FUCK THE PINK RIBBON!

A personal essay by the late Laura Cerwinske, artist and author of more than 20 books on art and design. Laura believed creativity to be our innate expression of the Divine.

Follow the Light, photo by Judith Hoch (model - Laura Cerwinske)

The oncologist was terse. “There’s metastasis in the bones everywhere.” Sitting behind me so I could not see his face as he analyzed my data on his computer screen, he pronounced me terminal. He projected that I had 14 months to live. Then, like reciting stops on a train ride, he casually enumerated the possible Draconian side effects of the treatments he expected me to begin immediately. These included chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. “What if I choose not to undergo these treatments?” I asked.

“Without them, you’ll need hemlock,” he answered.