Mastectomy Pride Campaign

[Guest user]

Dear Rachael,
Want to pick up some points in your posting.
In one breath you are saying you respect the views of ladies criticizing your campaign. Then at the end you said 'Extreme intolerance of difference is depressing!' Depressing for who? and what is meant by extreme intolerance??? Do you mean the ladies here who talk about mutilation of their bodies?? Instead of talking about pride??
I don't like you coming onto this site and talking about your magasine, This is not what this site is about, I'm disgusted that you've been allowed to post.
Okay you have 3,000 requests for the badges but I expect there are an equal ammount of people and more. who are disgusted by the whole campaign.

[Guest user]

i have read all replies including Rachels with a open mind.
I had High grade DCIS in the left breast. Dcis can only be detected by mammogram and i am 39 years old. I first went to my GP January 2009 complainin about my right breast. He dismissed it said nothing was there because he was looking for lumps. I went on holiday to eygpt came back in Febuary 2009 and my left nipple started to crack and weep. I tried every solution to solve the cracked nipple.
August 2009 i returned to my GP because the left breast had become swollen on the outside of the breast. I thought infection mastitus nothing more. I am type 2 diabetic so my Gp did a full blood count and gave me anti biotics. the next week i'm refered to hospital for a mammogram because of all my symptons.
i had me breast removed october 2009 at charing cross as well as reconstruction by using the muscle from my back and implant. I am only small so there is no fat on me and any other operation would of ment further disfiguring/scaring etc.

Now i have outlined my story, but reading everyones responses to the badges.
But i see the same argument for breast feeding, and should we advertise the fact. Yes we have breast, yes they show our feminity, motherhood etc. But i question our anger to a badge..

I diagnosed myself before my consultant could tell me.
I decided on what method of reconstruction before my plastic surgeon had told me.
I equiped myself with the knowledge and understanding of my disease and thoughs that were around me.
I am proud that i have and will come through this.

But do i need to wear a badge?

Yes

Because when i was talking to others that had had this disfiguring disease. They did not know that the very person who was still walking her child to school had a mastectomy. They were scared unsure even if their ops had taken place 5 yrs ago. They feel that their husband don't love them and are looking elsewhere.
It's not just the Mastectomy it is the mental issues that go with it.
The facts are whether you opt for a mastectomy or you have the dieases it affects 1 in 9 women below 50 years old
And 1 in 16 there after
This does not include a child of 9 years who visited a hospital recently for breast cancer.

No our breast are not perfect.. You can do what mother nature does.
But we can show others look there are theses options and if we made an error with a proceedure or were ill informed. We can advice and say look do this.. and that is what happened with me. A women who i did not know had a mastectomy and saw my torture said look don't do what i did.. get it done all at once.. and i did .. and it aint perfect.. but i'm here to watch my daughters have children and grow up.. and that means more to me without a doubt
But if i had seen someone wearing a mastectomy pride badge i would of cornered them and asked questions.
Someone asked me Sarah How did you feel when they told you? I said stick me in a theatre on a stage with the seats full of strangers sneering. Thats how i felt and it is a lonely feeling.
Yes i am proud of my mastectomy and that badge is saying hey you got a problem come talk to me i can help......

[Guest user]

Good evening everyone,
Many of the thousands of women who have asked for a Mastectomy Pride badge shared the same emotions and fears that most of you have raised.
- I would rather die.
- No man will ever love me.
- I'm not the woman I used to be because I can't bear to leave the house now.

Then they woke up one morning, faced their scars in the mirror and realised they would rather be alive with no breasts. This is what they have told Take a Break in their droves, on the phone and with thank you cards. The letters they sent made me laugh and cry and I have stayed in touch with many of them. Take a Break would claim to have disseminated more information relating to women's cancer than any other UK publication. This is because, a) it has by far the largest female readership of any women's magazine in Britain, and b) it publishes an article on cancer almost every week.

