Mastectomy Pride Campaign

[Guest user]

Hello everyone

Just a quick post to let you all know that we will be closing this thread shortly. While it has been a useful place for people to discuss their views and experiences of mastectomy, as well as provide feedback for Take A Break magazine on their campaign, I feel that the discussion has run its course.

I would also like to point out that a number of comments on this thread have been very much against the spirit of the forum in their tone. When new people visit the forums, their first stop is often the 'latest posts' section, where they will have found this thread. We have received a number of emails and posts from people who have been put off from using the forums by the tone of this thread (and a very few others on the forum).

I know that the vast majority of postings on the Breast Cancer Care forums are hugely supportive, friendly and kind, even where there are strong differences of opinion. I would ask you all to please remember that the forums are here to support people affected by breast cancer. It is especially important to be welcoming to new members of the forum and to create a welcoming atmosphere so people feel able to post questions and ask for support.

As I say, I know that most people do approach the forums with this attitude, and I would like to thank you all for your contributions to the forum.

Leah
Breast Cancer Care
Community & Social Media Manager

[Guest user]

Piper,

Totally agree, I think enough said.

Snoogle
x

[Guest user]

Sorry to butt in but would it be an idea to lock this thread now and move on? Just a thought.

[Guest user]

LInda,

Before I too leave this thread, I wanted to point out that there is a difference between passionate and vindictive.

We can all make our views known without belitting others.

RESPECT!

Snoogle
x

[Guest user]

Sharon ,
I am realy pleased that you have decided not to leave the forums, if it was my comments that angered you, i am sorry, it was just my thoughts on how this thread and some of your comments has come accross. It puzzled me when you said you had spoken to the nice people at TAB and they were now going to retract their "Cure " comment, i dont think i or im not sure anyone else here would have had that kind of influence. ( Can you mabe see why some of us may have felt that their was a connection?)
I have never doubted that you were a genuine Breast cancer patient, i dont know who told you that the forums are "Bitchy" they are most definately not , when you have been here for a while you will see how every woman here will offer help and support and most of all friendship to others who are having a difficult time.
When people have passionate views on a particular issue sometimes debates get heated, that doesnt mean that people are at loggerheads its good that people can express how they feel on here that is what the forums are for . I accept the way you feel , you have a right to your views as do others here.
Thanks for your PM but im sorry you felt the need to "shout" at me about my silly rediculas comments. Anyway ,I intend to leave this thread now as i feel it has run its course and nothing more can be said, but i hope to be able to offer you support on other less controversial topics elsewhere on the forums.
Snoggle,Im sorry you feel this thread has been nasty, i have been on these forums for 3 years now and and have never found any posters comments either Nasty or Bitchy ,just passionate ,i have read far worse on here over the years believe me, think you would be hard pressed to find a cancer forum where heated debates would not occur.
BC girls i hope my comments didnt offend you it wasnt my intension.
As always all the best to everyone
Linda x

[Guest user]

Best wishes xx

[maude]

Thanks Melly. The two posts have disappeared now so someone might have reported them or the moderators might have noticed them.

Maude xx

[Guest user]

Hi Maude,if you reported the posts as offensive then the moderators would have taken them off 🙂

[Guest user]

thankyou belinda its nice to meet you. ive messaged maude asking her to stay.takecare.x

[belinda]

I'm so glad you are staying here Sharon.
But I'm sorry you have decided to leave Maude. Please reconsider, I am posting here less and less and mostly private message these days.
Best Wishes..xx

[maude]

I am wondering where the offensive posts by jacqnotyetinthebox made on 23 jan at 1.23 and then at 23.21 have gone, the two posts that prompted snoogle and I to ask that members be treated with respect (ie new user Sharon). They appear to have disappeared! Lindiloo thought jacqunotyetinthebox's comments were funny - if that is what this forum has come to then I don't want any part of it.

