CCAM

The Fight for Teal and White

Every October, we are reminded to have our annual breast exam and bombarded with pink products, everything from apparel to yogurt cups! Pink is EVERYWHERE in October! Prior to my cervical cancer diagnosis, I was totally on board with pink and had relatively no issue with all the awareness although, I will admit, at times I thought it was too much

Having been diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016, I changed my perspective on awareness ribbon campaigns and it got me thinking why is pink the only one that everyone recognizes and is on board with? Why is everyone so willing to do the walks, fundraise and wear pink all month long? I mean it wasn’t always this way, was it? This ribbon had to start somewhere and while I was in Iowa attending Cervivor School, I learned some of the history of the pink ribbon and breast cancer awareness. What began the global breast cancer movement with $200 and a shoebox full of women’s names who had or were going through breast cancer turned into a global community of scientists, advocates, neighbors and friends, working together to make breast cancer a distant memory.

I wondered, can this be done with my cancer too? Why are there no big walks, fundraisers or even much awareness of the teal and white ribbon? I mean, I wear my ribbon and frequently I am asked what it represents. Is it because not enough women in this country die from cervical cancer? Surely that can’t be the reason. Or is it because not many women are willing to talk about cervical cancer? Sadly, I believe this is one of the main reasons. You see, cervical cancer has a stigma attached to it as most cases are caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus), one of the most misunderstood viruses known to man. People do not realize just how common this virus is and how it accounts for many types of cancers as well.

Every October I hear the frustration by many women about the lack of awareness for our cancer and I too am guilty of feeling the same. Then I realized, I never even knew what cervical cancer was until I was diagnosed. How could that be? Well, for one, no one talks about it. If we want more awareness then we need to be willing to talk about cervical cancer and the HPV virus. We need to be out there sharing our stories, advocating for the HPV vaccine, and reminding women to not miss their PAP/HPV tests.

Imagine if all women who were diagnosed decided to share their story with others and kept on sharing and kept talking about cervical cancer and the HPV virus. When women are willing to put themselves out there, we too could grow in numbers and we could be the “Teal and White Brigade.” We have to put feelings of shame aside and not be afraid to talk about our cervix and our cancer. We matter ladies, and our stories need to be told!

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, let’s turn it Teal and White.

Paulette Apostolou resides in Illinois with her loving husband and two Min Pins Roxey and Zoie. She is the owner/designer of TheDeevaShop.com and founder of Operation Teal; an awareness ribbon campaign she started in 2016 after attending Cervivor School Louisville.

A little history to start CCAM

CCAM

Happy New Year and happy Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM)! The new year is such an important time for renewal and a way to kick off the year on the right foot. For me, I believe how we start this month determines our entire year for our community. It’s very important to me that we are all engaged and active. You’ll notice on social media that we are always more active than usual during this month. You are our messengers and we want you to be advocates who act. Don’t just like a post, but share it. Engage with our online communities and share your knowledge.

When I started this organization in 2005, it was out of a need for more advocacy in the cervical cancer space. I was healed physically from my cancer, and looking for something more. I wasn’t sure exactly what that was, but I just knew I needed it. It’s ironic because I didn’t go into this thinking I would beat my cancer and come out as an advocate. It was just the opposite for me. I wanted to forget the past few months and move on with my life. I certainly tried to leave it all behind me, but that wasn’t happening. I thought about cancer nonstop and in the few brief moments that I wasn’t thinking about it, others were. There was no escaping it.

As I grew to understand the possibilities of actually eradicating cervical cancer, I wanted to share it even more. In what free time I could find, I researched every single thing I could about this disease. My research lead me to some of the most well-known people in the cervical cancer space. I started emailing them and to my joy, they were open to meeting and sharing. This was before all the hoopla of an HPV vaccine and the possibilities of all of our efforts were endless.

The more knowledge that was shared, the more I wanted to do my part — as a person who had experienced this disease first hand. To this day, I am still so shocked by the sheer fascination of a doctor or researcher when I share my story. They truly do care. The really want to make a difference. It’s really personal for us, but it’s personal for them. I’ve found some of the most caring industry folks in my journey to become a better advocate. Sure, there are companies who are out to make a profit, but there are industry folks who actually do care and get that this is a cancer that we can do something about.

As a woman, who has experienced this disease first-hand, how could I not do my part? My part is sharing my story. Sharing our stories. Our stories are powerful. When I looked at others in the space and what I could do to help and not duplicate, it was my passion for storytelling. As a TV producer, that’s what I’ve spent the majority of my career doing — sharing stories. During my research I didn’t find many stories of real women, who were sharing their stories. You could also say that I did it for selfish reasons. My cancer back in 2001 was lonely and isolating. I had great support, but what I most needed were women who had experienced what I went through. I am proud of the army of advocates that we are building. We’ve grown so much over the past decade with women sharing in their own way. Some will share on large platforms and become national advocates sharing on the legislative floor, others will share with their family friends and local community, others will share in being a support to a recently diagnosed sister — all equally important.

We started this organization with simple story telling through our HPV parties. We’ve decided to officially change the name of the organization and you will see the we are rebranding all of our programs and projects. We will be bringing the parties back this year, after a Cervivor rebrand.

One of the most important things we do is the sharing of stories via this website which we just redesigned and I am so proud of it. I hope you will go take a look around and let us know your thoughts. If you are a cervical cancer survivor, I hope you will upload and share your story.

Remember we shine every month, but January is our time to shine! Here’s what you can do:

  • Follow us on our social media platforms and like, comment & share (we’re also on Pinterest!)
  • Be an engaged advocate who acts
  • Share your story
  • Be responsible in sharing the most current and up-to-date guidelines
  • Ask what you don’t know. I promise you won’t be the only one!
  • Overdue for an exam? Schedule one today.

It’s really that simple. We are our sisters’ keeper, and let’s start with a healthy cervix.

Cheers to 2016!

Tamika