In this week's issue it has three pages about a 25-year-old mother of twins who has breast cancer. In the previous issue it also had three pages. In the issue out tomorrow (Thursday) it will have two. In the issue after that it will have two. In the issue after that it will have three. In the issue after that it will have three again. And so on, and so on.

The magazine uses provocative journalism to get people thinking and talking. The combination of the words 'Mastectomy' and 'Pride' is an example, and has plainly succeeded.

Some people have criticised the magazine, and we respect their views. However, Take a Break has an audited circulation of 920,000, has received more industry awards than any comparable magazine. The fact that it received 3,000 requests for Mastectomy Pride badges shows that a huge number of people support the magazine, and this campaign. .

Take a Break has also created many other health-related campaigns including chums4mums, a social network to combat isolation amongst new mothers, which has now been formally backed by the NHS.

Over the years we have received many letters from readers thanking us for alerting them to symptoms, which turned out to be cancer.

That we received 3,000 requests for Mastectomy Pride badges shows there are many people who have found the campaign helpful, in some cases extremely so. In three years we received no complaints about the name. The first complaints were raised on this forum a few days ago. At the very least this debate and controversy in itself continues to involve and inform.

We don't all have to agree. Everyone's experience of cancer is personal and different. Extreme intolerance of difference is depressing. We remain proud of our Mastectomy Pride campaign and we will continue to offer free badges to those who want them.

Best wishes,
Rachel Williams

[Guest user]

I am happy to wear the Take a Break Badge "Mastectomy Pride". I elected to have a double mastectomy with immediate tram flap reconstruction due to me having the BRCA2+ gene (Breast and Ovarian Cancer Gene which runs in families).

I have always found that talking about any situation instead of "hiding/running away" from it makes it a whole lot better to understand and I think that the badge along with other breast cancer pins is a conversation starter. The badge is free all you have to do is contact Take a Break and they will send one to you.

I am not ashamed that I have had mastectomies and I know a lot of you will say that it was my choice. "Yes" it was my choice but if you were faced with the knowledge that your boobs were ticking time bombs and could go off at any moment I'm sure you would have made the same decision that I did. I have a son who was 14 at the time I had the surgery (he's 18 now). I wanted the knowledge that he would not have to see me go through either breast or ovarian cancer as I had with other family members.

I back this campain 100%.

Karen

[Guest user]

Hi Monica,
Glad im not the only one still on here at this hour lol am finding it hard to get to sleep these days . Hope you are well and your treatment is going ok.
You take care
Linda x
PS Love your new pic x

[Guest user]

How beautifully put, Linda
Jane, I have a friend who has had a number of very satisfactory relationships since her mx - she is open about it and partners have just accepted it. I hope that you won't see relationships as something that aren't for you - the guy who left you in the restaurant was a b*****d, but they aren't all the same, are they?
forget the cats
xxxmonica

[Guest user]

Dear Jane,
You will always be the beautifull person that you always were , and any man worth his salt will see that and love you for who you are regardless.
That guy was gutless and cruel , to leave you sitting there like that, what a B****ard.
Dont let loosers like that pull you down there are still decent careing men out there who will look beyond the phyical scars and see you for who you are , a careing lovely woman who still has so much to offer.
Dont give up and definately dont stay home raising cats.
You take care
Linda x

[Guest user]

Actually, my mum is a retired nurse and she has odd attitudes to cancer too. For a start, in her mind it does not exist the minute a surgeon touches it: this despite the fact that not one of her friends has actually survived any cancer for more than a few years post diagnosis.

She does see an mx as shameful too - some months after the op she was shocked when I told her I was going on a date and said something along the lines of she'd thought I would have given up on that now. As it happened I blurted out that I'd had mx, I was trying to be matter of fact and honest; the man in question excused himself from the table. I thought he was going to the loo but in fact he had been shocked and embarrassed and he'd actually paid the bill and left the restaurant with me still sitting at the table. When I told her she said "Well, you are setting yorself up for pain and sadness if you carry on trying to find a husband". And the thing is that she was not being unkind, it was just her observation of life. I think the thought of me bearing humiliation makes her want to make me stay home and raise cats or something.

