Posts Tagged ‘Project Pink Diaries’

Ann’s Diary: Airport Undressing

This has nothing to do with breast cancer, but wouldn’t it be nice if I didn’t have to undress in the airport?

Maybe it does have to do with breast cancer, as I hate walking through those new machines where I put my hands up and get doused with some kind of something that sees if I have scary objects under my shirt and pants. As a woman who’s been drenched in radiation so much these last 8 years I could sweat it out on a hot day, I’m all for pre-arranged clearance that I am not, in fact, a crazy person trying to take down the plane.

Who knows how this will all shake down, but if we put a man on the moon and have landed on mars, I’m a believer that we can figure out a way to stop millions of people traveling on airplanes in the US and around the world to keep their smelly feet under wraps as we head to the area marked “passengers only.”

If they actually ever post a sign that says “Keep Your Clothes On” with an arrow pointed in a certain direction, I’d like my smelly feet to be the first ones in that line.

Posted February 9th, 2012
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Ann’s Diary: Fiji Water Forever

It happened again…

for some reason when I drink Fiji Water before an IV blood draw, an infusion, a PETSCAN or any other reason that someone has to shoot me with a needle to find a vein–and those are the only reasons–the nurse, phlebotomist and tech get my veins on the first try. You must understand that I have horrible veins: I mean they’re legendary in the chemo room as duds, and the time before last someone mentioned the word “port”–a permanent fixture that allows future draws to happen because the insert-thing is already there. (It requires a small procedure and a surgeon, and frankly I don’t want to have to be at a point in my cancer journey where I need one.)

Today was no exception: the nurse called for reinforcements. The infusion center was running on fumes as many workers weren’t there. The only nurse on duty was intimidated by my veins–I call myself the “problem child of the Infusion Center” and whenever I come in, those with RN next to their names run for the hills. The one nurse who manages to hang in there as she must poke my arm 3, 4 and 5 times wasn’t in, and the other wasn’t up for the pin cushion challenge. So, she had to wait for another RN who was running late to come to work, AND had to watch the clock until the ultrasound machine was available. That’s the machine that looks into your body and sees things–like babies growing, weird lumps and in my case, floss-like veins that don’t spout blood when you need them to.

I won’t belabor the issue–I drank my Fiji water last night and today and when the chosen nurse came to attempt the impossible, BLAM she got the vein!

But the best part is that I was panicked, because there was an hour delay in doing the draw due to a staff shortage, and I drank my Fiji bottle dry. I started to tense up, thinking the Fiji would lose its power as the minutes tocked by, and I was going to get poked and prodded til forever…

but it didn’t! And I wasn’t! And I’m so excited!

Someone asked me if I told the nurses about the Fiji magic. I said no, because these last few times when I’ve had the water and my veins opened up I’ve mentioned it in passing and people give me that “whatever gets you through the night” look–as if they become acutely aware that the woman they knew and respected as an author, filmmaker, journalist and breast cancer activist might actually be a freak weirdo.

But this Fiji water is slowly becoming my new best friend. And since many of you reading this blog may find yourselves in my same bad-vein-boat, I encourage you to break your piggy bank and dole out the 5 or so dollars it takes to drink a bottle of this stuff the day of your draw–and no I am not being paid by Fiji to say this. Stay hydrated with regular water but about an hour before your draw–and the night before–slug down at least 16 oz each time–and bring extra that day in case they get delayed…

..then let me know if I’m the only lucky freak weirdo for whom this works.

Posted February 7th, 2012 by
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Ann’s Diary: Plan Komen

I was asked this morning about my take on the Komen situation: i.e. its reversal of decision to not give Planned Parenthood grants for breast health to its population of women in need.

In the last two days I’ve read a lot of angry commentary from the people who hated the original decision. I saw many lines that ended with “Komen will not get any of my money anymore.” To me, that line of thinking is as upsetting as Komen’s original decision.

Don’t get me wrong: I am glad Komen changed its mind. I am happy it heard the angry outcries. I am glad it decided it made a mistake. But I don’t like any conversation, conflict or combat that ends with “and now I hate you.” I don’t think quick decisions and pulling support for a 30 year organization over one poor decision advances anything positive. And I am all about positive.

Which I think officially makes me a milk toast. And my perspective could be dead wrong; maybe fighting and financial fist-a-cuffs is how any thing good gets done in this world.

But as I battle metastatic breast cancer, I have become more even-tempered. I am hyper-focused on solving problems, not battling them out. And like I just said, I’m not at all sure I’m right. So hooray that Komen changed its mind and kudos to all your reactions that helped it get there.

But I stand by my original reaction, which was this: maybe Komen should go find another way to help out the population that Planned Parenthood addresses. Remember, not all people who go to Planned Parenthood are asking for abortions. I have a friend who goes there because she can’t afford health insurance but wants to stay healthy for herself and her 12 year old son. There’s a broader non-politically-charged population there–and it needs breast care help. And that is the mantra of Susan G. Komen For The Cure: stopping women from dying of breast cancer.