The upshot of all this is that I have decided not to visit/post on these forums again. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has given me practical advice and emotional support. In particular I would like to thank Dotchas and the trumumshow, two ladies who responded to my first post in August 2008. They welcomed me to the forums and offered me support when I needed it most. In turn, I hope I have been able to offer support and practical advice to ladies who have asked for help.

Good luck to you all.
Maude xx

[Guest user]

Sharon,

Just to add, pleased to hear that you have decided not to leave. Doesn't matter who you work for, you are here and your are welcome. I have never known a thread get nasty like this one. Please don't think it's the norm.

Snoogle
x

[Guest user]

i have decided that i am not going to leave the breast cancer site, i got angry, ive now calmed down. what angered me was comments that were put on here that were directed at me, im made of tougher stuff so im staying. anyone got a problem you know where my inbox is. im sorting out my profile so you can see that i dont work for tab,lol.takecare all.x

[Guest user]

Hello all,

I want to endorse what Val (Horace) has said, if Sharon is a genuine bc sufferer then she should be welcomed on here regardless of any conflicting viewpoints. Sharon, I too thought you were a member of the TAB team, not because you disagreed with the good ladies on here but because it was the first time you had posted and you chose only this thread but also you seemed to have TAB's ear in a way no one else on here did. You tell us you are not and I must apologise for thinking so. Guess I am seeing conspiracies where there are none.

Take care all.

Linda

[horace]

If Sharon is indeed a genuine bc sufferer then I hope she will continue on here and will offer and receive support in relevant forums.I do hope nothing I said was offensive.I was puzzled.My puzzlement had nothing to do with people having differing opinions.I wonder who told Sharon it could 'get bitchy'on here.I've never seen bitchiness.Anyway I'm off now-I havent even had a mastectomy!

[Guest user]

Hi,

I am so sad to hear that the unnecessary comments of the few have forced Sharon to leave these forums. These forums are NOT for the select few to dictate opinions and make others feel unwelcome. Whatever your opinions, those involved should feel ashamed. If there are interlopers on this website from the press it is those kind of people who are liable to give us all a bad name and to reduce the credibility that any of us may have when trying to influence public opinion.

I think I have said more than enough on this subject.

Snoogle
x

[lizcat]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say I totally agree with Snoogle's comments that we are all entitled to our own opinions and just because we are all different in those (like many things in life) does not justify rude remarks. We are all here because we are either being treated for or know someone who is being treated for this terrible disease.

Personally, I don't agree with the notion and wording of 'Mastectomy Pride' per se but if it helps some women (and men if it comes to it) go to their doctor's to have any possible breast cancer concerns addressed, then it is a good thing. Which would you rather have, a woman who is too frightened to go to the docs and it becomes too late so she dies leaving family (often young children)and friends or one who has read about a mastectomy, isn't frightened initially by the thought of it should things come to that, goes to the docs at any earlier stage and hopefully improves her chance of a longer life ?

I think it is also very important to remember that we are looking at these things with the benefit of hindsight and the experiences picked up along the way. Just because we usually understand so much more now - we might not like the way that knowledge has been gained - doesn't mean that we should think that those at the start of the trials and tribulations are ignorant and should automatically show the correct level of concern and the way to approach it.

With best wishes to all,

Liz

[Guest user]

Hi,
Completely agree with Val and jacq, ive been curious about all 3 new members on this thread, they came from nowhere and have not posted on any other topics,which i find very strange, most new users joinng this forum first post because they are looking for advise/support regarding where abouts they are with DX and treatment, i dont know if take a break asked them to post in support of their campagin , or if they just coincidently found this topic when joining the site but im glad in not the only member who has noticed this. I also looked at profiles and noticed BertieB as a contact, thanks for your post Bertie.
I also wondered when Sharon told us that a pic of her went out in the press , whether it was in fact in an issue of Take a Break, the new members also seem to have direct contact with Take a break , which i find odd.
To be fair to Jacq i think she too has felt this and while i have great respect for anyone with breastcancer , i wouldnt appreciate anyone joining the forums just for the sole purpose of supporting an organisation, this is not what the forums are for. Shoot me down if you like but when i read jacqs post ( which has now been removed ) i nearly fell of my chair laughing, it wasnt intended as offense but as a defense as to what others were already feeling , my spelling is crap too , (feel free to use spellchecker lol)
I hope all 3 new members continue to post on all arears of the forums, as that is what they are truely intended for.
Love to everyone.
Linda x

