenders, please feel free to write in and explain to me how I, a woman living with metastatic breast cancer, am supposed to get Komen's message of "awareness and support" from this almost-inedible food product? The message I get, loud and clear, is EXPLOITATION. I feel exploited by Komen, and by companies that market stupid products with pink ribbons on them. But let's keep this light, folks. Send me your entries--what pink product really makes your blood boil?--with a digital photo, if possible. The winner gets my remaining supply of Boycott October buttons (I have about six left). A New Use I do not recomment that you eat these English muffins, even if you can get past the pink ribb... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941747 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:18:33 +0100 941747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933925&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwalk-for-the-fr.html The organizers call it the Walk for Hope. I call it, the Walk for the Freebies. Here's a report from someone who was there. As you can guess, pink everywhere, but that was to be expected and I had taken anti-nausea medication before going. The walk/run, a 5 K, was held down at Magnuson Park and the Expo attached to it was in one of the hangars. I knew there would be exhibitors there, but I was expecting the usual suspects, like Cancer Lifeline, Gilda's Club, the odd sport-drink and energy-bar vendor, some of the area medical centers and maybe a grocer or two handing out produce. My jaw just about hit the floor when I saw not just the number of vendors, but the amount of loot that was to be had ... according to one woman I talked to, this event is known for the amount of "swag" it... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933925 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 02:27:12 +0100 933925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933132&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwe-hate-pink.html Just in case you thought The Assertive Cancer Patient was a pink-hating voice in the wilderness, here are the voices of some of the women who wrote to me asking for “Boycott October” buttons. "It felt as if people were having a party at my expense, and making money at the door"--Megan As you can see by the photo, the buttons are almost gone, but I’m ordering more from the Busy Beaver Button Company, so just e-mail me if you want a button or two. Absolutely free. No obligation. And I will not sell your address or use it for any other purpose, I promise. e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com Heather I would love two of those buttons. My friend and I are both breast cancer survivors and absolutely hate seeing the mass flow of pink everywhere you turn in October. Every time you thin... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933132 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:36:09 +0100 933132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=926352&cid=t_149970_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F165150630%2F Could this gain traction? Does Pfizer want to find out? At a demonstration yesterday outside Pfizer offices in the northern state of Kano, human rights protesters vowed to stage a massive national and international campaign to boycott Pfizer products and services worldwide. They want the drugmakerr to compensate families of victims who were allegedly harmed or killed by Trovan, an antibiotic used during a notorious epidemic in 1996. Pfizer faces two government lawsuits totaling $9 billion over charges of illegally conducting an unauthorized trial on about 200 children at a government hospital during a triple epidemic of measles, cholera and meningitis in which 12,000 people died. The episode led to the death of 11 children and various deformities - including deafness, blindness, paralysis ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=926352 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:50:42 +0100 926352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915289&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fboycott-october.html Evolution: 1. Visceral reaction 2. Logic and Evidence 3. Humor 1. Visceral reaction My first responses to pink ribbons, written back in 2003 and 2004, were visceral. See Gag Me With a Pink Ribbon. This story, although written with the knowledge of, and indeed at the suggestion of, the marketing director at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, nearly lost me my freelance writing gig with SCCA. The head of SCCA--NOT a fan of mine--was upset that I mentioned the organization in the story, even though what I said about my relationship with SCCA was accurate, and the doctor whose book I mentioned, Dr. Julie Gralow, was also upset about being mentioned in an anti-pink-ribbon story. So much for the First Amendment. This is what I said about pink ribbons in a cover story I wrote for Seattle W... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915289 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:29:37 +0100 915289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915290&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fsoapbox-no-4-th.html This soapbox was part of a longer story I wrote for Seattle Weekly in 2003, Running With Fear: Confessions of a Breast Cancer Poster Child I hate them. I really do. I don't understand what they are for?support and solidarity, something like that, but I'm not getting that from a little twist of pink metal pretending to be a ribbon. Instead of pink ribbons, I'd rather have national health insurance or any health insurance plan that insures sick people. The way things are now, if you are young and healthy, you can get health insurance at a reasonable cost. If you are old or, God forbid, sick, forget it. If you want to support people with cancer, forget the ribbon and lobby for national health care. Or for a state health insurance plan that is open to everyone, rich and poor, sick and well.