It's an important day for us all. Our special day. Kind of like Mother's Day is for moms, but it's less likely that we're getting breakfast in bed.
It really is an important day, though. I say this a lot when this day rolls around, and it's still true -- it feels strange to set aside a day like this, when I have been aware of lymphoma every day since January 15, 2008.
And if you're reading this blog, my guess is that you are also feeling the same, or something like it. Awareness isn't really an issue for a lot of us.
But Lymphoma Awareness Day isn't just for us. I've been spending a lot of time on various internet support groups and discussion boards devoted to lymphoma, and I'm always amazed at the misinformation people have gotten about lymphoma and other types of cancer.
Part of that is not knowing where to turn. Part of it is, honestly, people looking for shortcuts to getting better, and believing that those shortcuts exist. And for a lot of people, that lack of awareness is from fear -- they either don't want to know because it's easier to just not think about it all, or they fear things like the side effects of chemo, so they look for other ways that they hope will cure them.
Some knowledge would go a long way. there's so much to be hopeful about, so much less to fear than it seems.
OK, my shameless plug -- I talk about some of this in a piece I wrote for The Mighty for Lymphoma Awareness Day. You can read it here. Feel free to share.
Lots of other great resources out there, too, for yourselves and for sharing with others:
- "Know Your Nodes" from Lymphoma Canada (take the quiz!)
- Lymphomation.org's downloadable brochure to share with friends.
- The Lymphoma Coalition's World Lymphoma Day Site, with ready-made images to add to your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote the Awareness.
Enjoy the day. And if no one served you breakfast in bed today, then have two desserts at dinner. You deserve it.
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