I'm all in favour of education but have learnt that privacy is important too, and some folk, however nice, educated or whatever find mx disturbing.

Love to all

Jane x

[cherub]

My late mother was born in 1919 and she used to refer to cancer as "trouble", it was never referred to by the proper name. When my aunt (mum's SiL) got BC back in about 1971, it was all very hush-hush and it was only ever all the adult women in the family who visited her in hospital. It was such a very serious thing back then (on account of there being no drugs) that after her mastectomy my aunty was in hospital for weeks, then she had to go to a convalescent hospital; it was the same with a lady in our street who was being treated around the same time. I don't know if it has any bearing but the lady in our street was on one of the first generation of contraceptive pills which delivered very high doses of oestrogen.

However, it wasn't just BC that was like this; my mum's younger sister had a hysterectomy and it was the same thing, everyone just said she'd had a "big operation" and it wasn't discussed further. My mum's generation actually believed you could cancer from things like second hand clothing as well - in my teens I went through a phase of buying vintage stuff and my mum would say "the person who wore that could have had trouble for all you know". God forbid we ever went back to that kind of ridiculous thinking.

[Guest user]

I can't believe Rachel Williams of Take That started her post saying she is pleased that their campaign is engaging people in debate. Why is she pleased, she is not raising awareness or anything else useful, has she not noticed that nearly all of our posts are actually critising her publication for being insensitive to breast cancer sufferers and basically pointless.

Linda

[Guest user]

Hello again
as someone who had a mastectomy 13 years ago and a recurrence 6 months ago, I know how ill informed the notion of 'mastectomy or die' is.
Theresa, I know IBC patients must have a mastectomy, however it isn't a straight choice even for them as its not an 'either/or' situation, ie, mastectomy doesn't guarantee life.
I take the point that the general public may not know the ins and outs of bc, but any publication that produces a story has a responsibility to get its facts right - its not even difficult to get the correct info if you are interested in it.
Sorry but I think this is an ill informed piece of rubbish that totally misses the point. When I had my mx in 1997 aged 38, my mum told me 'never to hang my head in shame' and I couldn't help but laugh! she lived in a different world to me, but she was born in 1926 and things were different then.
I can't believe we are here in 2010 and a publication that portrays itself (??) as sympathetic and supportive is still talking about the 'shame' of mx and spreading misinformation.
There is no excuse for it, whatsoever.

[Guest user]

Hi All

What I was tryig to say was Lindiloo's point, that there is a lot of misunderstanding re mx. I'm not an expert on IBC but my friend had it so I know a little of the treatment options. Wishing you lots of luck. Like you, Theresa, I had no choice, not IBC in my case but because I had lots of lobular and they could not get clear margins despite several WLEs. But - and I didn't really understand this until later - the mx was not a cancer cure. In some women the mx is already too late, whatever flavour of bc we have. I just think it's dishonest to foster the notion that a surgeon can whip off a boob and you are cured. Like Lindi says, there is no 5 years,

I am going to say something really controversial - I have many days when I feel I would rather have died than live like this in this body. If I could have my time again I would not seek medical attention again. I think that for some of us it's not about ignorance or anything else, I'm guessing those women Rjen is speaking of already knew how the treatment would affect them and that is why they did not do it. So, I guess I am saying that quality of life is measured differently by different people and in my case I don't see life at any price as a prize.

Hope I have not offended others and my best wishes to all.

