Fade the pink to white

I'm always astonished at the variety of things you can buy in pink during the month of October. Breast cancer awareness month seems to have taken over the month known for its fall foliage. Rather than seeing colors of vibrant orange and red we instead see the color pink in everything from pots and pans, mops, ribbons on footballs jerseys, and even trash cans. The marketing campaign for breast cancer awareness is obviously a successful one. Kuddos to them!  They have done an incredible job at overcoming their own stigma of folks not wanting to talk about breast cancer because it was considered taboo. At one point, it was the biggest cancer killer among women. They have since decreased that. Thanks to the millions ( I actually think it's BILLIONS at this point)of dollars spent on this campaign more women (and men) survive this disease than ever before. How amazing is that? The Susan G. Koman Foundation started as a grassroots organization. It was simple and they did what they could to get the word out. Over 25 years they have become the number #1 cancer non-profit and are considered one of the most successful grassroots organization EVER. That's inspiring!

The Susan G. Koman Foundation gives hope to other cancer non-profits that IT IS possible to to make a difference.  The downside for many cancer non-profits though is that breast cancer has many things that we don't have or that we haven't quite figured out yet. The breast cancer marketing campaign (and yes it is marketing campaign) has become successful because they have created unity among women and FOR women. They have made "touching your TA-TAS" an acceptable term to talk about around the dinner the table. They have given women the OK to talk about their breasts and their bodies. They have given men a way to support the women they love. Breasts are the ultimate symbol of womanhood.  Even if you don't know anyone with breast cancer, you more than likely support the cause.  This is a huge bonus to the breast cancer campaign because they can unite people on several different levels. Other cancers struggle to get that same versatility.  

What unites lung cancer?  Unfortunately society unites smokers to the lung cancer and then stigmatizes them for "their choices" that cause the disease.  We need to change that.

Lung cancer has now taken the the place of breast cancer as the #1 cancer killer among women. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer in the United States and yet you rarely hear about it.  Why? Because of a lack of federal funds. Because we lack a successful marketing campaign. Because we have a stigma to overcome. Because we lack unity.


Another downside for cancer non-profits is that the breast cancer campaign is SO successful that it creates the illusion that EVERYONE has breast cancer. I have spoken with local laboratories about donating money to just lung cancer research. Each one I spoke with has to explained to me that a person cannot allocate funds to a specific cancer, unless of course it's for breast cancer.  "That's what people want" one woman told me.  Is it? When everything is made in the color pink during the month of October its hard NOT to support the breast cancer campaign. So are people actually supporting the cause or do people just want pink products? I think its a little of both.

When sharing our ideas for NELCP we have actually had people say to us "I don't think the breast cancer campaign is going to let you do that." I am astonished that people seem to think that just because their marketing has established a pink product in every realm of our lives that we now have this illusion that they somehow control our lives too. 

I don't want this blog to come across as if I do not support breast cancer. I do. I know several survivors of the disease and I find the breast cancer campaign to be inspiring. However, I think it's important for people to see through the hue of pink and understand that like all marketing campaigns; it creates an illusion that is often elaborated to sell a product and to make money.

Know the facts. Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer. More women die of lung cancer than they do of breast cancer.  Women of ALL AGES get lung cancer, even children. Smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer. In fact, in many cases it acts as a co-factor rather than a cause. Lung cancer lacks research. It lacks federal funding. It lacks awareness. It needs your support.

November is lung cancer awareness month. In the future I hope to see all of the pink products and the pink ribbons eventually fade to white.

Life's statistics

In the midst of helping a friend take care of her lawn while she had relocated halfway across the country I spent some time talking with her next door neighbor; an older man in his mid 70's. He reminded me of an older version of my father with his white hair riding around on his tractor. He was a friendly man, his piercing blue eyes twinkled as he talked about his past and he was more than willing to start up a conversation with a complete stranger. He wore a straw hat and a pair of black pants that were being held up by rainbow suspenders that covered his bare chest. The rainbow suspenders didn't fit his masculine, Vermont farmer persona.  The suspenders and his blue eyes seemed to be the only difference between this older man and the younger version of my father I remembered before he passed. 

We talked about many things as he helped me pick up the lawn and later helped me mow with his riding tractor. A gesture my father would have also done. We talked about his days in the Navy and his love for that branch of service. We talked about his time as a "young boy" referring to his 30s when he spent some time in northern Maine doing odd jobs for employment.  We discussed my one year old son who was trying desperately to be a part of the adult conversation and we discussed the health of his wife.

His wife had COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).  He explained that she had quit smoking decades ago but "it eventually caught up to her." I could see the sadness in his face when he told me that she had to be hooked up to an oxygen tank all the time. She was bound to the house. "She isn't able to do anything except to sit there" he said shaking his head with disappointment. He had obviously been an active man his whole life by the stories he had just told me. I made the assumption that his wife had been the same way. We spoke briefly about how both of my parents died of lung cancer and they too had quit smoking many years prior. I told him that even though COPD had "caught up" to his wife she was probably able to handle the disease better than she would have if she had never quit smoking. 

At that moment his face lit up.  "I quit smoking 29 years ago yesterday" he said smiling with his head held high. "Congratulations! I said surprised that he was still keeping track of the exact day that he quit smoking. 

As I said my goodbyes to the older gentlemen it dawned on me how significant it had been for this man to give up smoking during his lifetime. He had been married almost 50 years, he had been retired for 16, he was in the Navy for 3, he had 4 children and he had quit smoking 29 years ago...


As a society we need to start acknowledging that smoking is an addiction and that overcoming an addiction is not easy.  I think too often we tend to preach to smokers' about their risks and the ill effects on their body and in the process we lose sight of the fact that what they really need is our support.  I have yet to meet a smoker that has been uneducated about the health risks of smoking. How can you be in this day and age? Other factors take play; smoking becomes a habit, it's enjoyable for most, it's a stress reliever, it forms social connections you wouldn't have otherwise and most importantly it's addictive. 

We need to change our focus if we are going to help people quit smoking. Tips to remember: 

1. Let the smoker decide if, when and how they will quit smoking
2. Acknowledge that unless they live in a bubble they are probably well aware that smoking is not good for their health.

Ways in which you can help:

1. Help them identify their triggers for wanting a cigarette
2. Help them form new social connections or ways to connect with their smoking friends in other ways. 
3. Be sympathetic to the fact that they are giving up something they enjoy. 
4. Help them find other ways to relax in stressful situations. Without a replacement they will most likely crave a cigarette. 
5. Be mindful that this is an addiction and overcoming addictions takes time, courage, and patience. 
6. The more times a person quits smoking the more successful they will be. Encourage them to keep trying.