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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Getting Down with Pink Gloves




My dear friend has stage 2 breast cancer. I haven't written about it because I can't bring myself to. You see, she is the most lively, funny, zesty chick I know. And she is lovely. Lovely, I tell you. She wears sassy like it's a fashion accessory and dons pearls 24/7. Even to the gym. Trust me. I've seen her curling barbells with pearls dangling over the stretched out collar of her tattered T-shirt. The pearls are a cheeky juxtaposition to her swearing, bantering, tell-it-like-it-is self. This friend, this strong, smart, witty woman, cannot possibly have breast cancer. The universe doesn't work this way. Or does it?

She's too young.
She's too spirited.
She's too too too...everything.
She's my dear friend.
She's a mother.
She lost her mother to breast cancer just a few years ago.
Her mother never met her daughter.

This friend has a punchy sense of humor. She can laugh heartily at herself, though she prefers it when someone else is the butt of the joke. Sadly, that is rarely the case because she is simply too perfect not to poke fun at. My Lilly Pulitzer wearing friend who is perfectly lovely with nary a swipe of lip balm cannot have cancer. Her laugh is more akin to a toddler guffaw, which is naturally infectious. She is not a patient, in a hospital with probes and pokes or otherwise.

My friend is always up for fun and mischief, and she appreciates the wackiness of life. This, I know she got from her mother. Oh, they are so alike, yet I wish they were as different as Lilly and Betsey when it comes to this battle. My friend, who loves a laugh more than she loves a sunset sail in the Keys with a cold brew in hand, is a good sport. She'll resign herself to link arms on the dance floor to form a kick line to Sweet Caroline. She'll bitch about it, but you'll catch her cracking up and having a grand time.

So on that note, I'm sharing this silly little video that my pal Scot sent me. My dear friend will get a kick out of this video. And you can bet that if some cameraman came barreling down the hall cajoling her to strut her stuff for a viral video about breast cancer awareness, she'd hide in the bathroom stall with her blue pedicured toes propped up on the toilet lid until sundown. But I guarantee she's tapping her foot at the silliness of it all right now.

PS
Pass this link on to everyone you know who's been touched by breast cancer. That's pretty much everyone, right?

Here's what my buddy Scot shared about the video:
Emily Somers created, directed and choreographed this video in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community.

Sounds like that's something to get down to.
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Posted by Ilina at 8:12 PM
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5 comments:

Debbie Harvey said...

I cried at this video. Hard to admit, with a "Scrubs" type hospital setting full of pink gloves and smiles. And I don't cry easily. It's a feel good, people are caring but taking care of patients, kind of video. But too often pink now stands for corporate America, frankly. Diet Coke, Nike, Yoplait...you name it. I don't buy more - or less - because they tie the little pink ribbon around the old oak tree. I work in Healthcare PR - it's getting to the tipping point of being a machine rather than a movement.

But, Ilina and I know more than most about this kindred soul who is suffering. Outwardly ridiculously preppy on the outside, there's no way she upheld that inside hanging out with us. She's gorgeous inside and out, and she and I always espoused we were too f'ed up to have kids. I'm just lucky that many years later, I'm lucky to see that she has MAC, a beautiful if not percocious child, reminiscent of her very own mother, and a payback. HA!

I miss her daily since I am not near her. It also brings to light how important friendships can be. Though we may not always have been together for a while, it is imperative that people provide a surround sound comfort zone. Personally, my dad has been through 3 rounds of cancer and he's safe until...January, another 6 months of relief, another 6 months of potentially of walking on eggshells. Be present, forgive and love each day.

November 25, 2009 at 1:17 AM
Ilina said...

Oh, Debbie. I cried at your comment. Prayers for your father, for our dear preppy friend, and for all those who are touched by cancer.

November 25, 2009 at 8:23 AM
Amy@UWM said...

GREAT video. I just had a friend come through stage 2 breast cancer. It's a tough road to hoe for a good year, but her prognosis from the start was very promising. Wishing the same for your friend.

As you know (I think), I work for ACS and I hope your friend avails herself of all of the support ACS has to offer -- everything from info on the disease to decision making tools for treatment to support programs. ACS has a program called Reach to Recovery that pairs breast cancer patients with survivors for hope and inspiration. Here's ACS's breast cancer page as a starting point. http://bit.ly/1MfPRH

As for you, ACS has some great products that would make great gifts for your friend, including this awesome new cookbook that's designed to help cancer patients mitigate treatment side effects http://bit.ly/1QAGrF. There are also lots of ways for you to get involved including ACS's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event (see the breast cancer page link). Also me and some other bloggers you know started "Bloggers for More Birthdays" to raise cancer awareness through the blogosphere. Grab a badge and join the effort! http://bit.ly/5xRrSj

Wishing your friend all the best!

November 25, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Jen L. said...

I wish I had a whole bunch of money to give to that hospital. What an awesome staff. I have a particular affinity for the old dude with the dust mop, but then again, I just think old men are cute in general.

Sending lots of prayers up for your friend. Sounds like the world needs more women like her.

November 25, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry about your friend. She sounds awesome--anyone who wears pearls working out has moxie in my book.

November 25, 2009 at 9:43 AM

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