Think Pink This October

This is the month to think PINK! So be prepared to see lots of pink events stealing the limelight this month. This has been happening without fail annually ever since October was designated breast cancer awareness month more than 25 years ago. I am glad to find that breast cancer awareness promotion has been picking up momentum over the years.

My pink October kicked off with a good start when Baby Sis invited me to attend a Luscious Ladies Day in Shades of Pink last Thursday at the Victory Annexe Ballroom at the E&O Hotel. 

Lovely party favours in all shades of pink

A pretty pink themed table to set the mood for ladies

Clockwise from top left corner: All the chairs prettily dressed in shades of pink; in contrast, the lovely stage was framed in frosty white; table arrangements; pink and silver helium balloons clinging to the ceiling

Baby Sis got carried away by the pink balloons. The guy in orange
with a very worried look on his face was the balloon vendor.

For me, the highlight of the morning was a testimony from a lady who had preventive double mastectomy when she tested positive for the BRCA gene mutation that increased her risk of getting breast cancer to 85%. 

She had been going for mammograms ever since she was 21 because she has a family history of breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32 but managed to beat it. Unfortunately her mom succumbed to another more aggressive attack at age 42 that eventually took her life. 

When she tested positive, she was in a dilemma because, being a breast fed baby herself, she wanted to breast-feed her baby. As she thought to herself, she realised that she wouldn't have minded not being a breast fed baby if it meant that she could still have her mom around. 

Likewise she didn't want to leave her children orphans when she could do something about it and so, with the support of her husband, family and friends, she underwent a double mastectomy. The doctor took fat from her stomach to reconstruct her breasts so she had a tummy tuck as well. 

Then she did another test that showed that she had a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer. Since she wanted to remove her ovaries at age 35, she and her husband decided to fast forward their plans to have a baby even though they didn't plan to have children while they were in Asia. Recently, at age 31, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl here in Penang.

After listening to her, I could understand a little bit more of why Angelina Jolie made the decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. Who are we to sit in judgement of their decision when we have not walked in their shoes? Nevertheless, I couldn't help imagining a situation where we keep cutting off more and more parts of our body until...what? Until all our organs are removed or replaced? That thought just boggles my mind. 

I Am Not Alone! AMEN!!!

Before the auctions and what-not there was a little James Bond skit and Mazeta led us in singing Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone". I had a God moment as He comforted me with the words:

You are not alone

I  am here with you

P.S. All photos taken by Lillian Tong