LOVE WILL FIND A WAY

I have made no secret of my unabashed love for one of the most brilliant women the world has EVER known.  Of course, I am talking about Dr. Susan Love.  I’m fairly certain I didn’t need to actually identify her by name, but for the three or five people who may NOT have known, just being on the safe side.

Why, you ask?  I am a breast cancer survivor.  I am five years post active treatment.  I was one of those “high risk” creatures because my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40’s. Then, I wasn’t high risk anymore.  I was just another woman who developed breast cancer.  In my 40’s, too.  And then, the disease just continued to bounce among my mom (yes, a second time) and my sisters.

I’ve been very vocal in my dissatisfaction with the progress (ok, the LACK of any meaningful progress) in changing the status quo.  Never mind a cure, forget prevention, hell, my treatment in 2006-7 was nearly identical to the treatment my mom received twenty years prior.  I call BS.  That’s not progress.  That’s stagnancy.

Enter Dr. Love.  (You can sing in your head with me if you hear Gene Simmons and Kiss……. )  And if I’m OLD and you aren’t, this is the theme song I’m thinkin of, for Dr. Love:

They call me, Doctor Love

Doctor Love

I am your Doctor (of) Love

Doctor Love

I’ve got the cure you’re thinkin of…..

That fits.  I’ll take it.

Joking aside, Dr. Love is the only one I hear coming up with new ideas, different angles, formulating a plan of attack.  Dr. Love is holding a new deck of cards and the game is about to change.  Me?  I’m All In.  I’ll throw up the ante.  Will you join me?

Great….. This is what we need.  Noise.  Lots and lots of noise.  From lots and lots of people.  For starters, make sure everyone likes the Army of Women Facebook page.  AND THEN, make sure everyone knows that “liking” the page isn’t equal to “joining” the Army of Women.  After you like the page, you have to click the link and sign up.

When you are in a crowd of people using cell phones, get them to shoot a text to 46637 that says armyofwomen.  Coerce the sign up, on the spot.  If you have to listen to these people yapping on their phones in the stupidest places, be bold, be brash, be brazen.  Hell, I’m thinking I may download the ringtone to my phone so I can do a little Dr. Love dance while I'm watching them fill in the blanks.

And now, for the really important stuff.......  This is grassroots, this is the in the neighborhood type stuff.  And this is where each one of us can make a little difference.  There will be all sorts of events beginning to pop up.  I see golf outings and a few spring benefits.  There are a couple of local walks.

If you see something, say something.  That's a big "thing" all over NYC.  Mainly, it's to make sure we keep our eyes open for terrorists, but I want you to keep your eyes out for the "volunterrorists in the pink caps" .... (I can't claim that phrase as my own..... it was part of an editorial piece and I will locate the link and get back to you on that)  However, any place where there are events for which money is being raised for breast cancer "awareness" or "research" or WHATEVER...... we want to be there to get women into the Army of Women database.

They can raise the money..... they can fund the research...... and WE can make sure that their research studies are filled by getting the word out to as many women as possible.  A researcher with a great idea and a boatload of money isn't going far unless there are ready, willing and able participants.  It doesn't matter how large or small the event might be, we just need to keep the ripples moving until they turn into waves.

So, I am officially enlisting your help.  If you see an event, send me an email.  There is a contact link at the top of the page with my email information.  I'll take it from there and pass the information along to the right people.  The more places we can get the word out, the more chances we have of amassing the women we need to shake things up.  Put my email address into your smart phones.  Snap pictures of any signs you might see.  Forward me the picture.  We have to get the ball rolling.  One small thing.  If each person does just one small thing, together, we will watch great things unfold.  I am sure of it!

ON A TOTALLY SEPARATE NOTE...... PINK WELL ORGANIZATION IS PROMOTING A "VOTING CONTEST" .....  Can I get as many people as possible to vote for Metavivor in this "contest"  ..  They fund research for Metastatic Breast Cancer.  It was the charity of choice of Rachel Moro.  Our votes (three a day, every day through May using twitter, Facebook and an email account) and they could be awarded a hefty donation.  Just because we took the time to vote.  I'm in.  Not only for Rachel, but for Susan, too.  And for my friend.  They all died of metastatic disease.  Please......  VOTE FOR METAVIVOR HERE!