[Guest user]

firstly thankyou snoogle and its nice to meet. for the other ladies who feel that i may be part of the tab team, no im not. is it because my opinion differs from yours you feel that i am part of tab...undercover,lol, as far as posts and topics, im new on here and have been looking around. is it soooo hard to believe that my opinion is different from yours, it is. before a came onto this site i was warned by a few ladies of how it can get bitchy, especially if you dont have the same opinions as others, they were right. im not bothering coming on here again, absolutley ridiculous.

[Guest user]

Have read many of the posts on here but not all, so apologise if I repeat things others have said.

However I do feel there is a very important underlying issue here about raising awareness of bc (so that more people are diagnosed whilst the disease is still contained and - in theory at least - more likely to respond to treatment). Raising awareness of bc though can and will scare people - people want to hear that it is not likely to happen to them and if it did, the treatment would definitely sort it out. So much of the journalism (including from what I've seen of it, the "mastectomy pride" campaign") reinforces this image though of diagnosis, leading to surgery/chemo/rads leading to hormonal treatment and "cure", and seems to refuse to go anywhere near the reality of bc. Where are the campaigns that talk about the 12000 women each year who die of bc?

I've got secondaries (dx May 2007) and I had a mastectomy 7 1/2 years ago after my primary dx. Am I ashamed of my mastectomy? Definitely not, but nor am I proud of it. I'm glad I had it done because it has probably given me more time, but being "glad" is very different from being "proud". Focusing on mastectomies as TAB is doing in their campaign, seems very odd to me - mastectomies are not going to save those 12000 women who die each year and that is, for me at least, the real issue. I suspect many of them, like me, will indeed have had mastectomies. The only group it might help would be those who are reluctant to have a mastectomy - I don't believe there are many women who do feel like that (though if any one has statistics am happy to revise that view) and if they do feel like that, I think there are other ways of supporting them through that decision making process.

So my view - with respect to everyone else who may have different views - is that the Mastectomy Pride Campaign at best is of little use and at worst possibly takes the focus yet again from where it should be.

Kay

[Guest user]

Hi,

As I'm mentioned in this topic, I thought I should reply.

Magsi, I sometimes receive requests from members of the forum to add me as a contact. I always accept.

Horace, I went to the admin panel and checked the origin of several posts on this topic. Posts from different users have been posted from different IP addresses. They're from different computers, Internet Service Providers and different part of the country.

I hope this helps

Bertie

PS. Breast Cancer Care staff are not allowed to post anonymously on the discussion forums.

[Guest user]

Someone else wondering here too.

[magsi]

Interesting thoughts horace - I did click on Sharon's profile - her only contact is BertieB - a member of the bcc team.
No reason why he shouldn't be a contact - but just wondering.

[notyetinthebox]

Thank you Val, exactly mine and several others' thoughts. xJacqx

[belinda]

Hi jacq, I wanted to wish snoogle well with her operation. When I had my diagnosis a mast was never an option but things, ideas have changed. I'm not a TAB reader. x

[horace]

I am afraid that I too have doubts about 'Sharon'.It is odd that she appears as 'new'so often and that there are no posts at all from her elsewhere.I have reported to BCC that I feel this may be a member of the TAB publicity team.I havent yet had a response and didnt post my suspicion on here for fear of upsetting anyone.I do sincerely hope I am wrong.

