And Sadly, She Lived

And sadly, she lived. Let me explain the title of this little essay of mine. A few weeks ago, I was sitting on my "Thinking Chair"...ok, nosey, the toilet! I can neither explain nor defend that some of my better thoughts emerge during a satisfying sit. (SIT!)

I was debating with myself the whole idea of autobiographies, and wondering how you would title something that is basically, your LIFE. The title of this chronicle of confession, describing YOU, in a few words. That must be a very painstaking endeavor.

For many years, my son and I would watch TV together. It seemed that whenever we watched something meant to inspire, uplift..it always ended tragically. In the credits it invariably said " Bobby Blahblah lived another 2 weeks, AND SADLY HE DIED" We came to call these shows "and sadly, they died" shows. Exploitive, I later felt. Not inspired.  Needless to say, we tried our best to avoid them.

This being the time of year where the "Pink Brigade" is up and in FULL effect, it reminds me of those shows. Only for me, it's a feeling of "sadly she LIVED". I lived to learn things about the cancer world that I was better off NOT knowing. I was living very happily in my ignorance. Before cancer came to invade my body, I donated to cancer research like everyone else. I thought I was doing the altruistic things that humans need to do in order to claim humanness. (Not sure that's a word, but humor me.) I thought that curing cancer was the "goal" of these "charities". What a beat down on my soul when I discovered they are backstabbing, money making machines.

Cancer is an INDUSTRY. Supporting such a huge economic pyramid, is almost beyond comprehension. "Cure" is not on the agenda. "Cure" is not the bonanza that "Treatment" is, or in my opinion, ever will be. The best that cancer patients can hope for are better "treatments". Making cancer a chronic, manageable disease. Funding is not granted in any equitable manner. Breast Cancer gets the lion's share of all funding because it's the easiest to raise funds FOR. Not because cancer is a "boob man". Not because it's the biggest cancer threat. It isn't.

Yet when most hear the word "cancer" they see pink. First the gays take my rainbow, now my favorite color is all about the boobs. Breast cancer's five year is in the 90 percentile in early stages. Yet, the only thing sheeple are "aware" of is that cancer is a "Boobieman", out to tank your Ta-Ta's. The marketing of Breast Cancer "awareness" is pure evil genius. Sell any and all things "pink" stating that a percentage goes to Breast Cancer research and you are in business, baby. What a wonderful human you are to buy those "pink" under britches and save the boobs at the same time! Spoiler alert!!! I just figured out Vickey's "secret" for their "pink" line. Now I'm buying my panties the old fashion way...at Walmart.

Any little meaningless "trinket" colored pink can get in on this great deal. Percentage means JACK, really.  That percentage could be a fraction of a cent. It doesn't even have to give a percentage,It can just be "pink" and the blissfully ignorant assume it goes to research. Product placement helps with that. Just place it near anything that does the whole "percentage" game. Man! I wish I would have thought of this scam! I'd be off on my own island somewhere in the South Pacific, complete with cabana boys. (as many of the Honcho's of these org.'s ARE)

The largest cancer association in this country has been around for 100 years. (A must read article) Everything they actually DO for patients is done by well meaning volunteer's. Many sick themselves, and family members who have suffered enormous loss. The rest goes to the salaries of staff that arrange these...umm..call them "run in circles". (don't want to be sued.) With the CEO's and CMO's making the BIG bucks and perks. YOU pay for that. They dribble grants out, when compared to what they bring IN, amounts to pocket change. It's for show. There's a sucker born every minute, and they know it. PT Barnum was correct, my little clowns.

Susan G Komen spends well over a million per year of DONOR money to bring lawsuits against any small non-profit that uses any variation of "for the cure". You can google that yourself. A recent one was "Kites for the Cure". Nancy Brinker, who started this for her sister, also married into Brinker International. They are one of the largest restaurant conglomerates in the country. SGK has over 200 patents. Well connected politically, she has no intention of removing her rear from that pink thrown. She has created an EMPIRE. Insisting Breast Cancer kills more women between the ages of 40 and 60 than any other disease, when this is clearly NOT the truth. Nancy's "belief's" do not equal FACT.

Heart disease is the number ONE cause of death for women. Breast cancer lost its lofty perch on the death totem pole way back in 1987. (YOWZA! think of all the boobs saved in order to become fake! Ok, that was catty, but..again, humor me.) There are no shortage of BRILLIANT researchers out there, foaming at the mouth to research less popular cancers. Yet acquiring the grants is so daunting that they turn to other studies. The large non-profits, big Pharm and soooo many entities are in bed together in an orgy of money and power, it would blow your mind. Heavily invested in screening equipment, even cosmetic companies. Smaller non-profit's are threading water with good intentions..but unless the BIG DOGS endorse you...you're going under.

I don't remember dying people having to do "walks" or "runs" in order to try to save their lives when I was younger. I DO, however, remember learning about Jonas Salk. He and his small team of researchers devoted seven years of their lives to developing a safe polio vaccine. When asked who holds the patent on it, he replied, "No one, can you patent the sun?"

Unless "cure" can somehow magically become as profitable as "treatment", you can run, walk, bike or bellyflop. The only thing you're supporting is an industry.

Sadly, I lived..to know that there is zero incentive to cure cancer..even less to save my life. Manageable...is the best I can hope for if it comes back. I live my life in six month increments. Scan...to...scan. So little time, so many "sheeple".

(Before you ask me if I'm "against" Breast Cancer, YES! I AM! Aren't YOU?)

The author of this piece has asked that I withhold her name.  I encourage you to leave comments for her and she will respond accordingly.