Issue Date: October 27, 2002
Women's quiet heroism
"I'm in awe of the way women bravely face breast cancer as a part of life."
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Much is written and said about breast cancer, but I'm always amazed so little is made of the heroic stoicism with which women face this disease. One woman in eight will get breast cancer at some point in her lifetime, yet women approach this issue with an attitude I find stunning. It's not denial, nor is it a suppression. It's just the same quiet heroism they use as they march through everyday life.
That stoicism is so subtle and intrinsic, we tend to overlook it. I see it as similar to women's attitude toward pregnancy. Throughout history, women have taken on childbirth without a peep. It wasn't even long ago that a huge number could expect to die or be maimed in giving birth. If one man had experienced that, humankind would have died off by now. Women accept the consequences of owning their reproductive system with extraordinary courage. Maybe it's part of their drive to propagate the species.
I'm continually in awe of the way women bravely face breast cancer and the endless fight against it as a part of life. That's why I donated my time last year for the Breathe benefit concert in Los Angeles, organized by Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind (whose mother is a breast cancer survivor) and the Step Up Women's Network. I plan to keep working with Step Up to do whatever I can for women with breast cancer.
As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, take a moment to reflect on the silent struggle of the hundreds of thousands of women living with breast cancer. Remember those we have lost, celebrate the survivors, and do whatever is within your power to work toward a cure.
Contributing Editor Drew Pinsky, a physician in Pasadena, Calif., hosts the nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline".
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