October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Typically, the people on social media will change their banners to a pink-themed image, add an awareness frame to their profile pictures or post a long, copy-and-pasted message about praying for those with breast cancer and urging others to do the same.
While all of these things are well and good, when did posting a pink ribbon become something worth honoring? This is not a matter of politics where one can put up a sign, wave a flag or wear a T-shirt and be seen as supportive and good. It is not the breast cancer that needs attention – it is the women (and even the 1% of men) living in illness every day.
Living with breast cancer, especially while actively undergoing medical treatment, is a tremendous weight on a person’s shoulders. Treatment can cause painful side effects, mental health struggles and changes to one’s body.
The National Library of Medicine’s Journal of Breast Health touches on the body image issues that come with life-saving mastectomies. In their article titled “Body Image of Women with Breast Cancer After Mastectomy: A Qualitative Research,” authors Sema Kocan and Ayla Gursoy discuss how a negative mental view of one’s own body after treatment can show up in everyday life.
“Negative body image among breast cancer survivors includes dissatisfaction with appearance, perceived loss of femininity and body integrity, reluctance to look at oneself naked, feeling less sexually attractive, self-consciousness about appearance, and dissatisfaction with surgical scars,” they wrote.
Rather than a repetitive post saying that the user stands for breast cancer awareness, would it not be more productive and supportive to post that they instead support the use of prosthetics, implants and adaptable clothing used to make survivors feel like themselves again? Would more cancer fighters and survivors be touched to see posts of people accepting them exactly as they appear, no matter the circumstances?
Similarly, while it is important to consider and pray for those battling breast cancer, it is also important to directly lighten their loads. As opposed to reiterating the same vague message of empty support every October, it would only take a small amount of time out of one’s day to reach out and let a struggling loved one know that their dinner will be taken care of for the night, their children can come over for a few hours while they nap or their laundry will be done by Monday morning.
Imagine yourself with even a slight cold – how uncomfortable do you feel? How much of a load off your mind is it when someone reaches out to offer help or rest during that time? Now imagine how it must feel to be offered help when dealing with a far more severe illness. During this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, do not only take the opportunity to speak out to shine a light on those battling breast cancer, but challenge yourself to directly support them in their personal lives.
