A short history lesson on how this color went from pretty to powerful.

We’ve all seen the movie “Pretty in Pink”, we’ve heard of the “Pink Panther”, and we know that on Wednesdays we wear pink thanks to “Mean Girls”; but have you ever thought about why pink is the color we now associate with cancer of the breasts? Three words: Susan Goodman Komen, or more familiarly know as, Susan G. Komen.

I am not just saying this, but pink happens to be my personal favorite color. I have always adored pink, not sure why but it just makes me happy. The sheets on my bed are pink, the curtains on my windows are pink; in fact, the majority of my belongings are pink and I am not one bit ashamed. I guess you could say it’s my signature color. Maybe this is why I gravitated towards a Social Media Marketing Internship with the Central Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. Not because it’s an amazing organization or anything, or because of my love for social media marketing…but because pink is the soul color of my life.

But anyways, back to the color pink, no matter which shade, it generally stands for beauty, grace and all things girly, but that wasn’t always the case…

After doing a little of my own research via the internet, I was shocked to learn that long before breast cancer awareness and advocacy, real men actually did wear pink. Supposedly back in the 18^th century (think Pirates of The Caribbean), long ago, it was perfectly macho for a man to wear a hot pink silk suit covered with floral prints and it was actually considered a masculine hue.

Do I have your attention now? Shocking right? But I pink-y promise it’s true! It wasn’t until the 1940’s that pink was appropriate for women to wear. Say What!?

You’re probably still wondering, when did Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, come into the pink picture? The organization has used the color pink since its inception in 1982, and in 1990 pink was used as the designated color for Komen to promote awareness and all of its events/programs.

Then, in 1991 (also a really great year because I graced the world with my presence) pink ribbons were distributed for the first time by Susan G. Komen to all the breast cancer survivors and participants of the Komen New York City Race for the Cure. Now as you know, the pink ribbon is still utilized and distributed when representing the brand today, as well as with all breast cancer organizations and initiatives. Did I mention, tons of national sponsors such as American Airlines and SELF Magazine, have partnered with Komen to spread the love of pink?

But still you ask, why pink?? What does the color actually stand for? Well look no further because the unknown is now known. The color pink stands for hope and symbolizes a person full of health and vibrancy while also inspiring survival. Now tell me that is not what Susan G. Komen is all about. If you ask me, its no surprise at all why Komen chose to think pink. At least that’s what I pink about it (pun intended).

Moreover, I can truly confirm that pink is my soul color, but now for better reasons. This color, which is the color of most of the material belongings in my life, now means so much more to me after my experience with Susan G. Komen. I couldn’t be more proud to have been able to be a part of this inspiring organization.

So God bless the little pink road that led me straight to you, Komen Central Florida.

…And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Now wear your pink loud and proud!

-Jen

For quite a while I have wanted to interview a breast cancer survivor. Luckily, Cari Lanier was willing to speak with me over the phone for about an hour today and share with me her amazing story. I hope that you are able to gain as much hope and inspiration from her as I did!

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Cari Lanier:

First, I asked Cari to tell me about herself. She is 37, has been married for two years, and has two children – a 19 year-old daughter and a son who is 17. Though she used to be in property management, she is currently disabled due to the repercussions of her cancer. Currently her favorite hobby is working out. After gaining weight during her chemo and surgeries Cari has now committed herself to having a healthy lifestyle. She has been regaining her upper body strength and has lost 45 pounds to date!

Cari’s Story:

Cari’s breast cancer story is amazing and one that I think many people need to hear. In late 2009 she found a lump in her left breast, but doctors told her that it was a probably just a calcium deposit and that she should cut out caffeine. In January 2010 her dog jumped on her and she noticed that the lump now hurt. Very quickly she went back in to get the re-checked, and that day she received a biopsy. The next month, February, she was officially diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer. Cari was only 33 and had NO family history of breast cancer.

After her diagnosis Cari immediately jumped into action towards recovery. The next morning Cari went to a local hospital with all of her medical records in hand and insisted that they help her immediately. The Oncologist saw her right away and scheduled her for an MRI. In March Cari began her first round of chemotherapy. Her cancer was invasive and was growing fast. In just two months her tumor had grown from golfball to grapefruit size.