[belinda]

Hi Snoogle, I have sent you a private message...xx

[Guest user]

jacqnotyetinthebox,

No I am not a current Take a Break reader. I found your post on 23 Jan at 01:23 quite offensive and have reported it as being against the spirit of these forums. Your further one at 23:21 is equally appauling.

These forums are a basis for us to support each other regardless of our state of progression or our opinions.

No, I don't particularly agree that I should be proud to be having a Mastectomy (due to undergo one on 11th Feb). However, I do have secondaries and I am in a very unique position for women in this country in that I have been given the option of a mastectomy. I am very 'fortunate' that I have this opportunity to have an option that 'may' give me more time with my husband and young children.

However, I equally appreciate that other women, like Sharon, may have a different opinion. Different, but equally valid.

Please remember why we are here, we are all affected in some way by this terrible disease.

Snoogle

[maude]

Quite agree, Snoogle. What a way to welcome new users to the forum! Sharon, I hope this hasn't put you off and you still continue to post.

Maude x

[Guest user]

Can I gently remind people that we are all entitled to our own opinions and should be more respectful of each other.

Snoogle
x

[Guest user]

I think pride and acceptance are two different things, I cant see how anyone would feel proud to have lost a body part , even more so for a woman that has lost a breast as whatever way you look at it , breasts for women and the outside world are seen as part of a womans feminity and sexuality .
Sharon, the Mastectomy Pride Campagin has promoted misleading information it suggests to me "have a mastectomy and youll be cured" "Be proud and feel Honour " that youve had the courage to do this because its saved your life.
How many times have i read a mag , a newspaper artical, turned on the telly and read or seen someone say "ive had a mastectomy ,its given me peace of mind as its gone now and as i have no breast tissue left it cant come back? or " ive got the BRCA gene so ive had a prevenative mastectomy " real term "risk reducing mastectomy" so ive taken the risk away now in the knowledge that i wont get Breast cancer.
I have even watched interviews with celebraties who have had breast cancer where they have spoken about "not being out of the woods untill they reach that 5 year mark". It makes me want to scream at the telly , because its misleading and is misinforming the public of the true facts of breast cancer.
Most of us here have had comments like," Oh they can cure that these days" or,Oh its the best cancer to have cos they can whip of your boobs and get rid of it",or the favorite ,Oh the treatment is over now "your Cured" ive even had one lady who said to me i had breast cancer 20 years ago but my surgeon cut so deep that it was impossible for it to come back,? it realy is so frustrateing, i despair sometimes. People have these views because of one reason and its how the media portray breast cancer, Wendy Richards died recently after 3 occurances of breast cancer but the public assumed she died of lung cancer when it was infact secondry breast cancer to the lungs.There are so many stories like this portrayed wrongly.
Why doesnt the media put the real facts out? Is it because they are ignorant? or is it just too frightening to report the truth about the realities of this desease? Well, it is bloody frightning but knowing the facts will raise far more awearness of this desease and get the message accross far better than any silly be "Proud and Hounered" stupid rubbish.
All the best to everyone.
Linda

[Guest user]

Hello all,

You obviously feel very strongly about this Sharon001 which makes me wonder why you have never posted on any of the other issues on this page, for example what do you think about The Coronation Street story line? I just wondered what it is about this particular thread that compelled you to comment so much on it rather than others?

I should of course say that you are entitled to your opinions as I am to mine and you are right having a mastectomy is not a bad thing
and no one should feel ashamed of it but whats to proud of? Its an operation, people have them every day. What I am proud of is having the strength so say so when i think something is wrong and I most certainly thing the TAB campaign is wrong (my opinion)

Take care and chat soon
Linda

[Guest user]

boneyl. also i think that being proud of having a masectomy isnt a bad thing, i think its a really good way of dealing with it. lets face it we have had our breasts taken, isnt it better to have that feeling rather than feel crap about it. exceptance of our bodies as they are. no im not saying to raise money for having masectomies done as i also know the nhs do them. if you think that is what im saying i think you are missing my point.