Love

Jane x

[Guest user]

Hi Jane,
I completely agree with you, there is sadly a lot of ignorance in the world of breast cancer from the general media and infact the general public, its not there fault of course as why should they know any different having proberly not being involved directly with the desease itself. "Mastectomy or Dying" is just to simplistic not true and infact another misconception, as you say women who have had mastectomies can still go on to get reocurrances and secondries and there are women who will sadly still die after a mastectomy or not.
Having a mastectomy does not gaurentee a cure or life, a preventative mastectomy does not gaurentee that someone will not get breast cancer , having a mastectomy for either reason will greatly reduce the risks thats all . Any breast cancer surgeon will tell you that when a mastectomy is preformed there is always about 5% of breast tissue left behind this is because it is impossible to remove all breast tissue as the breast tissue extends to the clavical and underarm area, so the statement "Mastectomy or Dying " is not entirely correct and can be seen as misleading.
I was lucky (if you can call having BC lucky) and was given the option of Mastectomy or WLE with rads and was told by my med team that the outcome would be the same with either op, so i didnt have a mastectomy , though i know had i , i certainly wouldnt have felt shame , but i also know that i certainly wouldnt have wanted to wear a badge declaring my loss to the world.
Whilst, Take a Break no doubt had good intensions and fantastic that they are helping to raise awearness for Breast Cancer, i think what all of us who have to live our lives with this desease would welcome with open arms is truthfull and informed reporting without the sugar coating , then breast cancer would cease to become (the best cancer to have cos we can whip of your breast and your cured) instead of the reality that there is no cure ,no 5 years and your done but the honest truth that people like me will have to live our life not knowing what the future holds or when or if it comes back.
It would be great if Take a Break would work with Breastcancercare to get a better understanding of the desease and even better if they would take the lead in journalisum and report the realities of this desease that many, many women face today, without the misconceptions that are so ofen reported,so we can all start tackleing this desease head on,because to "hush up" the hard facts of the reality of breast cancer is not doing anybody any favors and puts us back in the stigma of the 1950s.
Linda

[Guest user]

Jane - not sure how much you will have heard of IBC the type of cancer i have as it is very rare... All IBC patients have to have a mastectomy or else we would die... Unlike the other types of breast cancer IBC doesn't develop as a lump - it grows in sheets and is always classifed as at least stage 3b (locally advanced cancer) we have chemo first to try and shrink it as much as possible - but we all have to have a mastectomy afterwards as even a few cells left would soon grow again... It is very aggressive and until recently had a 100% mortality rate... (they now also use rads after the op and new 3rd generation chemo first and things like herceptin and tamoxifen for those that can have them are helping...)

Theresa

[Guest user]

so the debate goes on - it is right or wrong to publicise bc and its consequences and in what way?

From what i have read on here many women are unhappy with their choice to have a mastectomy or re-con - while any decision we make should not equate to shame or not shame(that is just journalese....) what the message she needs is that we have opertations because we have to - we do treatment because we have to.

The REAL shame is that i know of two women who have died in the last two months because they did not seek medical advice in a timely way - and they were not stupid.

I despair of pink and so on but I want people to live and while I want a more informed message to go out, I want the message to go out.

Lose the snobbery guys.

[Guest user]

Hi All

I read Rachel's reply with interest and was alarmed that she thinks the choice is mx or dying - I do not know of even one woman whose medical team told her that having an mx guaranteed life. Or that she would die if she did not have mx; lots of mxs are performed at the preventative stage when people do not know that they will definitely develop BC, never mind die of it. Where is the definitive evidence that mx saves lives? Lots of women who have mx would not have developed secondaries whilst many others may well have had secondaries even when the mx was performed;I know several women who had mx and died soon afterwards. It's not that simplistic.

I would have been desperately upset if anyone on the ward I was on had offered me a badge after the mx. I think that would be incredibly insensitive and I'm quite shocked that any healthcare professional would consider it an appropriate thing to do.

I don't know why Rachel thinks it is about shame. I understand the woman who felt suicidal; I sometimes do. It's not about shame; it's about a loss of physical intactness. I am sad because I miss a part of my body. I hate how I look naked. I am many things but I am not whole. Body image is made up of component parts; the external self (eg looking nice in wig, makeup and nice clothes), the perception of self (eg we think we look fat when we are size 10)and reality (I am missing a breast so my appearance is not "normal"). That does not equal shame; it's just a recognition that losing body parts can be really damaging to some people's sense of self.

