Breast Cancer Awareness Month: PINKTOBER AF!

Living Our Breast Lives

Join Wren and Brittany as they get LOUD for this Breast Cancer Awareness Episode as they discuss the dreaded "Pinktober" along with the many raw truths of Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness, and the funding that lacks, not just during BCAM but always.

Happy October 13th! It is officially Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness DAY! It is OUR DAY! Tune into LightUpMBC Live tonight and help us generate funds going directly to MBC research!

Why can BCAM be triggering for so many of us?

• Understanding the very big difference between early stage survivorship and late stage thrivership. It's hard to not feel like an outsider during the month of October since only one day is dedicated to Metastatic Breast Cancer. Hoping, praying, and manifesting that one day BCAM will mean more than just pink ribbons, pink boxing gloves, and prevention! That it will have an equal focus on the stage four thrivers, finding better treatments for us, and god willing, a cure for us all.

• Are we really that different? We do all this fundraising for early stage breast cancer and research, but 25-30% of early stagers will sadly become late stage. If that happens to you or someone you love, won't you wish that you did more for the MBC community when you had the chance? Funding for breast cancer research versus early detection benefits us all! Increasing the funding for MBC research is the only way to develop new treatments for the current MBC thrivers, and then the 30% of FUTURE thrivers. This is the importance behind RESEARCH NOT RIBBONS.

Brittany's mom once asked: "If we pour all the funding into early detection for early stage breast cancer, then we never have to worry about early stagers becoming late stagers." Sadly, this couldn't be further from the truth.

- 10% of MBC thrivers are diagnosed de novo, so what happens to those who are diagnosed out the gate metastatic? Does this research override these 10%?

- If we know 30% of people are going to become MBC, why not work our way backwards and try and find a cure for the stage that kills, versus the stage that we already have treatments for.

Some facts for you!

• 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
• 30% of early stage survivors will later develop metastasis; months or even decades later
• 90% of MBC patients are initially diagnosed early stage where 10% are diagnosed de novo
• 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary

Let's talk about pink-washing! Think before you pink! During the dreaded month of October, companies and large corporations will profit off of survivors/thrivers suffering by putting pink ribbons on random products and selling them to the public.

Are you aware that some of these companies may actually be contributing to a breast cancer diagnosis because of the chemicals found within these products? Yet, they're slapping a pink ribbon on the product and claiming to contribute to breast cancer research. The overbearing pink, the catchy slogans, the pushing early detection throughout the month isn't enough. It is only a bandaid for this deep- rooted issue.

What can you do for MBC during BCAM and how can you donate?

Did you know only about 2-5% overall breast cancer research in the US goes to MBC research? Know where your funds are going! Don't hesitate to ask, that's your right!

• METAvivor is the only non profit organization that solely funds MBC research through a scientific peer review process! 100% of all donations goes into MBC research grants which eventually leads to new treatments for all the different breast cancer subtypes.

• LightUpMBC Live: what started out as an awareness platform has now turned into a fundraising platform by producing a live broadcast for the world to hear stories directly from the MBC community. Standing in front of illuminated landmarks in the MBC colors while generating donations for MBC research. Educate, inspire, and raise critical funds for MBC research!!

Help us share this episode to EDUCATE EDUCATE EDUCATE! Share this episode with your family, share with your friends, share with whomever, lets just get this important information out there to the public for once and for ALL!

Tune into LightUpMBC Live tonight at 8PM and support in any way that you can!