[Guest user]

hiya boneyl, we all tick differently, my opinion is just mine. using the word masectomy is reality, i dont think that people would think that its a cure, but then again you never know. i can see how you feel about it, you make some very good points. when i say raising money i should think by using the word masectomy brings in reality, therefore more people donating to breast cancer research. i dont think that people in general would see this campain and assume masectomy is a cure for cancer, there isnt a cure. im going to ask the questions that you have asked and ask tab about this. mags, papers etc get alot of thier feedback from women who are going through it, perhaps there should be a wider range of women used for this, so they can get it right. your points are valid, i misunderstood what you said about cheap..after all i am only a woman and you know what we can be like. you takecare chatsoon.x

[Guest user]

Hi Sharon

I understand that you are very grateful that mastectomies exist as a treatment for breast cancer (arn't we all), but they have been around for many decades now and are freely available on the NHS so when you say that you think this campaign raises awareness and money - what of exactly? We have to be careful that people don't think 'oh if I get breast cancer I'll just have a mastectomy and then I'll be cured'.

As for raising money, what for - mastectomies? When you say you really get what people are saying, I can't help feeling that you have missed the point (i.e. most of the women that have posted on this subject are saying that they don't like the way TAB is tackling awareness of breast cancer by focusing on being honoured and proud to have had to have a mastectomy). Some people might say all publicity is good publicity, but what we are saying is that it needs to be factually correct and have a purpose and not just to sell their magazines. We want money to find both prevention and cure so that in the future women like you and I do not have to loose our breasts to cancer, let alone our lives. When you speak to TAB again can you please find out how much have TAB raised for Breast Cancer through this campaign and if any, where that money is going to?

I said that TAB was a cheap magazine, but I think you missed the point again if you thought that I was implying that cancer only affects more well off people, that would be ridiculous.

Do wear your badge with pride and let us know what response you get to it.

All the best
Boneyl

[Louise_BCC]

Hi boneyl

Message from new user sharon.......

hello boneyl, im pleased with my scar, i dont have reconstruction. the way that i look at it is because of having a masectomy ive had more time with my kids, thats how i see it, if i didnt have it done i wouldnt be here now, of course its not a cure, but with this campain i cant help but to feel with the in your face attitude it will make young women more aware of checking thier breasts. when i was younger i didnt, didnt even think to, cancer is getting women younger and younger.

[Louise_BCC]

Hi all

Message from new user sharon.........

hiya its sharon again, i really do get what you are saying, the reason i actually like the name is, i feel the namr masectomy brings about more awareness, hopefully more donations for this horrible disease, i reckon that its too the point, alot of us have had them, mine is an aggresive cancer that is untreatable with tablets, its hormone negative, my other breast is being removed soon, ive had chemo, this is the only treatment that i can have. ive three daughters who check thier breasts regular now. you see i really do think using the word masectomy will get these young women checking themselves. im reading all your comments and will phone tab again with your concerns. to the lady who feels that tab is a cheap mag etc...cancer doesnt care who it choses and doesnt care how much money you have, some women may actually buy and read tab, by the way i do. its nice to meet you all, takecare.

[Guest user]

hello boneyl, im pleased with my scar, i dont have reconstruction. the way that i look at it is because of having a masectomy ive had more time with my kids, thats how i see it, if i didnt have it done i wouldnt be here now, of course its not a cure, but with this campain i cant help but to feel with the in your face attitude it will make young women more aware of checking thier breasts. when i was younger i didnt, didnt even think to, cancer is getting women younger and younger.

[Guest user]

hiya its sharon again, i really do get what you are saying, the reason i actually like the name is, i feel the namr masectomy brings about more awareness, hopefully more donations for this horrible disease, i reckon that its too the point, alot of us have had them, mine is an aggresive cancer that is untreatable with tablets, its hormone negative, my other breast is being removed soon, ive had chemo, this is the only treatment that i can have. ive three daughters who check thier breasts regular now. you see i really do think using the word masectomy will get these young women checking themselves. im reading all your comments and will phone tab again with your concerns. to the lady who feels that tab is a cheap mag etc...cancer doesnt care who it choses and doesnt care how much money you have, some women may actually buy and read tab, by the way i do. its nice to meet you all, takecare.