I guess what I’m saying is maybe there’s a place for both reactions: the “screw you I’m taking my money and walking” one and the “okay, if you can’t help one way, figure out another way to help.”

To that end, here’s an idea: maybe Planned Parenthood–and what it does to help a large group of women who find themselves without healthcare insurance but in need of health care–shouldn’t be the only game in town. Maybe the world shouldn’t be considering financially challenged women and ones-who-want abortions as the same focus group. After all, my friend doesn’t go to PP for an abortion. She goes to maintain herself as a healthy parent.

I have no idea what the real reasons were that caused Komen to pull, then reinstated its PP funding–I assume it was political, and twas ever thus. But today, Komen is once again giving money to Planned Parenthood as it aways “planned” to do. Which I am happy about for many women, including my friend. But since “plan” keeps coming up in this conversation, how about Komen plan to figure out how to take its money and give breast health to women in need on its own?

How about Komen side-stepping this entire problem in the future by teflon-coating itself against political pressure forever? How about a new wing of Komen called something like–and I’m making this up here– “Planned Parent”? Or better yet, “Planned Prime-Of-Life”? With the objective of reaching the underprivileged women out there who don’t want an abortion but who want not to die of breast cancer? With the secondary strategy to live to see a child graduate high school, and the third objective to live long enough to be a parent in the first place?

Since we’re talking about plans in the first place, how about that for a plan, Komen?

Posted February 4th, 2012 by
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Ann’s Diary: Komen In The Kitchen

I was asked today what I think about Susan G. Komen For The Cure pulling its funding for Planned Parenthood.  I had to think about it.

Since my mini-non-profit has no money, this kind of a decision has never happened to me, and therefore I can’t speak from a similar standpoint. I suppose on the one hand, the Komen group can do whatever it wants with its money.  It’s a business.  Business, whether a non-profit, a not-for-profit, or a for-profit has that right, as long as rules are not broken along the way.

It looks to me like that’s at the crux of the outrage–that Komen didn’t do what it wanted, that it did was others wanted–mainly pro-lifers.  The assumption is Komen bent under political pressure from anti-abortion powers who somehow threatened trouble ahead for Komen if it continued to give money to PP. I am assuming all this as I have no clue–like you I’m just reading along and listening as the story unfolds.

I agree that’s a lousy way to dole out your cash–at the behest, badgering or the bullying of another.  But that’s the way this country often does things–by pressure.  Hell, that’s the way a lot of countries do things–who are we kidding.  That’s why so many presidents get up to the podium, win the election, and fall flat on their democratic, republican, socialist, imperial or whatever-the-political-choice happens to be backsides–because there’s too many cooks in the political kitchen.  And way too many others on the sidelines holding fistfuls of voter spices that no chef can make a meal without.  The threats fly amid that kind of a system–”if you don’t do what I say, I take my spices–and my voters–and I’m gone.”

I don’t want to sound blase about this or like I don’t care because I do care.  I care a lot–for the women who due to this decision by Komen will never get diagnosed with breast cancer and will die because of it.

As for the rest of it–the pressure, the money, the funding–it is what it is. You can’t change the system–at least not right away.  I hope some day that changes–but let’s face it, it ain’t gonna change today. But that’s not what Komen for the Cure is supposed to do.  Its mantra is not “hell bent on beating the political system”.  It’s not a group dedicated to rearranging the proverbial spice drawer in the left wing/right wing kitchen. It’s a group dedicated to three things: women, breast cancer and the cure for an insidious disease that hits 1 in 8 women in this country every year, including me.

So I say Go, Komen, Go–find another way to help. You’re big, you’re powerful, and though you may have had to bend to pressure–and twas ever thus, you’re not the first giant to get smacked in the big eye by this kind of sling shot–go find another way to reach the women you might have helped via Planned Parenthood.  You’ve got many smart people working for you, they can figure this out.  Forget the spice holders in this political kitchen.  They may have all the power today but like I bet the real Susan G. Komen–God rest her soul–would have told you, were she alive to do so–

there’s always tomorrow.

Posted February 1st, 2012
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Ann’s Diary: Where’s Pink Tips?

In the great tradition of Carmen Sandiego, Waldo and Matt Lauer, ‘pink tips‘ is traveling the world and being placed–and I hope read–in every nook and cranny from San Francisco to Salzburg, Botswana to Bangladesh–and you make that happen. I am asking my readers to get their copy of ‘pink tips’ and bring it with you somewhere around the world, take a photo of it and send that photo to me so I can post it here. And if you can, leave your copy wherever you were so that someone else can pick it up and get some inspiration.

I just got this photo today: do you know where this is? Hint: that lion is NOT in a zoo…

Thank you for sending this in! Today’s entry is from a family who recently traveled to a country where breast cancer is the second largest cancer detected in women and in too many cases it is detected far too late.

Posted February 1st, 2012
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