Butterscotch Apron

Sunday, October 23, 2011

PINK IS WHERE IT'S AT

Anna Totten (below)

Mom, between Jean and I

Mom at my wedding shower

Mom/Grandma with Beth, Jimmy and Julie - 1972

COMING NEXT WEEK

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2011

WOULD YOU PLEASE HOP ON BOARD TO DO SOMETHING NEXT SUNDAY TO HELP TOWARDS SPREADING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS?

IS THERE SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE WHO HAS BEEN TOUCHED WITH BREAST CANCER? IT'S REALLY HARD NOT TO KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD IT, BEEN TREATED FOR IT AND RECOVERED FULLY?! AND PER CHANCE YOU'VE KNOWN SOMEONE WHO LOST THE BATTLE AGAINST THE FOE OF BREAST CANCER? YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE THEM RECEIVE TREATMENT; BE OVERJOYED WITH THE NEWS THAT THEY WERE CANCER-FREE - AND SADLY - SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD THEIR CANCER RETURNED. ANOTHER VALIANT EFFORT TO FIGHT IT AND ONE DAY THE BATTLE WASN'T WON; INSTEAD THE PERSON YOU KNEW; A LOVED ONE; A DEAR FRIEND; DIED DUE TO COMPLICATIONS OF THE BREAST CANCER. SUNDAY IS A DAY I'M ASKING YOU TO DO SOMETHING TO TOUCH ANOTHER'S LIFE WHO NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT, A RIDE TO GET THEIR TREATMENT, A KIND NOTE IN THE MAIL, OR EVEN TAKE THEM OUT FOR A MEAL OR GO TO A MOVIE. BUMP UP YOUR SUPPORT IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.

IT'D BE WONDERFUL IF WE COULD ALL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, OR YOUR CHOICE OF LOCATION WHERE YOU KNOW IT'D DO SOME GOOD.

I WISH I HAD A BAG FULL OF THOSE PINK BRACELETS - RUBBER ONES WHICH WOULD COST LITTLE AND THEN ON SUNDAY I'D ASK FOR A $5.00 DONATION AND TURN AROUND AND GIVE EVERY LAST PENNY TO M. D. ANDERSON HERE LOCALLY IN ORLANDO, WITH THE NOTATION THAT IT GOES TO HARRIET'S CLOSET. IT IS A PLACE IN THE HOSPITAL WHICH WOMEN UNDER TREATMENT CAN GO AND PICK OUT SCARVES, T-SHIRTS, GET INFORMATION ON ALL SORTS OF HELPFUL MEDICAL PROSTHETIC ITEMS AND EVEN WIGS AND SUCH.

TOMORROW I WILL GET BUSY AND FIND OUT WHERE I CAN LAY MY HANDS ON THOSE BRACELETS. AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT, I'LL FIGURE SOMETHING ELSE OUT AND POST IT HERE. THIS IS IN CONNECTION TO JOINING OTHER BLOGGERS WHO ARE GOING TO GET THE WORD OUT FOR NEXT SUNDAY.

THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE PHOTOS ABOVE ARE OF MY MOTHER. SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AT AGE 78. SHE WENT FOR TWO SURGEONS AND BOTH SAID THEY WERE 95% SURE IT WAS BREAST CANCER EVEN BEFORE ANY SURGERY WAS DONE. SHE UNDERWENT A RADICAL MASTECTOMY AND WAS NEVER GIVEN ANY FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT. 23 LYMPH NODES SHOWED NO SIGN OF THE CANCER SPREADING. WELL, SHE DID TAKE ORAL TAMOXIFEN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE CANCER RETURNED LESS THAN 4 YEARS LATER; THIS TIME IN THE BONE. MOM HAD 19 GRANDCHILDREN AND 3 GREAT GRANDS AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH. BEFORE THE CANCER SHE WAS A VERY ACTIVE LADY. SHE HAD OVERCOME HER POOR VISION AND KEPT ON TRYING TO SEW AND DO OTHER HANDIWORK. NO MATTER HOW OLD YOUR LOVED ONE IS WHEN THEY CONTRACT THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE, IT IS AN INTRUDER NOBODY EVER WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT IN THEIR LIFE. LET'S DO SOMETHING ON SUNDAY - A WEEK FROM TODAY - TO REMIND OTHERS TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER - AND YES, ANY CANCER, FRANKLY. MAKE SOME PINK CUPCAKES. SELL EM FOR $1.00. BAG UP SOME CANDY AND ASK FOR A DONATION WHICH YOU CAN IN TURN GIVE TO THE CAUSE. AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY BLESS WHATEVER YOU DO TENFOLD !

PLEASE PASS THE WORD AND MAYBE WE'LL SEE A HUGE OUTPOURING. SPREAD IT AROUND ON facebook AND ANY OTHER LOCATION.

I THINK OF MY SISTER-IN-LAW, SANDEE, WHO HAS BEEN TREATED FOR BREAST CANCER AND IS CANCER FREE. HER SISTER TOO. I COULD LIST NAMES OF DEAR FRIENDS WHO HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF BREAST CANCER. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE.