Displaying Blog 11/25.
Displaying Blog 11/25.
Sleeping with Brad Pitt
Since
you can't talk about being brca1 positive in 2013 without talking about
Angelina Jolie, I figured it was time I did so. Even prior to the whole
breast cancer gene/preventive mastectomy thing, I have always found
myself relating my life to Angelina’s. We were born the same year, we
were pregnant at the same time, and (this is going to sound crazy) but
we have similar lips! My bottom lip is kind of plump, okay not Angelina
plump, but plump enough that it was once something that I felt
self-conscious about…until Angelina came on the scene and suddenly plump
lips were sexy. So, Angelina Jolie has a long history of making me feel
more comfortable in my body.
The timing of Angelina's New York Times Op Ed in May 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0)
could not have come at a better timefor me for several reasons. I was
already scheduled to meet with a genetic counselor and was tentatively
exploring a preventive mastectomy to respond to a brca1 diagnosis. I was
also having fleeting thoughts that if I followed through with the
surgery, it might impact my sense of self or my relationship. Then all
of a sudden, out comes the sexiest couple in the world, as the face for
preventive mastectomies! I mean, do you remember Brad Pitt in Fight
Club? If that's the reward for a preventive mastectomy, then sign me up!
My
research, post-diagnosis, kept leading me to Angelina Jolie. Because of
her celebrity, I was easily able to find out things like the difference
between brca1 and brca2 and get quick and accurate statistics about my
lifetime likelihood for being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.
Since Angelina’s story was pop-culture news, I had the ability to
peruse sources like the Huffington Post, New York Times and even People
Magazine - reading material which was much more suited to my reading
skill level than JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association)
or any other medical journal for that matter.
In
one of my friendly sources, I came upon the age of Angelina's youngest
children at the time of her surgery. (For the record, her twins Knox and
Vivienne were 5). Once again I felt connected to Angelina when I
thought about how surgery would impact my daughters, particularly my
youngest, who is just 2. I was worried about the repercussions of not
being able to hold her post-surgery. I read Angelina’s Op Ed piece and
and felt validated about my worry.
I'm
so grateful Angelina put words like “brca1” and “preventive mastectomy”
in the daily lexicon of so many of every-day people. When I tell my
friends and family about my diagnosis and upcoming surgeries, I'm able
to simply say, "you know, like Angelina Jolie." (Which makes it so much
easier than explaining in great detail a medical diagnosis and procedure
that I don't necessarily fully understand myself.) So thank you
Angelina for being a sexy, strong, and powerful voice for women taking
control of their own health. I, for one, am proud to be on Team
Angelina and am now just waiting patiently for my turn to sleep with
Brad Pitt when this is all done.
Sleeping with Brad Pitt
Since
you can't talk about being brca1 positive in 2013 without talking about
Angelina Jolie, I figured it was time I did so. Even prior to the whole
breast cancer gene/preventive mastectomy thing, I have always found
myself relating my life to Angelina’s. We were born the same year, we
were pregnant at the same time, and (this is going to sound crazy) but
we have similar lips! My bottom lip is kind of plump, okay not Angelina
plump, but plump enough that it was once something that I felt
self-conscious about…until Angelina came on the scene and suddenly plump
lips were sexy. So, Angelina Jolie has a long history of making me feel
more comfortable in my body.
The timing of Angelina's New York Times Op Ed in May 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0)
could not have come at a better timefor me for several reasons. I was
already scheduled to meet with a genetic counselor and was tentatively
exploring a preventive mastectomy to respond to a brca1 diagnosis. I was
also having fleeting thoughts that if I followed through with the
surgery, it might impact my sense of self or my relationship. Then all
of a sudden, out comes the sexiest couple in the world, as the face for
preventive mastectomies! I mean, do you remember Brad Pitt in Fight
Club? If that's the reward for a preventive mastectomy, then sign me up!
My
research, post-diagnosis, kept leading me to Angelina Jolie. Because of
her celebrity, I was easily able to find out things like the difference
between brca1 and brca2 and get quick and accurate statistics about my
lifetime likelihood for being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.
Since Angelina’s story was pop-culture news, I had the ability to
peruse sources like the Huffington Post, New York Times and even People
Magazine - reading material which was much more suited to my reading
skill level than JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association)
or any other medical journal for that matter.