[maude]

Hi everyone

I think this campaign has been going for a few years. I remember seeing it pre mx (which was Oct 2008). I think it said the reason for the smiley face is that is what a mastectomy scar looks like. After my mx I remember thinking "where is the smiley face?" - mine looks more like a frown!!

Love
Maude xx

[Guest user]

I have just looked at the website link about this: http://www.takeabreak.co.uk/mastectomy-pride

I think the use of the words "pride" and "honour" and the use of the pink badge with "Mastectomy pride" and big smile are either extremely misguided or a cynical attempt to pander to readers who "enjoy" articles about other people's misfortunes.

I can't think for a minute that the vast majority of women who have had their breast(s) surgically removed would be proud of that, per se. And if I saw someone sporting a big pink badge saying "Mastectomy pride" and a big smile then yes I would be very tempted to ask them if they've had a mx and tell them that I found the badge offensive.

It is true that 20 years ago, as Take a Break say, it was treated as a shameful secret but just because it isn't a shameful secret doesn't mean that it's something to be proud of and celebrate either.

EDIT: there is an email link from the above website page for registering complaints directly with Take a Break. I've done so and there are many others here who are better with words than me.

[Guest user]

Hello
I said a while ago, (on this thread)and can't move away from my feeling - its not good journalism and its not difficult to get this right.
Why is it acceptable for someone to print something that is patently incorrect?
The magazine is talking about a detail, while we are talking about somebody accepting info from them that might affect their outcome, in terms of bc.
A mastectomy does not constitute a cure.
how many of us will it take to get this message across?
monica

[Guest user]

Looks like Take a Break have only made a minor adjustment to their Mastectomy Pride campagin , just checked out their facebook page which still says Thank God for Mastectomies they are our badges of " Honour and Courage" they have ommited the word "cure" but say instead " the benifits can bring the chance of life." ( Still says cure on their website unfortunately)Its a half hearted response to me and they are still spouting Honour and Pride. Your right leadie Take a Break are still not doing it right now .
Take a break wish you would explain why people should feel a mastectomy is a badge of honour ???. whats honourable about it. I know im thick but i realy "dont get it"
Linda

[Guest user]

Sorry Sharon, but Take a break are not 'doing it right now' as you quoted. They've done it wrong, very very wrong

[Guest user]

I totally agree with the two Lindas i.e. elljaydee and lindiloo (and not just because I ama Linda myself!). I think it all comes down to money. As you say, at least the ASDA campaign does bring in lots of it for BC. Take a Break is one of the cheapest weekly magazines available which is probably the main reason why people buy it, but I think this cheapness is reflected in its lack of journalistic professionalism and that none of the money it makes on selling badges goes to BC.

Sharon, I can't understand why you like the words Mastectomy Pride - have you had a recon, if so, perhaps you are very pleased with the result or are you proud to have a scar where your breast used to be? I have no breast and would love to have a recon but unfortunately with my secondaries thats not really an option now. I am not ashamed of my cancer but I'm not proud of it either, its killing me and I hate it, so I can't be proud of it. Incidently I have had to have radiotherapy to my scar as new cancer cells were found in it, so having a mastectomy does not mean you can't still get cancer again in that area.

Linda

[Guest user]

I've not read every comment, so forgive me if I repeat anything, but the thought came into my head. What next........

Vasectomy Pride??????????