Just as hundreds of women may have responded to that 21 year old to say they were still enjoying life because of mx I can honestly say that mx has had a completely destructive impact on mine. I wish I had not agreed to it. There is not a day that goes by that I ever think it was a good thing.

There are indeed many opinions and everyone feels differently; all I know is that living with mx gets worse as time goes on and theres no guarantee it made any difference to my survival.

love to all

Jane x

[Guest user]

Hi

I have read this magazine for years, my Mum buys two copies each week one for her & one for me.
I have always read these articles & thanked god it wasn't me.
Since being diagnosed in Nov 09 the magazine hashad a number of articles on this issue, although my husband was worried how I would react I have always been someone who likes to read as much info as I can especially if it something that effects me or my family.
I had a WLE & SNB in Nov but now need a MX with recon & my op is next Wednesday 20th.
I may be the odd one out here but reading the recent article about another bc sufferer has helped me.
I honestly don't know how I will feel after next week as although I have accepted I have to have this op I do sometimes get upset at the thought of losing my 'real' breast, especially as path results could show my breast was clear.(I need op as although margins clear there were 3 areas of cancer & not just one as they originally thought).
I am not sure if I will want to wear a badge but I know I will not be ashamed of my new breast, I have been very open with everyone about this & although only myself & my husband will see it I will not be ashamed of it.
I think take a break are trying to highlight that there are some people who would risk there lives rather than have this op & they are trying (maybe a bit insensitively) to get across the message that it is something we do not need to be ashamed of or hide from.
One thing I do know for sure is we are all different in not only our cancers & treatment required but also in how we handle all of this.
Susan

[cherub]

I never, ever buy rubbish magazines like this as I prefer the ones like Marie Claire and Good Housekeeping. However, when I was in hospital isolation for a week back in 2007 I was running out of things to read through boredom, so my husband just bought a pile of anything. Every one of the mags from the Take A Break stable had a sensationalist story of how somebody got on with having cancer ever couple of pages or so, all of them really badly written. I wouldn't even read these mags in a waiting room. They go with watching the Jeremy Kyle show as they are full of those sorts of stories as well.

[Guest user]

We are pleased to see that our Mastectomy Pride campaign is engaging people in a debate.
Take a Break took up this issue about 12 years ago when a reader wrote to us saying she'd rather commit suicide than have a mastectomy. That showed the stigma, which was then attached to the operation. We published this and the response was massive, mainly on the lines that it was a terrible indictment of society's attitude that someone might feel this. We then ran a campaign under the counter-intuitive title 'Hooray, I've had a mastectomy'.
It highlighted the choice - a mastectomy or dying. We received hundreds of letters in support, nil against.

More recently a girl of 21 with the faulty BRCA1 gene told us she would rather risk breast cancer than have a mastectomy. We published her remarks.
Hundreds of women responded to tell her that they'd had a mastectomy and were, in effect, proud to have done so because it meant they could still continue to enjoy life, with their families.
From this we launched our campaign Mastectomy Pride - with the subheading 'Thank God For My Mastectomy'.

We did so with some trepidation, wondering whether we were being too overt.
The response suggested we were not.
We received 3,000 requests for free badges - from husbands, other relatives and from some medical staff working on cancer wards. We had not one person complaining or objecting to it.
We are extremely happy to find the issue being raised now, on this forum, by someone who objected to seeing two people wearing our badges in public.
There is room for more than one point of view and we want people to take part in the debate.
Using some of the comments on this forum, we intend to return shortly to the subject in Take a Break and ask our readers what they think.

Rachel Williams
Take a Break

[Guest user]

Hi Everybody

Thank you all for your posts, so glad it wasn't just me! I too have contacted Take A Break and suggested that, if they really want to do something regarding raising awareness, educating or whatever re BC they could perhaps speak to someone and run a campaign for BCC or one of the cancer charities.

Also the photos: before and after??

Love the posts - Diep, witty as ever! Theresa - very apt!

No reply yet but will keep you posted.

