Think before you Pink – part 2 & call for help

Think before you Pink – part 2

“Be the change you want to see in this world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

I want everyone to know they can make a difference.

I want everyone to know that helping just one person does makes a difference.

I used to believe that I had to do something big and grand and help so many people from a project to make it really have an impact.  I quickly learned that isn’t the case, I am one person here to help one person at a time.

Readers, please meet Tabitha.

She has stage 2 triple negative breast cancer.

Along with her own health struggles, she has 5 year old with Cystic Fibrosis (a chronic life shortening disease of the lungs) and must see a specialist in Tyler for a form of  micro bacterium abscesses, and another child struggling with hyper emesis who she must take to hospital 2x a week for IV fluids.

With the co-pays for all these visits, it is no surprise she is having a hard time making ends meet.

I am doing something for her that I was never able to do for myself – ask for help. 

I asked her if I could do this for her and at first she said no, but I kept on.

I am selling these canvases on her behalf (ALL the money will do to her).

 

Each on is an original by me, 5X7 ready to hang.

$20/each including shipping.

I will have 5 grey and 5 yellow to sale for support to Tabitha.

Or if you would like to send her a gift card to HEB or Target (where she gets all their prescriptions filled) those would all be very much appreciated.

Any and ALL help will be greatly appreciated.   

I KNOW there are others out there in this same situation.  If you are compelled to help others, this is an easy thing to do for another...set up your own call for help for someone else!

Pink, pink, pink – everywhere is pink.

It might make you think everything is Pretty in Pink.

It isn’t.

I am not one to really rock the boat – most of the time that is, but if you push me enough I will break. And this is me breaking.

I am sick of pink….SICK OF IT!!

I am warning you. This post is going to be a bit of a soapbox rant with a purpose!

I don’t want to wear pink to announce to the world that I have breast cancer. I don’t want a pink hair dryer (really, people – people going through chemo usually don’t have hair anyway). I don’t want a pink can opener or some other stupid gadget to help me show my support of breast cancer.

What does that mean anyway?

How exactly are you showing support with a pink can opener?

I am sick of companies selling stupid sh*t in pink and people buying it thinking that, somehow, more than a tiny percentage of that profit actually goes to breast cancer research or charities. 

And the kicker is, we don’t even know what part of breast cancer that tiny percent goes to…it could go to making more products to “support” breast cancer…I am just speculating here SO don’t get offended by this.

I think we are ALL aware of breast cancer. I mean, if the stats don’t lie then 1 in 8 women have it. For it not to affect us on some level is pretty much impossible.

Next step up on the ole soapbox – I get it, a lot of the money raised goes to research to stop this sh*t – GREAT…it is great because this needs a cure!

But what about the money raised that doesn’t go to research for a cure? Where does that money go?

Does it go to the little people who need help during their battle??

When I say little people, I mean the ones who make just enough not to qualify for government help but get diagnosed with cancer – what happens to them and all this money raised?

From what I hear, they (the “little people”) are made to jump through hoops to get only a little bit of help.

Let me tell you, as a stage 4 breast cancer “thriver,” doing paperwork with chemo brain is not only mentally exhausting, it is next to impossible.

So now, you have someone who is stressed from the cancer diagnosis, working, getting chemo treatment, taking care of a family, and in order to get a little help with the bills, is expected to fill out lengthy forms!

And yes, I get it. And I realize we can’t just hand out cash to everyone, BUT every once in a while there is a story that touches you and you KNOW you have to help in some way.

That is why I am asking you to think before you pink this year.

If you are going to spend money to help the cause, I am asking you to help this young woman instead of buying “pink stuff,” since we aren’t really sure where the proceeds it goes to.

I will follow up this post with a woman I feel compelled to help and I hope you do as well.

40 is the new 30...not in Cancerland

In my world, 35 is the new 50 – with menopause and all.

I had wondered about  this for a while –If  I was in menopause or close to it?

 A simple little blood test said yes, yes I am on the tail end side of pre-memo pause.

Nice.

And now I can once and for all say I am truly sorry for being a snappy bitch lately – my hormones are making me do it.

And yes, when I started crying the other day for NO reason – again the hormones.

No sleeping through the night for me – check.

Irritability – BIG CHECK

Hot Flashes – had those a few months ago but I chalked it up to radiation after effects – it could have been a double whammy?

Crashing fatigue, anxiety, mental confusion, itchy skin – check, check, check and check.

 Now these I still chalk up to recent surgery and new chemo, but I could be wrong??

What if once I do go through full menopause I am a whole new person, with this new memory and energy?

Well you are right, menopause isn’t going to give me back that part of my  – I will be curious to see how this plays out.

Anniversary Gifts

I absolutely love when people ask me to make them a special piece for special occasions.

This one is for my stepsisters fifth wedding anniversary for her to give to her husband.

Anniversary number five the traditional gift is paper so we use that and I made her an art piece with the lyrics to their first dance song

I am absolutely in love with the way this turned out

I hope they love it as much as I do!

I love the colors and the little bit of messy because come on that is life & everything is a little bit messy

I have one more custom order that I'm working on then I have two big ones that I going to start next week!! I am so excited to feel like painting again it just releases something that is pent-up in me that I don't know is there until I start painting