In
one of my friendly sources, I came upon the age of Angelina's youngest
children at the time of her surgery. (For the record, her twins Knox and
Vivienne were 5). Once again I felt connected to Angelina when I
thought about how surgery would impact my daughters, particularly my
youngest, who is just 2. I was worried about the repercussions of not
being able to hold her post-surgery. I read Angelina’s Op Ed piece and
and felt validated about my worry.
I'm
so grateful Angelina put words like “brca1” and “preventive mastectomy”
in the daily lexicon of so many of every-day people. When I tell my
friends and family about my diagnosis and upcoming surgeries, I'm able
to simply say, "you know, like Angelina Jolie." (Which makes it so much
easier than explaining in great detail a medical diagnosis and procedure
that I don't necessarily fully understand myself.) So thank you
Angelina for being a sexy, strong, and powerful voice for women taking
control of their own health. I, for one, am proud to be on Team
Angelina and am now just waiting patiently for my turn to sleep with
Brad Pitt when this is all done.
Sleeping with Brad Pitt
Since
you can't talk about being brca1 positive in 2013 without talking about
Angelina Jolie, I figured it was time I did so. Even prior to the whole
breast cancer gene/preventive mastectomy thing, I have always found
myself relating my life to Angelina’s. We were born the same year, we
were pregnant at the same time, and (this is going to sound crazy) but
we have similar lips! My bottom lip is kind of plump, okay not Angelina
plump, but plump enough that it was once something that I felt
self-conscious about…until Angelina came on the scene and suddenly plump
lips were sexy. So, Angelina Jolie has a long history of making me feel
more comfortable in my body.
The timing of Angelina's New York Times Op Ed in May 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0)
could not have come at a better timefor me for several reasons. I was
already scheduled to meet with a genetic counselor and was tentatively
exploring a preventive mastectomy to respond to a brca1 diagnosis. I was
also having fleeting thoughts that if I followed through with the
surgery, it might impact my sense of self or my relationship. Then all
of a sudden, out comes the sexiest couple in the world, as the face for
preventive mastectomies! I mean, do you remember Brad Pitt in Fight
Club? If that's the reward for a preventive mastectomy, then sign me up!
My
research, post-diagnosis, kept leading me to Angelina Jolie. Because of
her celebrity, I was easily able to find out things like the difference
between brca1 and brca2 and get quick and accurate statistics about my
lifetime likelihood for being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.
Since Angelina’s story was pop-culture news, I had the ability to
peruse sources like the Huffington Post, New York Times and even People
Magazine - reading material which was much more suited to my reading
skill level than JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association)
or any other medical journal for that matter.
In
one of my friendly sources, I came upon the age of Angelina's youngest
children at the time of her surgery. (For the record, her twins Knox and
Vivienne were 5). Once again I felt connected to Angelina when I
thought about how surgery would impact my daughters, particularly my
youngest, who is just 2. I was worried about the repercussions of not
being able to hold her post-surgery. I read Angelina’s Op Ed piece and
and felt validated about my worry.
I'm
so grateful Angelina put words like “brca1” and “preventive mastectomy”
in the daily lexicon of so many of every-day people. When I tell my
friends and family about my diagnosis and upcoming surgeries, I'm able
to simply say, "you know, like Angelina Jolie." (Which makes it so much
easier than explaining in great detail a medical diagnosis and procedure
that I don't necessarily fully understand myself.) So thank you
Angelina for being a sexy, strong, and powerful voice for women taking
control of their own health. I, for one, am proud to be on Team
Angelina and am now just waiting patiently for my turn to sleep with
Brad Pitt when this is all done.
Sleeping with Brad Pitt
Since
you can't talk about being brca1 positive in 2013 without talking about
Angelina Jolie, I figured it was time I did so. Even prior to the whole
breast cancer gene/preventive mastectomy thing, I have always found
myself relating my life to Angelina’s. We were born the same year, we
were pregnant at the same time, and (this is going to sound crazy) but
we have similar lips! My bottom lip is kind of plump, okay not Angelina
plump, but plump enough that it was once something that I felt
self-conscious about…until Angelina came on the scene and suddenly plump
lips were sexy. So, Angelina Jolie has a long history of making me feel
more comfortable in my body.
The timing of Angelina's New York Times Op Ed in May 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0)
could not have come at a better timefor me for several reasons. I was
already scheduled to meet with a genetic counselor and was tentatively
exploring a preventive mastectomy to respond to a brca1 diagnosis. I was
also having fleeting thoughts that if I followed through with the
surgery, it might impact my sense of self or my relationship. Then all
of a sudden, out comes the sexiest couple in the world, as the face for
preventive mastectomies! I mean, do you remember Brad Pitt in Fight
Club? If that's the reward for a preventive mastectomy, then sign me up!