Love to all

Jane x

[Guest user]

Hi everyone

Been thinking about this again today whilst changing in the gym. Had a thought, 'what would the people in here do if I were to drop my towel?' - be polite but a little shocked although kind and sympathetic I expect. However, if I were to strut in with a 'mastectomy pride' (which also screams 'look at me!') tacky badge in their faces then what would they think? Maybe they'd think 'good for you girl' but wonder why on earth I felt the need to declare my operation to the world when there are 1,000's of lifesaving operations that people around the world undergo every day. Surely the 'pride' is in how we deal with it (with a touch more dignity than this hopefully), our successes in getting through the tough times and hopefully helping others through theirs.

I'm confused about exactly what Take a Break want to achieve for women BC suffers. Do they think we'll all suddenly adopt a, 'Yay for me, I've had a mastectomy, ta dah!!!' attitude while we step out the front door and curtsey to a huge round of appreciative applause from those who have'nt been so unfortunate (it would take more than a pink badge to make me that arrogant!) Well I certainly don't need validation, congratulation, applause, sympathy or worse still, pity, from the world at large. Personally, my mission is awareness and raising it wherever I'm able to. I can only assume Take a Break are aiming to raise their profile as a caring compassionate magazine but this is not the way to do it. I would be very interested to know what the response is from Take a Break. ASDA, to their credit, took notice of our opinions ......

Lots of love to all. Cathy x

[Guest user]

To be honest, I would think the whole thing utterly pathetic, except it might hurt someone who's had a mx or misinform someone who needs to know better, and that is objectionable. Was going to ignore it but think I'll have to complain - maybe if a few of us do we might get the message across.
Stuff like this makes me wonder whether I'm on a different planet to some of these so-called journalists....

[Guest user]

Not had my mx yet, likely to be end Jan, beg Feb. But have to say that if anyone calls me 'brave' I just want to scream!!!!

Snoogle x

[Guest user]

Shame? What? Er, like, er, huh??? Whoever thought mx was a "shameful secret"? When? Who has been discriminated against because of mx?

Sure insurance can be an issue with cancer, but that is cancer, not the treatment. Who has been treated as inferior, as untouchable, as nasty, as bad, as having done wrong, because of having had mx? It is not shameful, and it isn't a secret either, but a certain amount of discretion, tact, delicacy, sensitivity is appropriate. Adults who are oblivious of such social constraints are normally considered mentally compromised. Do we want to hear people bragging about their urostomies, their colostomies, their amputations, their constipation?
Discretion is the better part of valour.

For some people there are serious issues following mx, real issues, important issues. But I've never met anyone who felt shame, I've never met anyone who's been treated as if they were a less worthy person.

Those idiotically silly women in the photo, what on earth can they have thought they were doing? Do they want people to feel sorry for them? They will get that, but not for the reasons they want. Everyone on the face of this earth has some cross to bear, life isn't perfect for anyone. People don't go round advertising their woes as if they want something from other people.

Yuk.

sno

[AJXXX]

Hi Ladies, whilst I would have had a MX if it had been necessary and still would have one if needed in the future I very often count my blessings that this dreadful experience didn't include the trauma of losing my breast and I applaude you all in your approach to it and your desire not to be overtaken by the enormity of the procedure. Deep down whether they are too big or too small or a bit lop sided or maybe heading south we ladies love our boobies, they turn us from little girls into women, they make us feel sexy, they feed our babies and coming to terms with the fact that they have become a threat to our mortality is huge so why on earth would any of us want to wear a badge of pride announcing the fact that they have had to be removed by a surgeons knife. Do men wear badges announcing they have had their b****cks cut off, no I thought not.

AJxxx

[lizcat]

Agree with you all - if I was being kind I would say misguided campaign. Personally I've never had any issues with my scar (mx no recon) and it's a great scar thanks to an excellent surgeon but know that this isn't the case for lots of women - for me the side effects of hormone therapy have been far worse.

