Before You Donate
Think very seriously before donating to any breastcancer organization, or fundraising program until you read their Annual Report to see who their top contributors are, and if they have a product that appears frequently in the message the organization sends to the public. That would be unethical and its illegal. The same applies to a request that the public buys products, but does not receive a "donor receipt" for tax-deductible purpose. Read any and all food labels that breastcancer "non-profits" are promoting to raise money. Some organizations tell the public to help them raise money by asking you to visit their websites, but that only gives them "hits" to increase their sponsors.
Another tip, "signing" an online Petition is not acceptable, so don't fall for such antics. An ethical non-profit, or professional will not request your visit to their website, nor use "cookies" placed on your computer when you visit their site.
Purchase the Breastcancer Postage Stamp, the Post Office will always give you your charitable deduction receipt. Its a valid form of fund raising.
Finding Your Team
— what's involved?
It would be advantageous to know that you had a team of physicians, friends, spiritual advisors (if that was your choice), academic medicine faculty, in pharmacology, for example, before you may need one. That does not mean you are planning on being diagnosed with cancer, or breastcancer, its just a wise move to make in today's medical environment, considering the stress one is under early in the diagnostic phase.
Creating your own team means obtaining names of physicians from your friends, organizations, and your own primary health doctor (family physician, internist, etc), meeting with doctors, taking your mammograms and recent health history along—if you've had a biopsy, take the reports with you (its important to obtain a second and third opinion on any biopsy—The National Cancer Institute/NIH will provide an expert second opinion for anyone at no cost. Click on this link).
For myself, creating my team also meant pathology reports and obtaining my pathology slides, as well as recording sessions with everyone I met, because I was already in the throes of breast cancer, but I knew many physicians whom I trusted and called upon for information. Remember, I had not done all of this prior to my first breast surgery. It was a literal disaster, but I was determined to live, and use what I had learned—in my case, without realizing what was to come in my personal growth, there was a silent voice within telling me I no longer had to be a "good girl" any more (more on that in my Journal).
I "fled" to the refuge of National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.(via the Internet) and was welcomed with kindness and help. Thank you, Drs. Liotta and Merino.
You have to do the footwork, but it is worth it. If you are ill and do not believe that you can put forth the assertiveness to question and seek, ask a friend, or a relative, or your local breast cancer support group to help you. . . ask questions, always!
Friends joined my team! I called oncology nurses, and surgical RNs, anyone I could think of who would help me find candidates for my team. I even phoned oncologists offices for breast surgeon referrals.
reviewed July 2, 2004