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915290 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:25:48 +0100 915290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915291&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-buttons-are.html If you've e-mailed me asking for a Boycott October button and are wondering where it is, check the mail in a few days. I just packed up buttons ready for mailing tomorrow for Seana, Pat, Karen, Jen, Katie, and Beth. If you haven't received your button and you're not on that list, please e-mail me again with your mailing address and I will very happily send you a button. jeanne.sather@gmail.com Jeanne (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915291 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:11:25 +0100 915291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869423&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-one-breas-5.html You say ree-bel, I say reb-el. No matter how you pronounce it, Rebel1in8 and the Rhea Belle line of clothing and jewelry are revolutionary. Jacqueline Skaggs and I met through our cancer blogs and our mutual distaste for pink ribbon marketing (See Boycott October). She is a breast cancer survivor, and also an artist, and a jewelry and clothing designer. Jacqueline's clothing and her jewelry are political. The beading on the jewelry "represents the 2004 statistic 'one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer,'" Jacqueline says. But the message is subtle. You can wear the jewelry because you want to make a political statement about the growing numbers of women diagnosed with breast cancer, or you can wear them because you like the elegant designs, or both. Jacqueline des... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869423 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:41:35 +0100 869423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869424&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-one-breas-4.html This is MY shirt. Jacqueline made it for me Labor Day weekend when I went to visit her in New York. I wore it to Coney Island on Labor Day, and it was my first trip out in public without my prosthesis in the nine years since my mastectomy (except for a couple of times that I accidentally ran out of the house without Jabba, the prosthesis, because I was in a hurry). I'm wearing this shirt now as I type. I wore it again to head down to Pioneer Square in Seattle last Saturday to get a massage. It's a great shirt--comfortable to wear and a perfect rosy-red color. You can wrap it four or five different ways, which is fun. See Jeanne's red wrap, back view. Jacqueline designs and makes Rhea Belle clothes, for one-breasted or no-breasted women, like me. Her slogan: Not a statistic. More ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869424 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:47:45 +0100 869424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869425&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-one-breas-3.html This great shirt was a custom design Jacqueline made just for me when I was visiting her in New York. The purpose of my visit was to meet her, as we'd been corresponding by e-mail and through our blogs for almost a year, and to order some clothes, since I had decided to retire Jabba, my prosthesis, and go out in public as a one-breasted woman. The shirt is large, and with the loose cowl can be worn all sorts of ways. It is a variation of the white Comfy Cotton Summer Cowl that Jacqueline has in her slide show and also in her online store. As you can see from the photo, if you LOOK, you will notice that I don't have a right breast, but with the way the shirt drapes it is not obvious. I feel comfortable in public like this. See the Comfy Cotton Summer Cowl. Here's Jacqueline's descript... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869425 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:48:53 +0100 869425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867196&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-one-breas-2.html See the Caged Bird T. Here's what Jacqueline says about this T-shirt: I made this T-shirt specifically for the 2006 ny susan g. komen walk in Central Park. i was opposed to the over-sized and over-printed-with-sponsors T-shirts so at the last minute i whipped up this song bird. the printed fabric is from a T-shirt that I purchased at Urban Outfitters and sacrificed for the race, the cause. It's pretty awkward at the neckline but I still embrace its crafty spontaneous edges. When I was in New York visiting Jacqueline over the Labor Day weekend, I asked her to make me two T-shirts in this design, one brown and one pale yellow. I'll post photos of them when they arrive. I'm sending Jacqueline a yellow Japanese furoshiki with a design of samurai faces to use for the inset on the shirt. It... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867196 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:03:26 +0100 867196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=863648&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthanks-new-york.html Thanks to The New York Times, the nation's newspaper of record, for today's editorial, "Cancer’s High Toll on the Uninsured." The editorial focuses on The American Cancer Society’s new advertising campaign urging access to quality health care for all Americans. "When it comes to dealing with cancer, any delay in detection or treatment, as is common among the uninsured or poorly insured, can be fatal," the editorial says. The ACS "decided to devote its entire advertising budget this year to the problem of inadequate health coverage after reaching a stark and sobering conclusion. It has no hope of meeting its goal of reducing cancer death rates by 50 percent, and incidence rates by 25 percent, from 1990 to 2015 unless cancer patients gain quicker access to screening and treatment." ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=863648 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:16:32 +0100 863648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858195&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fone-breasted-wo.html I choose these earrings from a whole row of similar ones that Jacqueline had hanging in her studio. That was last weekend, Labor Day weekend, and I haven't taken them off since except to shower or to sleep. The turquoise beads look like tiny images of Earth, and the larger rose quartz bead (the one in eight) matches the beads in my rebel necklace, so I can wear them together. And I love the length, they are the longest earrings I have--just to the shoulder. The rebel earrings in turquoise and rose quartz cost $30, plus shipping. Jacqueline's description: These 4-inch rebel shoulder dusters are made with 6 mm turquoise beads, 8 mm rose quartz beads, glass seed beads, and sterling sliver. The beading on my jewelry represents the 2004 statistic "one in eight women will be diagnos... