Survivors and Ink

Another Boobie Wednesday approaches. It's a sunny day outside, the ground is sprinkled with white, and my brain doesn't seem to want to do anything but stare out the window...

Lets have a moment shall we...


Ok, no, this is not the view outside my window, but it is pretty right? :)..... And back to what we're supposed to be doing!

So today after many requests we're doing something in the vein of a survivor wall. There are so many women (and men) out there who deserve to be recognized for their courageous battle that there are simply too many to name, so I'm going to name the ones we all know. Yes, celebrity survivors.

Edie Falco
Sopranos star Edie Falco was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, and secretly battled it.

Melissa Etheridge
Diagnosed in 2004 with breast cancer, Etheridge is doing well.

Kate Jackson
2 time survivor Kate Jackson battled cancer in 1987 and in 1989. She is recognized as one of the most famous of the "angels" in "Charlie's Angels".

Olivia Newton John
Famous singer and actress was diagnosed 1992, underwent a mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

Richard Roundtree
Shaft star is proof that breast cancer affects men, too. Roundtree was diagnosed in 1993, had a radical mastectomy and rounds of chemotherapy.

Jaclyn Smith
Charlie's Angels star, Smith discovered a lump in 2002. Treatment included a lumpectomy and radiation.

Suzanne Sommers
Actress and author Suzanne Somers was the source of much controversy when she decided to forgo standard treatment and opted alternative therapy and holistic medicine instead.

Shirley Temple Black
Child actress, Shirley Temple found a lump in 1972, and had a mastectomy.

Anastacia
The singer was diagnosed in 2003 and now raises breast cancer awareness since becoming a survivor.

And possibly the most notable breast cancer survivor (at least in my mind), Christina Applegate.


In April 2008, at the age of 36 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to circumstances, Christina chose to have a bilateral mastectomy. I think her story is one of strength and bravery, and if you want to read her interview with Oprah, you can do so here. I recommend it.

Many people, like Christina Applegate, choose to have breast reconstruction surgery, but others choose a different approach. Some women choose ink.

Meet Pat Fish, an amazing tattoo artist who does breast cancer related tattoo's.

"It is an unfortunate fact that breast cancer touches all our lives. In the past several years I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some outstanding people whose lives have been forever shaped by their encounters with the disease, and this page is a record of some of the work that resulted."

Pat has done some beautiful mastectomy artwork. I particularly like Beth's art.

"When we started... she just wanted two pink primroses to replace the nipples. She'd had enough of surgeries, and didn't want reconstruction, just a bit of art to help with the visual affect. I talked her into a blue monarch butterfly and we had a discussion about how covering the entire area with flowers would camouflage all the surgical scars... She has given me permission to post these photos here because she wants to help other women realize that there are options other than just living with the scars."

I think this is just gorgeous. There is more of Pats work on the page, so make sure you check it out :).

And here's some more beautiful mastectomy tattoos.





Lets give a round of applause for these strong, brave and proud women.

A little clarification...

So lately here at Boobie Wednesday, we've been taking a lot of crap because of our methods. Sadly I think this is because people are complainy and ignorant. But just for the sake of proving a point, I would like to say a few things.

First of all more than one person has said "Isn't the show of your boobs disrespectful or ignorant of those women who don't have boobs due to mastectomies?" And here's my answer - Why can't a women with a mastectomy show her chest too?

There are so many women in this world who feel insecure or inadequate, whether it's your butt, your boobs or your hips. But you know what? Us Boobie Wednesday girls, we think you're perfect no matter who or how you are, and we think you should be proud of it.

So for those that have made comments about us discriminating against women with mastectomies - Are we discriminating, or are you?

Secondly, some people seem to have a problem with us using our boobies to advertise our cause, period. (Let me re-instate here: OUR boobies). Some have even said that it's wrong to use boobie pictures when breast cancer can affect every part of the body. Yes, it's true, breast cancer can spread, but it's called breast cancer because THAT'S where it starts.

And let me ask you this. When advertising companies have been using the female body to advertise everything from cars, to clothes, to vacations, why is it so wrong to use our breasts to advertise a cause that is actually RELEVANT to the female body.

And not just the female body either. Men get breast cancer too. And we don't exclude men from our campaign. On the contrary, we have more than a few men showing their own chests on Wednesdays in support of us and to spread the message of awareness. I've yet to hear anyone complain about seeing the male Boobie Wednesday supporters on their feeds.

Thirdly, we do not MAKE people show their boobs on Wednesdays, this is purely a matter of choice. We have a variety of pictures here on the blog that people can use ranging from cute to sexy, and even then we don't care if you change your picture or not.

Boobies are fun, and they get the attention of people whose attention might not otherwise be caught, but our whole point is breast cancer awareness. It's about what you say, not necessarily what you show. So if you only want to RT us, or not even mention us at all, we don't mind. We just want people to be aware.

I think that all in all, people should be allowed to use their bodies as they wish. I think that criticising someone for showing their boobies for a good cause is like criticising someone for their hair cut. It's really just pointless. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's wrong.

And for people who have asked the question of why we don't support other cancer awareness issues, like colo-rectal, or prostate, it's really just a matter of what got me into this, and that is - my boobs. I love them. I'm proud of them. I like other people to notice them. And if I can use my endowments for a good reason, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't.

