Avon's Army of Women - Won't You Join Me?

Let me break it down for you. Just like probably all of you, I cannot remember a year when someone I knew didn't get diagnosed with breast cancer. The first was Becky Gallentine. She got the disease back in 1995 - the dark ages as far as breast cancer is concerned, when treatments weren't nearly what they are today. She fought hard, laughed hard, and spent much of her time from diagnosis to death educating anyone she could talk to about the disease. I remember very clearly the victory email she sent to the debate community pronouncing remission after five months when she thought she'd kicked the disease to the curb. She'd been through hell with the chemo, but she was going to live! I also remember a year later when remission ended, and she had to start her fight all over. I remember the desperate search for the right combination of drugs. She died two more years after that, in May of 1999.

The last person newly diagnosed with breast cancer was my former nanny Rani. Her death is how we started the year in this household. The treatments available today are a lot better than the ones Becky had, but it's hard to access them in a timely manner if you don't have health insurance, and that was the case with Rani.

And when really crappy stuff happens, well intentioned people always ask, how can I help you. Here's how. Fellow blogger, WhyMommy at Toddler Planet, asked me to join Avon's Army of Women. And now I'm asking you to do the same. I receive an occasional email from them, asking me to take part in a study related to breast cancer. The idea - and I happen to think it's a good one - is that if they already have a large number of women willing to volunteer for breast cancer research, when the projects come along, volunteers can be quickly assembled. So far, I haven't qualified for anything, but if my turn comes, I'll be there. Because I'm tired of getting the news of another friend or acquaintance getting this disease and having to fight like hell to reclaim her life. Or die.

I'm wishing for a world where I never even have to mention this disease to my daughter. If you are a woman, please join me in making that happen.

Elaine