It's not a matter of pride, it's an unpleasant (polite version) op we undergo to try to help us live longer.

Liz

[Guest user]

Linda - like you i have had a double mx and no recon... perhaps we could pin two of the badges where our missing nipples would be...

Theresa

[Guest user]

Could agree more, Cathy, I have had a bi-lateral mastectomy (with no recon), have secondaries and two small children. Amongst the many emotions I go through like sadness, despair, anger, fear etc I can say without one shadow of a doubt pride and honour have never entered my head. This has been thought of by somebody who has not a single clue as to what it feel to be aflicted by this awful disease. This puts 'tickled pink' in the shade when comes to inappropriate soundbites.

Linda

[Guest user]

I havn't had a mastectomy but I have plenty of friends who have and I wouldn't dream of wearing a faux smiley faced badge to honour their op,what the beep are these people on that come up with these ideas ? Hmmm a does of reality is seriously needed , have emailed the tasteless tat of a mag that has come up with this idea and would urge everyone to do the same. Another totally unacceptable attempt to make breast cancer acceptable and something to be celebrated.

Sandra x

[magsi]

Love that response Cathy.

And don't forget you can send in your stories and relevant photos - do they mean before and after?

M x

[Guest user]

Hi everyone

Jane - thanks for starting this thread. This is my initial 'rant' of a response (with plenty of sarcasm!) - too disgusted to write sensibly just now, but then it doesn't sound like this magazine has used much sense so please bear with me for a minute ..

'Mastectomy Pride?' PRIDE? What, do we 'buff up' our shiny mastectomies and recons every day and strut around all day with a big smile on our faces with an 'I've got a real beauty here' look on our faces. Maybe we should have a 'Miss Mastectomy' contest, along with male 'Vasectomy Pride', 'Impotence Pride' so that our male friends don't lose out on the humiliation, perhaps even 'Incontinence Pride' (well why not, let's share every ailment going while we're at it!) - sounds sick and ridiculous doesn't it and of course I'm being ironic but these don't seem any more sick and crass than pinning a badge to you which invites the world to know what you've been through, and in wearing this advertisement, you are inviting what? A sympathetic glance? a 'well done you' patronising smile? Or will it attract cruel comments and jibes from those who don't/can't understand, yup we'll feel really proud then won't we?

The only thing that fills me with 'pride' about this whole mx issue is that I've made a damn good friend and 'met' many strong inspiring people here. Now that IS worth celebrating.

Sorry the for rant but this is unbelievable! Lots of love. Cathy x

[Guest user]

Hi All

I imagine that the person who thought this up was well meaning in the way that people can be when they haven't a clue: you know the sort of people who say things like "you can have another baby "when someone tells them they have had a miscarriage. And it stinks of protesting too much - honour? courage? There was nothing courageous about the mx experience for me - I lay on my back and woke up minus a breast and have grieved a lot more as time as gone on. So I can't claim courage. And honour???? Honour????

Good to hear that we all have similar thoughts on this - would be good for the Take A Break team to check out this thread.

Love to all

Jane x

[Guest user]

I mailed and said I'd hope they'd wear their own badges when their turn comes.

Very unnoble of me but if brains were dynamite these people could not blow their own noses!

[truffle_shuff]

Same here, just posted, i can just see a bunch of so called jouralists huggled round the table trying to come up with an article before the printing deadline, maybe they should do a baqdge of pride for halfwits ,and thats the polite word

****fwits

[magsi]

I have just E mailed the link to this thread to Take a Break magazine, looking forward to a response!

Mx

[Guest user]

Daisyleaf, you have hit the nail on the head! I feel that it is so tasteless and unintelligent that I don't even want to waste my time and energy in complaining to Take a Break. However I think I will as I'm curious to hear what they have to say for themselves.
Judith
xxx

[Guest user]

Tasteless and unintelligent - I can't imagine what people are thinking of.
monica x

[Guest user]

this is shocking, cant believe they are getting away with this!!!!!

