Re-Embracing October



Ari and I at her first hockey game

I am back from my hiatus from all discussions pink.

As readers of my blog know, the first half of October was unbearable for me with pink all over, as well as reminders of pink everywhere.

Then a sea change happened.

I decided to reclaim and re-embrace October and not think so hard about pink. For the second half of October I ignored it, in fact.


Do you think she's having fun?


This doesn't mean I buried my head in the sand and lived in a world of denial. This doesn't mean I approved of big corporations' unscrupulous pinkwashing and not sending the financial proceeds to where they belong -- toward research. This does not mean that my awesome fellow bloggers' concerted efforts did not make an impact on the world at large. 

But what was right for me was that re-embracing October meant my refusal to get caught up in all that pink. Instead, I went forward and was grateful for all the things I must never take for granted:

My daughter and taking her to her first hockey game.
My friends and family.
My cats.
Oil painting.
The beautiful month October really is.
And promoting my book, Calling the Shots: Coaching Your Way Through the Medical System, which hasn't even been published yet.

Now for the last point: On October 27, 2011, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by NBC's Dr. Sandy Goldberg and radio personality Scott MacKay on Live! with Dr. Sandy. Our discussion focused on what my book is all about -- patient self-advocacy, whatever the medical condition. This was the topic at hand, and I actually got to read excerpts from my book for the first time in the public arena!

It was an exciting moment for me, one that I embraced wholeheartedly, and one that I will always remember. And, most importantly, I hope the people who were listening came away with information that could help them advocate for their own medical needs. That is the point of my book, after all, to coach others through a bureaucratic, often-impersonal medical system.

Dr. Sandy Goldberg is also the Founder and Chairman of A Silver Lining Foundation, which helps uninsured and underinsured women and men in the Chicago area obtain screening and, if necessary, treatment for breast cancer free-of-charge. She is one of the warmest, kindest, giving, caring people I've come to know. She has devoted her life's work to helping others.

I simply can't say enough good things about her.

I consider myself fortunate to have reveled in the last half of October.

Of course, I am glad November is finally here.

For even more information on Dr. Goldberg's organization, see There is a Silver Lining in Your Medical Care.

I'm writing a book titled Calling the Shots: Coaching Your Way Through the Medical System.  I am a professional writer and have published numerous academic and magazine articles, as well as an essay on my breast cancer experience in the anthology Voices of Breast Cancer by LaChance Publishing. I can be contacted at bethlgainer@gmail.com and gainercallingtheshots@gmail.com.

Reclaiming October

As is true for many affected by breast cancer, October has been especially rough on me.

How have I dealt with all of the pink hoopla invading this month?

Not very well, I'm afraid. But that is about to change.

For the first half of this month, I put myself into a self-imposed "house arrest," avoiding stores and having groceries delivered to me instead -- all because of that dreaded pink ribbon.

I couldn't bear seeing all the pink balloons, pink ribbons on various food items, and pink whatevers of any kind. My exile involved becoming hermitlike, avoiding TV. I couldn't handle seeing any more smiling people on breast cancer commercials, and I couldn't watch the news. I even couldn't keep up with the many wonderful blogs out there.

Right now, ignorance is  bliss to me. I have felt so inundated with pink, that it seems like someone vomited Pepto Bismol all over the world.

But then, something remarkable happened. I fell in love with October all over again. My "exile" and daily power walks helped me see the forest for the trees.

The trees' change of color and the sweet crunch of the leaves under my feet all overtook me. And I realized that, in the natural order of things, October is a beautiful month. In the natural order of things, October is not meant to be dressed in pink.

So I have decided that for the rest of this month, I need to take a break from blogging and focus on enjoying life. I need to focus on spending time with my wonderful daughter, going to fall festivals, and appreciating all the autumn colors and  beauty that make up October.

I am also spending the rest of this month working on my book proposal.

So, for now,, I am taking a break from the blogosphere. I hope my readers understand, but it's important I do this now. I will be back in November, but right now I am admiring the beauty of this month:

I'm writing a book titled Calling the Shots: Coaching Your Way Through the Medical System. Please feel free to subscribe to this blog by clicking the orange subscribe button. I am a professional writer and have published numerous academic and magazine articles, as well as an essay on my breast cancer experience in the anthology Voices of Breast Cancer by LaChance Publishing. I can be contacted at bethlgainer@gmail.com and gainercallingtheshots@gmail.com.