[Guest user]

Hi all,

I also take issue with the phrase breast awareness. Seems to be a catch all to excuse all sorts of behaviour. Unfortunately, it is used a lot by people justifying these campaigns. However, I only became truly 'breast aware' when i found out I had bc. I had checked my breasts regularly and had gone to the doctor the moment I found something suspicious. I thought a lumpectomy and hormone therapy and its sorted. Unfortunately, there were three spots of lobular cancer which had been growing for a while and had only just reached the part of the breast where they could be felt. Most of my lymph nodes were infected and I consider myself very fortunate not to have secondaries. That is the reality for many women diagnosed with BC but no one seems aware of that. Stock phrases are bandied about when you say you have bc such as best cancer to get, no one dies of it any more, you will get a lovely new pair of boobs, Now you have finished treatment you must be all clear.

I dont know if I would wish the truth on the unsuspecting public. People panicked about Swine flu which was expected to kill 10,000 a year. BC still kills 12,000 women a year but no one except us, the unlucky few, seem to worry about that.

As for mx pride, well i dont want anyone to wear a badge for me and if i wanted people to know I only had one breast, i would take my prosthesis out. I am neither proud or ashamed of it, but I would not want to draw attention to myself unnecessarily.

Anyway, rant for me over too.

Linda

[Guest user]

Don’t know what I feel about the campaign. I do agree with sno – breast awareness isn’t all its cracked up to be. (Sorry if I’ve misunderstood you sno). For me, my poor demised left breast had been given the OK on several occasions – ‘no there isn’t a lump its mastitis’, ‘no there isn’t a lump it’s fibroid tissue’, then last year, yes it is a lump, its invasive cancer, it’s inoperable without chemo, you need a mastectomy. Plus its triple negative and I have no ovaries (advised when I had a hysterectomy that I didn’t need them, they could get cancerous, so I might as well have them removed at the same time. So get the hot flushes without the compensation of knowing its preventing the cancer from coming back. Sorry for the rant – but I’ve bottled all this up for a year now.

[Guest user]

HI Sharon,
Welcome to the forums.
Realy pleased to hear that "Take a Break will be retracting their comments Re, "Mastectomy is a Cure" nice of you to speak to them , mabe they have now had time to check the facts and realise that their statement was untrue and misleading .
Im still finding it difficult however to understand how any journalist would not fully research the facts before putting a story out , the facts of breast cancer and its treatments are widely available so there realy is no excuse. Anyway its a move in the right direction, and im sure welcomed by many.
Still dont get how Mastectomy Pride raises awearness ,so will have to disagree with you on that .
I "dont" like the name , and realy dont think people want these badges in their face either,just as i wouldnt want to be walking round Asda seeing people wearing badges saying "Testicle Pride" or "Amputee Pride" "incontinence Pride" as another poster said earlier on this thread, i dont like labeling people.
If Take a Break realy want to help the 45,000 women who get DX with breast cancer each year in the UK then for goodness sake lets have a campagin that says "WE DONT WANT MASTECTOMIES WE WANT A CURE" then they will get my support and that of many others.
The big difference with Asda Tickled Pink campagin and Take a Break is the fact that Asda have raised over 21 million pounds for breastcancer in the last 13 years and funds over half of breastcancercares services, so without Asda this site proberly wouldnt exsist. Yes the name is not appropriate to everyone ,and not everyone likes pink or fluffy, but the campagin raises money because the campagin has to be fun for those willing to donate , low key and gloomy campagins just dont pull in the money im afraid. Asda are now working with Breastcancercare and the ladies on this forum to improve the campagin and are takeing on board peoples views .Lets hope that Take a Break do the same.

Best wishes to you all
Linda x

[Guest user]

I agree with Sandra. TAB are just uttering platitudes when they really should have known better about "cure" if they claim to know anything at all about BC. If they get something as basic as that wrong then why trust anything else they say? Because their readership probably knows no better than they do.
They are amateurs.
What about women who have had hysterectomies then - what badges for them? Or for those who have had colostomies? So do we "thank God" for ALL surgery then? There should be a badge for every occasion ...
"Had my gall bladder removed - no shame, no stigma!"