I just returned from an event designed to help kick off multiple myeloma awareness month. I didn’t remember March was “our month” until I was getting ready for the program.

In the competitive world of raising awareness about the different types of cancers, using specific colors and symbols to help “brand” each cancer is all the rage.

The pink ribbon representing breast cancer has been far and away the most effective.  Prostate cancer is trying to make light blue equally recognizable.

Were you aware multiple myeloma has a color, too?  It’s burgundy or maroon.  Hasn’t really caught-on yet, has it?

But don’t feel bad.  Neither has pearl for lung cancer, orange for leukemia, or black for melanoma.  How about brown for colon cancer?  I guess that one makes sense.

But why assign months or colors to different cancers?  An obvious reason is to raise awareness so that people donate money for research, patient assistance programs, and more.  In this post-recession world, organizations and research centers are competing for a shrinking pot of dollars.

Colors help fundraisers market their particular cancer.   So does having a month set aside to help “get the word out.”

But there are a number of other positive, less obvious reasons why designating March as “multiple myeloma awareness month” and establishing burgundy as the official color is important, especially for a multiple myeloma patient like me.

Whenever I see another patient wearing a burgundy wrist band, I immediately feel connected—like I already know them.

Using a common color helps give me a sense of community.   Maybe it is my coaching background, but I like having a “team” color. There is strength in numbers.  And if you are on a team, you are never alone.  This is reassuring to me.

Having a recognizable team color is important.  But getting an entire month designated to help raise multiple myeloma awareness is fantastic!  Anything that helps others understand that “we have cancer” works for me.

If we all help get the word out, others may begin to recognize the symptoms of multiple myeloma.  Husbands, wives, and children may get their loved ones to see a doctor sooner.  Familiarity with our cancer may also help doctors and nurses recognize the signs and symptoms and know what tests to run, so they can diagnose patients sooner.

At the very least, the general public may begin to understand that multiple myeloma is cancer—and that it is imperative researchers find a cure.

March is multiple myeloma awareness month.  Please help me spread the word!

Feel good and keep smiling!  Pat