A splash of teal and green in the month of Pinktober
I have a complicated relationship with Pinktober. Before cancer touched my life, I saw pink ribbons as a helpful reminder to get a mammogram. After I completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer and was deemed cancer-free, those ribbons symbolized victory and survival.
But in August 2021, my world changed when I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Unlike early-stage cancer, metastatic cancer means the disease has spread beyond the breast, in my case to my lungs. It’s incurable, and I was devastated. The person you know who died of breast cancer had metastatic cancer. And then it was
Pinktober. I was no longer a survivor. I blamed myself. I hated that month.
A friend from my synagogue who had been through breast cancer herself introduced me to Sharsheret. I engaged with reluctance. The guilt I was carrying was immediately dispelled in learning from Sharsheret that late-stage breast cancer can just happen, despite my medical team and myself doing everything right. That information was a Gamechanger.
Sharsheret support services instantly became a lifeline for me. I received an amazing care package: information I could understand and follow, a comfy robe, a cookbook I have since mastered, and even Legos to occupy my son. I dove into their Sharsheret
Embrace online community of over 500 people. I easily built connections with women in the group as I found them like-minded and compassionate. I’ve participated in webinars that improved my wellness while feeding my spirituality. And support services staff check in on me on the regular. Sharsheret gave me the community and confidence there was life to be lived with metastatic breast cancer. And they are along for the journey of me living it.
This year, I am embracing Pinktober with a renewed perspective. October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, and the metastatic ribbon incorporates teal and green into the pink to symbolize life and healing. I am here, living life to the fullest; I am a thriver.