My
research, post-diagnosis, kept leading me to Angelina Jolie. Because of
her celebrity, I was easily able to find out things like the difference
between brca1 and brca2 and get quick and accurate statistics about my
lifetime likelihood for being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.
Since Angelina’s story was pop-culture news, I had the ability to
peruse sources like the Huffington Post, New York Times and even People
Magazine - reading material which was much more suited to my reading
skill level than JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association)
or any other medical journal for that matter.
In
one of my friendly sources, I came upon the age of Angelina's youngest
children at the time of her surgery. (For the record, her twins Knox and
Vivienne were 5). Once again I felt connected to Angelina when I
thought about how surgery would impact my daughters, particularly my
youngest, who is just 2. I was worried about the repercussions of not
being able to hold her post-surgery. I read Angelina’s Op Ed piece and
and felt validated about my worry.
I'm
so grateful Angelina put words like “brca1” and “preventive mastectomy”
in the daily lexicon of so many of every-day people. When I tell my
friends and family about my diagnosis and upcoming surgeries, I'm able
to simply say, "you know, like Angelina Jolie." (Which makes it so much
easier than explaining in great detail a medical diagnosis and procedure
that I don't necessarily fully understand myself.) So thank you
Angelina for being a sexy, strong, and powerful voice for women taking
control of their own health. I, for one, am proud to be on Team
Angelina and am now just waiting patiently for my turn to sleep with
Brad Pitt when this is all done.
Sleeping with Brad Pitt
Since
you can't talk about being brca1 positive in 2013 without talking about
Angelina Jolie, I figured it was time I did so. Even prior to the whole
breast cancer gene/preventive mastectomy thing, I have always found
myself relating my life to Angelina’s. We were born the same year, we
were pregnant at the same time, and (this is going to sound crazy) but
we have similar lips! My bottom lip is kind of plump, okay not Angelina
plump, but plump enough that it was once something that I felt
self-conscious about…until Angelina came on the scene and suddenly plump
lips were sexy. So, Angelina Jolie has a long history of making me feel
more comfortable in my body.
The timing of Angelina's New York Times Op Ed in May 2013 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0)
could not have come at a better timefor me for several reasons. I was
already scheduled to meet with a genetic counselor and was tentatively
exploring a preventive mastectomy to respond to a brca1 diagnosis. I was
also having fleeting thoughts that if I followed through with the
surgery, it might impact my sense of self or my relationship. Then all
of a sudden, out comes the sexiest couple in the world, as the face for
preventive mastectomies! I mean, do you remember Brad Pitt in Fight
Club? If that's the reward for a preventive mastectomy, then sign me up!
My
research, post-diagnosis, kept leading me to Angelina Jolie. Because of
her celebrity, I was easily able to find out things like the difference
between brca1 and brca2 and get quick and accurate statistics about my
lifetime likelihood for being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.
Since Angelina’s story was pop-culture news, I had the ability to
peruse sources like the Huffington Post, New York Times and even People
Magazine - reading material which was much more suited to my reading
skill level than JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association)
or any other medical journal for that matter.
In
one of my friendly sources, I came upon the age of Angelina's youngest
children at the time of her surgery. (For the record, her twins Knox and
Vivienne were 5). Once again I felt connected to Angelina when I
thought about how surgery would impact my daughters, particularly my
youngest, who is just 2. I was worried about the repercussions of not
being able to hold her post-surgery. I read Angelina’s Op Ed piece and
and felt validated about my worry.
I'm
so grateful Angelina put words like “brca1” and “preventive mastectomy”
in the daily lexicon of so many of every-day people. When I tell my
friends and family about my diagnosis and upcoming surgeries, I'm able
to simply say, "you know, like Angelina Jolie." (Which makes it so much
easier than explaining in great detail a medical diagnosis and procedure
that I don't necessarily fully understand myself.) So thank you
Angelina for being a sexy, strong, and powerful voice for women taking
control of their own health. I, for one, am proud to be on Team
Angelina and am now just waiting patiently for my turn to sleep with
Brad Pitt when this is all done.
My Mastectomy, My Blog, An Introduction
Displaying Blog 11/25.
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