Angelina Jolie has brought Breast Cancer to the fore front. Oh wait, it already was in the fore front of “cancers”. What I meant to say is that she has brought Double Mastectomy’s to the fore front of Cancer treatments. Oh wait they were already the primary part of treatment for most aggressive Breast Cancers. I guess that is the Catch 22 of Celebrity….It seems she’s been given credit for what thousands and thousands of others have done before her. And I am not even sure she wants any of it.
She seems to have shed light on a subject that already has spotlights on it…The media has called her for her heroic, and Brave and many other adjectives that don’t really capture the true essence of what she has done….and that is, that she has made LIVING HER PRIORITY!!!! And that is to be commended. What she has done, and I what applaud her for, is how she did all of this, and how she has chosen to tell the world. After the fact. And her explanation was brief, and reasonable, and SMART!
Ms. Jolie was presented with “Life Choices”; the facts about her future and how they can (and probably would) affect her quality of life down the road. Then she intelligently, thoughtfully and prudently decided to have a surgery that can be very traumatic for a women. especially one so stunning and waist deep in the “appearance business”. I am not belittling her decision in any way! Having been there, done that…I am glad that she is showing the world that this procedure is not an end to “womanhood”, but quite the opposite. It is a call to arms, against a disease that tries to rob us of that same feminine exuberance which fuels our desire to remain the force of nature we have become. And for that Angie…I thank you…
I think back to a few years ago…Different from Ms. Jolie, I didn’t have a the same decision to make as she did, well not completely. I could have had a single mastectomy…But the odds that I would be back for the second where, frankly, to great (40-60%)…So I threw caution to the wind and went for the full treatment. Many I have spoken were to worried to do both. Amongst those that I know, I am saddened to say a larger % have had to go back to remove the second breast as well. I know that is not exciting news to hear…But I will say that many of those women wished they had done the dDouble the first time around.
We survivors are all “Beautiful women”…just like Angelina Jolie, and with this surgery she had, we will certainly be keeping “abreast” of her situation for a lot longer…
Angie, I wish you all the best!
Enjoy Today
Carol
Funnycancermom
The Cancer made me do it 
Right on!!!!! As usual, you ‘re terrific…..
You’re right. But since the media is fixated on Angelina and her body, she managed the news about her dilemma. If only the media would focus on the work she is doing which is making life better for so many others. Maybe the fact that she is moving forward and living the rest of her life will provide inspiration for others.
So glad Sue pointed my way to your blog! This is wonderful. And yes, the media always want to reduce everything down to the simplistic, when really, it’s all so much more complex. I have thought of you many times over the years since we rode the elevators up and down at The Plaza together, and get news of you through Sue–happy to hear that you and your family are thriving.