Mastectomy made me more beautiful

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Ann-Marie
Ann-Marie Member Posts: 1,142 ✭
edited November 2016 in Community news and events

A great article from Women's Weekly Online titled - My mastectomy made me more beautiful

Krystal Barter from our sister charity Pink Hope, Louise Turner (Reclaim your curves/ one of our facilitators for our Breast Reconstruction group) and our chairwoman Marg O'Donnell, discuss how important it is for women to make decisions that suit them best.

(women's weekly online)

 

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  • Carol22
    Carol22 Member Posts: 43 ✭
    edited March 2016
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    This is a great story, I am yet to have the gene testing and do worry for my beautiful 19yo daughter.

    However can I ask if I am the only person who takes offence to the comments from the woman who chose not to have reconstruction about being offered 'chicken fillets' to put in her bra? And especially this being published in a women's mag for people who have not experienced breast loss to have a giggle at? I have had similar stories told to me about women who have chosen to go flat chested I say all power to them, but I think it's a bit off to be belittling the women who choose the prosthesis, after all we are all in the same boat just making different choices about our appearance.

     

     

  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163 ✭
    edited March 2016
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    You make a very good point, Carol. I would hope that we can all have enough respect for each other after going through the trauma of a bc diagnosis to use terms that are respectful of each other's choices.

    The important thing is that we are given all the information about the choices that are available so we can make the decision that feels right for us. I think the  important statistics are not necessarily about the number of reconstructions but the number of women who feel ok about their situation after surgery and treatment. 

    I have not chosen to reconstruct but I appreciate the women on here who share their stories so that if I do wish to have one in the future, I will have realistic expectations about the choices available. Deanne xxx

  • jaycia02
    jaycia02 Member Posts: 64 ✭
    edited March 2016
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    I don't think anyone is trying to cause offence by calling them chicken fillets, it is just a case of marketing being too successful. The smaller breast enhancers are actually marketed as 'chicken fillets' so someone is just taking that reference to the full prosthesis as well. x

  • Carol22
    Carol22 Member Posts: 43 ✭
    edited March 2016
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    Sounds like this woman was referring to chicken fillets on steroids then! It does continue...

    '....Huge rubber inserts the weight and size of 5 dead fishes' to 'stuff' into her bra.

    Not sure if there is a standard weight or size for dead fish, LOL, but dead fish stuffed in a bra sounds pretty disgusting to me :(

  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163 ✭
    edited March 2016
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    I just read it as being a very defensive explanation as to why she had made the choice she had. It's a shame that she did not feel it was ok to have made that choice without defending it with a description that was probably just meant to be humorous but is just unnecessarily disrespectful of other people's choices. None of these women should have felt it necessary to defend their choice by comparing it to other women's choices or situations in a negative way.

    All that matters is that they are happy with their choice and share their experience so that other women are aware of what you can do after mastectomies. The important thing is that we feel informed which I guess is what the article was aimed at. There are many ways to feel beautiful after mastectomies and none of them need to be justified by being critical of another woman's situation/decision. 

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