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858195 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:27:48 +0100 858195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858196&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-one-breas-1.html There are no bumperstickers on my car. No cute "words of wisdom" framed and hanging on my walls. No T-shirts with political slogans or beer ads in my drawer. And, as my friends and regular readers know, I HATE pink ribbons. I'm not the kind of woman who shows who she is with symbols and slogans, to say the least. But there is one exception--My Rebel 1in8 necklace, made by my blogger friend, artist, and fashion designer, Jacqueline. I love the combination of a funky flattened bottle cap and a string of elegant beads. One of the eight beads is a different color, for the one in eight U.S. women who will get breast cancer if they live to be in their 80s. Jacqueline's mission is to "spread breast cancer awareness while rebelling against the fears and social side effects that are bound ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858196 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:33:57 +0100 858196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=847207&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fbreast-cancer-b.html Oh my god, it's Breast Cancer Barbie's little sister, Benign Girl! My friend Teresa, the Cheeky Librarian, sent me this link. Take a look: Benign Girl Now Breast Cancer Barbie has Prostate Cancer Ken AND Benign Girl. I've e-mailed my friend and fellow cancer blogger, Jacqueline, who lives in New York, to ask her to check out the 99-cent stores for a Benign Girl from China (somebody named this doll with a Chinese-English dictionary in hand. Too funny). Of course, those of you with sharp eyes will have noted that the package doesn't contain a doll, just a toy phone, with a photo of a blonde, Barbie-like doll on the package, along with the name. Pretty soon I'll have an entire alternative family of Barbie dolls. (In October, I plan to mail Prostate Cancer Ken to the good folks at Mat... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=847207 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:54:57 +0100 847207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811789&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fmeet-prostate-c.html So, after my blood draw today, as part of my attempt to keep moving and fend off depression, I headed to Toys R Us to buy a Ken doll or two. Well, I can't recommend that experience as a cure for depression--talk about conspicuous consumption: junky toys, tons of excess packaging, gender-stereotyping to the max in the toys themselves ... not to mention the whole race thing. I was only able to find two different Ken dolls, one is "Beach Glam Ken," blond and blue-eyed, of course, and the other is "Ken the Groom Doll, every girl's dream," ("bride sold separately, subject to availability," according to the box. I didn't see her), who has brown hair and blue eyes. There were no black or Asian Ken dolls. And, of course, no Hispanic Ken. Nor were there any clothes available for my Ken dolls--... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811789 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 02:20:23 +0100 811789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806880&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fpink-ribbons--1.html I’m plowing through Samantha King’s 2006 book, Pink Ribbons Inc.—Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy, writing notes, questions, and comments on almost every page. I’ve also dog-eared at least half the pages in the book, and filled the endpapers with my own thoughts and notes for future blog posts. Guess I’ll have to buy another copy to have King sign for me when I meet her, which I hope to do. It is comforting to me that an academic, in a heavily researched volume, came to many of the same conclusions that I have come to during the years that I’ve lived with breast cancer. I reached these conclusions mostly through my emotional responses to the same topics that King writes about from the academic’s perspective—pink ribbons, cause marketing, the exploitation o... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806880 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:07:39 +0100 806880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806881&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fwords-to-think-.html The passages below are all from Samantha King’s book, ones I marked for further thought. Komen’s role: “Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, … is widely credited with turning the disease into a marketable product with which consumers, corporations, and politicians are eager to associate.” The “on-going cultural transformation of breast cancer in the United States since the early 1990s”: “…[B]reast cancer has been reconfigured from a stigmatized disease and individual tragedy best dealt with privately and in isolation, to a neglected epidemic worthy of public debate and political organizing, to an enriching and affirming experience during which women with breast cancer are rarely ‘patients’ and mostly ‘survivors.’” Ugh. I’v... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806881 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:52:36 +0100 806881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=805829&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fwho-wants-to-pl.html Amy, a fellow blogger, suggested that Breast Cancer Barbie needs a companion, maybe "Lymphoma Ken." Personally, I think it should be "Prostate Cancer Ken." Think about it. We could really have fun with this, and at the same time hit the male business execs responsible for these stupid dolls right where it hurts, in the groin. See if they think it helps them in their "cancer journey" (gag) to own a Prostate Cancer Ken. Or do they want one for their sons to help them cope with their fathers' cancer--the way the Breast Cancer Barbie was promoted as a gift for girls with a mother or grandmother going through breast cancer treatment? I'll be heading out to Toys R Us in the next day or two to buy a Ken doll to remake as Prostate Cancer Ken. In the meantime, please send me your suggestion... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=805829 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:36:40 +0100 805829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=747085&cid=t_149970_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe-buttons-are.html My Boycott October buttons arrived the other day from the Busy Beaver Button Co. (www.busybeaver.net). The text reads "Boycott October! Don't buy PINK products. Don't EXPLOIT women with breast cancer," and the buttons are pink, although not the sickly, girly pink used by the pink marketing folks, a color I disliked even before it became tied to breast cancer marketing. I'll be mailing out buttons September 1 to anyone who writes and asks for one. Just send me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read: Boycott October Boycott October Press Release Breast Cancer Barbie Get a Boycott October Button @ Jeanne Sather 2007. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=747085 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:55:32 +0100 747085