Coming Out …
teddybearwannabe ♦ January , 2013 ♦ 4 Comments
My name is Victoria and I have Metastatic Breast Cancer. I have had a diagnosis of bone metasteses for 4 years 355 days (applause) and I have incurable cancer.
I have been thinking that it is about time we all came out of the closet and declared to the world that we are living with breast cancer. We may have an incurable diagnosis but we are most certainly alive, and it is about time that we were accepted by the breast cancer community as equals, not as a group to be ashamed of or ignored.
Acknowledging us does not mean that every one in the breast cancer community will join us, and to be honest we don’t want any more members than we have already. However, just because we are in this group doesn’t mean that we can’t mix with others. It is not catching and who knows, maybe some of the Non-Mets may learn a thing of two from the Mets. Don’t ignore us and think that it won’t happen to you if you turn the other way; and if you think you need support when you have a form of breast cancer that you are more likely to survive, think how much support we need? What support is available goes disproportionately to those with ESBC. Not only that but we feel that we are shunned by most of the BC community and the non-profits who claim to be advacating for Breast Cancer, but not for Metastatic Breast Cancer.
So it is time we came out of the closet and claimed what is rightly ours, because that is the only way that we will get any recognition because, lets face it, they haven’t given it to us yet.
Anyone else coming?
Vicki xxx
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: advocacy, Determination, diagnosis, happiness, metastatic breast cancer
Inspiring Metastatic Breast Cancer Advocacy 
Right there with you Vicki!
So how do we do this?
We need to get involved with advocating for MBC. It is difficult, and in some ways goes against our nature to be public about having MBC and asking for our fair share of the pot. But the fact is that only about 5% of the research budget is spent directly on MBC. In the US the Susan G Komen foundation is proud that they spent $34m on mets research, except that this is the same that they apparently spent on office furniture, and came out of a $2 BILLION fund. If I remember correctly that works out as 1.7%. Will write a longer reply later, but I must get ready for work now … Vicki xxx
Vikki take a look at my next post to get some idea of how we can do this …