I will be complaining and I was fortunate not to need a mastectomy at this stage!!!

We all need to stick together girlies

love

Carol xx

[Guest user]

Would encourage you all to complain to Take A Break, they really should not be allowed to get away with this rubbish
Leadie

[river]

Just getting used to my bi-lateral mx and recons, I'm speechless at this. Cheap, tasteless. Not well thought out.

[Guest user]

Dear All, Take a Break should be ashamed of themselves.It's such poor taste,and jumping on the band wagon to sell their magasine.
I'm going to lodge a complaint to the magasine
Leadie

[Guest user]

is there an 'amputation pride' or a 'plastic testical pride' seriously, I dont get this logic either. But I guess it if helps people to cope, then *shrug*

Nikki

[Guest user]

I wonder if the women on these forums (and there are too many of them sadly) who have been mutilated because of mis-diagnosis or delayed diagnosis feel proud to have sacrificed their flesh due to negligence, lack of duty of care, being fobbed off by GPs, and consultants failing them in the private and public sectors??

I had it because I was TOLD to have it. My surgeon didn't hold with breast conserving surgery and I figured he knew what he was talking about, sadly I have learned that he didn't.

Black badges please and no smiles. Will we be marching through London annually like members of Gay Pride do?

Take A Break can Take A Hike.

[RoadRunner]

I think it is very poor taste indeed. Am I supposed to go around wearing a badge so everyone who sees me will know?

What were they thinking of? The sentiments are OK, but Mastectomy Pride? Who on earth came up with that? It's really not something to be proud of. I had it because I needed it, end of story. I wish I didn't need it.

[magsi]

I clicked on the link - couldn't believe the first couple of lines - see below

Mastectomy Pride
Thank God for mastectomies. Why should anyone feel ashamed? They are our badges of honour and courage

Whilst I am not ashamed of my mastectomy I hardly see it as a badge of honour and courage. And as for sending for nice pink badge, where would I pin it, on the prosthesis? LOL

M x

[Guest user]

Hi,
I haven't had a mastectomy so don't feel qualified to comment on the emotions this proceedure can bring about.

What I would like to know is whether they are sending people these badges free of charge or if they are charging for them, the article just say "click here" which then opens an email for you to request your badge.

If they are charging I would expect to have seen something in the article saying which cancer charity they would be donating the money (and how much of it) to.

Bad Fairy x

[Guest user]

Hi Liz and Bahrons. Horrible indeed. And misleading if they think mx will save your life - lots of women have mx and still die. Good point B - it's not a cause for celebration, it's just bad luck.

I'm okay Bahrons - just miss having a sex life cos I am too wimpy to date with a missing boob.

Love
Jane x

[Liz_100]

Thanks for the link.
The badges are horrible. I have had a mastectomy but would not want to wear a badge advertising the fact. What makes me proud is that when I wear my prothesis people can't tell it is false. I think there are far better ways to make people aware of bc issues, to raise money and support people who have bc.
Liz

[Guest user]

Hi Jane

I'm pretty good thanks - hope by and large, you are too?

Yes, an MX is an operation that, hopefully, you only have if you really need to.

NOT a mystical experience and certainly nothing to 'celebrate'!

The website says of mxs 'They are our badges of honour and courage'
(pause while Bahons barfs up). No, they are a result of plain bad luck.

From this link (http://www.takeabreak.co.uk/mastectomy-pride) you can e-mail them your 'story'....we could use it instead to tell them what we think of this campaign - good or bad - I daresay there are others here who may think it's a good idea; there is a wide range of opinions on this site, that's for sure!

X

S

[Guest user]

Hi Bahrons

It's interesting how we all find different parts of the experience most distressing; a friend finds her Tamox SE's (which are the same as mine) really upsetting whilst they're not such a big deal for me.

I think the campaign, though probably well meaning is poorly informed and does miss the point. You'd think they would have got some professional input from on of the cancer charities or clinicians before heading off on a campaign to raise awareness of a mis-perception.

Hope all is well with you

Jane x