Cari’s cancer was treated aggressively and her hair began to fall out after her second round of chemo. She decided that the process of losing hair was too painful, so she chose to shave her head completely before it was all gone. After 4 rounds of chemo she learned that her tumor was bleeding inside of her and within days she went into surgery for a left-breast mastectomy. Up until this point everything had happened so fast that the reality of the cancer had not really hit Cari, but when her bandages were removed and her breast was gone it all became real.

After 5 more treatments and several weeks of radiation, Cari became so stressed about her finances that she wasn’t able to focus on her health. After reaching out to many different sources, a few local organizations were able to help Cari with her bills and gave her money for food. She is so grateful to Ribbon Riders (which has been funded by Komen for several years), other local resources, and her family for their financial support during that time in her life.

Once her financial situation had settled and she was done with radiation, Cari began to venture towards reconstructive surgery and a right breast mastectomy for preventative reasons. To date she has had 7 reconstructive surgeries from her wonderful surgeon and has recovered beautifully from each and every one of them. She only anticipates having one more surgery and she is excited to be finished and to have her breasts to where she feels comfortable with them!

Even though Cari is done with her treatments, her battle isn’t over. Cari says that she got through her cancer by keeping her faith. She never asked why it had to be her. She accepted that God gave her this disease so that she could tell her story. She was diagnosed at 33 with no family history and hopes that sharing her story will encourage other women to get checked regularly regardless of their age or family history.

Cari’s Support:

Cari said that cancer can either drive people away or bring people closer to you. Both happened to her during her illness. Unfortunately Cari’s long-time best friend was not able to handle the stress and emotions of cancer and the two drifted apart. Luckily for Cari, her family was always amazingly supportive and still are today. Her teenage children stepped up and took care of their house, themselves, and their mom during her treatments. Her son did their grocery shopping and they both cleaned, cooked, and did the laundry. She was amazed at their maturity and contributions. Her mother was her number one cheerleader. She cried more for Cari than Cari did for herself, helped take care of the kids, and she was there every step along the way. Her sister helped her financially and also helped with Cari’s kids. Her husband, who was her long-distance boyfriend at the time of her treatments, was her emotional support. Even though he couldn’t physically be there for Cari he was her safe place where she could cry and vent. They married and then he was able to be there for all of her surgeries and was a constant source of support in every way.

Although Cari feels that she is blessed by her family’s support, she gives the ultimate credit to God. In October 2009, before she was diagnosed, Cari started attending church because her then-boyfriend (now husband) suggested that she go. She thought that it would just help them get closer as a couple, but God worked his way into her heart and she was baptized a month later. She truly believes that God put her back in church to prepare her for what He knew was about to happen. She says that without God’s help and without her strong spiritual life she would have handled her illness very differently. Her church family at City of Life Church in Kissimmee was a huge spiritual support for her during everything. She doesn’t know what she would have done without God in her life during her cancer.

Cari & Komen:

Cari has recently become an integral part of our Komen family. I asked Cari how her relationship with Komen Central Florida developed and she said that, since she is not in treatment or in recovery from surgery for the first time in years, she has been very eager to get involved in the breast cancer cause. A while back she saw the Orlando Sentinel Article advertised and saw it as an opportunity to share her story, so she applied. She was chosen to share her story and got hooked up with our team here. Since then she has been involved in other Komen events and is always eager to participate in anything we have planned. She feels that if she says no to an opportunity to support then she should reevaluate herself. She wants to be involved in any way she can because she feels like if Komen can use her then she is doing exactly what God wants her to do.

Cari’s Wisdom:

I asked Cari if there were any words of wisdom she had for women or men currently struggling with breast cancer. She said,

“Keep your faith. Keep your faith and keep looking forward because your faith is really what’s going to pull you through. If I hadn’t kept my faith through everything I would’ve buckled. I would have kept looking back. Don’t be scared. Have faith and claim the fact that you will beat this and that nothing else is going to invade your body. Keep your faith and stay positive. People thought that I was so strong, but just because I was strong on the outside doesn’t mean that I didn’t cry in bed at night or in the shower. People’s faith in me and seeing so many strangers that supported me kept me encouraged. I wasn’t dead. The chemo wasn’t going to kill me. It made me hate life for a little while, but it didn’t kill me. If you don’t have faith, find it. If I hadn’t found church when I did my entire outcome would have been different.”

…If you would like to read more about Cari’s story, contact her, or see pictures of her journey, please visit

www.checkthemdaily.com

**This article is a personal account and reflection from a breast cancer survivor – the views reflected in this blog post do not reflect those of Komen Central Florida.