(I would also like to add that we post info about different types of cancer all through the week from our @boobiewed page.)

For those out there who still don't agree with Boobie Wednesday for whatever reason, I'm sorry, but we'll just have to agree to disagree. All I ask is that you still do your BSE's and remind others to do so. You don't even have to do it on Wednesday.

(A few words from the other half of the Boobie Wednesday Duo.
I want to say, We love each and everyone of you that believe in what we are doing every week. Without you people, We would still do this, but We would have never reached so many in so little time. You Have taught us so much about yourselves and about the brave people you have loved and lost. Thank you so very much. )

BC Treatments and Be A Designer Competition

Most of our posts on here relate to prevention and early detection. Well today our post is about some of the treatments available for those who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

When I googled this a lot of the pages I found where companies trying to sell their own products, so I turned to the ever reliable WedMD.

Now the stages of breast cancer rate from stage 0 to stage 4. The average survival rate for a stage 0 diagnosis is 100%, where as stage 4 diagnosis is usually terminal, which is why its important to do your BSE's!

Here's a list of typical treatments:

• Surgery is a standard. For smaller tumors, you might get a lumpectomy, in which only the abnormal cells and some of the tissue are removed. Some women choose a mastectomy, in which the entire breast is removed. After a mastectomy, you might choose to have breast reconstruction surgery.
• Radiation therapy is standard treatment after a lumpectomy. Radiation therapy attacks any abnormal cells that might have been missed and decreases the risk of another cancer.
• Hormone therapy with tamoxifen after surgery may also help prevent cancer from developing in the same or opposite breast.
• Bilateral mastectomy -- the removal of both breasts -- is another option. Some women choose this approach because they are worried about getting cancer. They might have certain risk factors, like a strong family history of breast cancer. After surgery, you might choose to get breast reconstruction surgery. However, experts think that a bilateral mastectomy is a more extreme approach than women usually need.
• Chemotherapy is treatment with drugs that attack cancer cells. It's often used after surgery to lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Women who had larger tumors are more likely to need it.
• Biological therapy is another approach. In about 25% of women with breast cancer, an excess of a protein known as HER2 makes the cancer spread quickly. Herceptin is a new drug that's been approved to treat women with metastatic breast cancer that is HER2 positive. It stops this protein from making the cancer grow and makes chemotherapy more effective. It is most often used in combination with chemotherapy. Studies have led to its use in early breast cancer.
• Clinical trials A clinical trial may allow you access to cutting-edge treatments. Many new therapies -- new drugs, new treatments, and new combinations -- are in clinical trials now. Keep in mind that any successful treatment we have now started out in a clinical trial.
• Other drugs may also help treat some of the side effects of breast cancer treatment, such as nausea, fatigue, and infections.

So for any of you who ever wanted to know the options, whether for yourself or a family member, that's the standard list.

Just remember that every cancer is different, every patient is different, so every treatment is different. What worked for your friend might not work for you. Make sure you have good communication with your doctor and be open to their suggestions.

Ok, now that we've covered our serious issue for the week, we can get to the fun. Yes, FUN! Boobie Wednesday is bringing you a new competition! (Competition is now closed).

Basically, we've been asking you guys for AGES to help us come up with designs for the t-shirts at the Boobie Wednesday store, and some of your ideas have been great! Unfortunately, neither myself nor my partner in crime have the necessary resources to actually make the designs ourselves, so we're giving you the floor!

So here's the details. We need a t-shirt design, related to breast cancer awareness, and/or Boobie Wednesday and it must be (this is very important) ORIGINAL. We cannot accept entries that are reminiscent of any other campaign logos, or slogans or anything like that.

Secondly, it needs to be on a transparent background, and preferably saved in PNG format. Also to bigger you can make it the better. :)

If you've got all that done, send it to us at boobiewed@yahoo.com

What does the winner get, you ask? The winner gets to see their design in the Boobie Wednesday store! (AND you'll have good karma, because all the money we raise from selling your design will go to the NBCF).

So get creative and get em in! We'll be closing the competition on February 1oth, so you've got about a month to get your entry in.

Good luck!

Boobies 2010

Welcome to the first Boobie Wednesday blog of the new year!

I first want to take the time to give all our supporters a big squishy boobie hug. You guys have been awesome, and have really carried the #boobiewed message into the new year. We couldn't do it without you.

We also want to thank all those people who have shared their stories with us. We are truly honored that you would share your lives with us, and we hope more of you will :).

But now is the time of new beginnings so I figured we'd start 2010 with a new mission-plan (I hate the words mission-plan, it sounds so corporate), and some new picture choices.

So I'm sure you've all read the welcome post, and that about it covers it, but in 2010 we plan to bring you info on breast cancer, support groups, preventatives and treatments, a few competitions, and a lot of fun.

We will continue the message of the importance of BSE's, and the showing of our boobies on Wednesday. (he he)

We're still selling Boobie Wednesday stuff at the store, and $2 from every purchase goes to the NBCF, so make sure you drop by and see if there's anything you like. There's also a PayPal button over there on the right, if you want to donate instead of buy, and that will also go directly to the NBCF.

Now in the spirit of Boobie Wednesday, and because we understand that some people would rather not flaunt their chestal region, we're going to give you some pics that we think are cool.

You are free to use any and all of these, so please do.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!