{"id":2771,"date":"2011-03-06T17:58:15","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T00:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/?p=2771"},"modified":"2018-10-13T22:51:35","modified_gmt":"2018-10-14T05:51:35","slug":"its-not-the-same","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/coffeejitters.net\/blog\/2011\/03\/06\/its-not-the-same\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Not the Same"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday\u00a0I spent the day manning the door at a wine-tasting representing 16 different local wineries. Every year, this\u00a0\u00a0event chooses a different charity to which the proceeds are donated. This year, the beneficiary was the Seattle affiliate of the Young Survival Coalition, which supports pre-menopausal women with breast cancer.<\/p>\n

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Most people, as they came through the door, were thrilled to learn that the proceeds\u00a0of the event would benefit @YSCSeattle. One woman, however, was not. \u00a0She took exception to the fact that this charity focused on the needs of young women. “It’s all the same!” she insisted. I started to launch into the standard spiel, when she fixed a look on me that clearly said she would not hear more \u00a0on the issue, and any further discussion was unwelcome. I let her pass with a smile, and turned my attention back to the door.<\/p>\n

Since she wouldn’t hear me then, ya’ll get to hear me now. \u00a0I’m here to tell you, it’s Not the Same.\u00a0(Just let me be clear here: these opinions are my own, I am not speaking as an agent of YSC Seattle.)<\/p>\n

It’s not the same<\/h2>\n

Cancer affects everyone differently, and it’s a devastating diagnosis regardless of age. I don’t know exactly why this woman took exception to the age focus of the Young Survival Coalition. \u00a0I would have asked her, had I been able to engage in conversation; short of that, I can only guess. \u00a0Perhaps she felt it was an issue of ageism, that young women are perceived as more valuable than older women. I can imagine her frustration if that is the case. But understanding how a young woman’s breast cancer is different from an elderly woman’s cancer reveals issues that are much more complex. An elderly woman’s life is just as valuable as a young woman’s life, but the issues they encounter as a result of their cancer are quite different.<\/p>\n

We go through a number of different stages through the life cycle, and cancer affects people in each different stage of life differently as well. \u00a0A three-year-old diagnosed with breast cancer<\/a> may relate better to other toddlers with cancer than a group of 30-year-olds or a bunch of 80-year-olds. \u00a0Regardless of where we are in the life cycle, we tend to relate better to peers within our own age group who have similar experiences and challenges.<\/p>\n

The truth is that the vast majority of the services provided for women with breast cancer focus on elderly women. \u00a0Aside from those sponsored by the Young Survival Coalition, I was the youngest by a good 20 to 30 years at most of the cancer related activities in which I have participated. Young women with cancer have different needs, socially and medically.<\/p>\n

Lets talk about that for a minute<\/p>\n