Rant & Rave: Bra Color Memes & Cancer Awareness

Okay, let's talk about raising awareness.

A few days ago, I became aware of my friends' bra colors. Some were pink; some were black; some were multi-colored! What I didn't learn was how to detect, prevent, or treat cancer, nor how to support cancer patients and their families. That's a pretty big gap, if you ask me.

I have a lot of qualms about this bra color trend. While I am all for using new technology and social networking to raise awareness, we have to decide what kind of awareness we want to spread. Only one friend also posted information about self breast examinations, while facebook and the meme creators patted themselves on their backs for spreading the word. But what word was spread? That boobs are cool? That bras are sexy? And these are the reasons we should care about breast cancer, as opposed to the other, less sexy, forms of cancer that ravage female (and male) bodies?

But I don't want to spend too much time deconstructing the body politics of the bra color post. Instead, I want to talk about some positive ways to battle cancer that I have discovered in my own life, and hear what else people do to kick cancer's butt.

1. Fundraising.

When my brother was diagnosed with leukemia, I got involved with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. This team event raises funds and awareness, while celebrating healthy living for twenty four hours straight, once a year. RFL is not the only fundraising possibility, just my own personal favorite. Team in Training and Race for a Cure are two other big ones, but communities are often hosting smaller fundraisers for cancer organizations throughout the year. The funds people raise go towards research, prevention, and support services.

2. Take Care of Yourself

I still don't know the best time to perform a self-exam, and lord knows I avoid pelvic exams like the plague. I only recently started running and being conscious about the food I eat. However, I do some things right: I don't smoke, and only drink moderately. Knowing how to take care of your body can help prevent your own battle with cancer, and also makes you a role model for the young'ins for healthy living. And while some cancers are just not preventable, it doesn't hurt to be strong and healthy when going into a battle with any disease.

3. Advocate for Health Care Reform

When I first became involved with the American Cancer Society, I was surprised when the speaker at the Central Coast convention announced boldly: cancer is political. But as I thought about it more, I realized that, hell yes, cancer is political. I personally think Health Care Reform is absolutely vital; the last thing a cancer patient needs is stress about paying for treatment. Universal health care allows cancer patients to focus on healing, rather than working enough to pay or avoiding health services because of a lack of insurance. (Call your senators and Reps now!)

4. Support the Families

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, it affects everyone who loves that individual. Fortunately, more and more organizations are sprouting up to support family members of cancer patients. Camp Okizu and SuperSibs! provide invaluable services to siblings who desperately need love and attention while their siblings are in the hospitals, and Camp Kesem fills a giant void for children whose parents are fighting (or have fought) cancer. Volunteer or donate to any of these fine organizations!

These are just a few ideas to raise real awareness about cancer, while also serving the patients and advocating for their needs. Bra colors are fun, but at the end of the day, no lives have been saved. This post is both a rant and a rave, celebrating the contributions people make everyday to fight cancer head on!