Friday, October 02, 2009

Remember, October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month


There are men, sad to say, who measure the value of a woman by the size of her breasts.

As bad as that is, I grant you, it's worse when women engage in similar behavior. Worst of all, though, on a similar note, are the women who define their self image by the size of their bra.

Yes, I know plenty of those guys and women in both camps.


Our society has an unending fascination with breasts and the media is more than happy to feed the insatiable hunger that's out there.

TheSpecialOne's breasts are pro-typical of those you see in the centerfold of Playboy. She is all natural, though, and it would be a safe bet to say that's become less and less common in recent decades.


Her birthday is in September and that's when she gets her mammogram. I make a point of calling to schedule it for her in August.

As the years have gone on the office staff, and nurses, at her Gynecologist's office have gotten to know me. They seem to be so impressed that I call to schedule her test; I'd say it's unfortunate that it's not a more common practice.


October is breast cancer awareness month.

I'd like to encourage all you men who are visiting The Gonzo Papers to be sure the women in your life are taking care of business in terms of cancer screening.

Ladies, if you haven't had a mammogram this year it's the perfect month to have it done.

Also, I'm asking everyone to go to The Breast Cancer Site and click to give free mammograms.


Breast cancer is an insidious disease and it doesn't discriminate.

Women of all ages, nationalities, races and sizes are at risk for breast cancer. Men frequently don't realize that they can also be struck by breast cancer.

I've lost a family member and friends to breast cancer as has TheSpecialOne. That's one reason we're both keenly aware of the issue and active in supporting proactive behavior to fight it.


If you're involved in social media I'd appreciate whatever you might do to help spread the word about breast cancer awareness month.

My hope is that you've never lived through the experience, if not you're more than likely to know someone who has...
  • The diagnosis comes.
  • Fear and worry follow.
  • Surgery of some sort, up to and including mastectomy.
  • Then there's treatment, including, possibly, chemotherapy and radiation.
  • Radiation burns on a person you love isn't something you forget any time soon, and there is, in most cases, no shortage of side effects.
  • The degree to which quality of life is impacted varies greatly, it's an issue that's not to be ignored.
  • Far too frequently you lose the one you love, sometimes in a short time and other times after a long fight.
The battle against breast cancer can't be limited to the month of October, of course. A donation in any amount to Susan G. Komen for the Cure is important to advance the cause of saving lives.

3 comments:

SBA said...

I know you as a wonderful person with your heart in the right places for your friends and family, but this time you got it wrong.

As a woman I find your message inspiring but your soft-porn images are disturbing. Attractive and half-nude women add NOTHING to your message. On the contrary, such images may be part of the fear some women feel after the diagnosis. Our print, social and tv media are obsessed with breasts and sexuality displayed (objectified)in this manner. It's a little like "reading the interesting articles' in PlayBoy [to quote the tv/movie scripts]. Your message can stand alone and for the cause you're supporting, it should.

Kilroy_60 said...

"Getting it wrong" is something I do every now and then, SBA, and I don't lose any sleep over it.

Whether the method I chose to spread the word about Breast Cancer Awareness Month is best, I can't say. I haven't had and don't expect to ever have second thoughts about it.

I devoted a great deal of time to find images that fulfilled the vision I had for this post. I'm both satisfied and pleased with the choices I made.

Would photographs of mastectomy scars have been better? Perhaps, but that's not the approach I wanted to take.

The amount of time you've spent reading Playboy, I don't know. The interview is something I look forward to each month and they're generally rather high in quality.

I'm making an effort, however twisted it may be, to spread the word not only that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but to say it's important we do all we can to beat this insidious disease.

That, my friend, is what's most important to me. Doing it in a way that's most comfortable for the largest number of people isn't something I have time to worry about, eh.

Jenine said...

My first visit here, not my last. The breast images are beautiful, the message is beautiful. You are knowledgeable and provide accurate information.

I am sorry that you have had to become this knowledgeable, but grateful that you share this important message.