Thursday, May 16, 2013

So, this whole Angelina Jolie thing. . .

Y'all have heard she had her boobs removed because she carries a mutant BRCA gene, right? And that she's gonna have her ovaries taken out pretty soon, too, right?

I cannot *believe* what folk been sayin' about that. First of all, it's nobody's place to have an opinion on what she does with her own body, even if she puts it out there in an op-ed in the New York Times. Second of all, if you have the kind of opinion that says, "She should've considered what that would do to her fans" or "She should've tried yoga and broccoli first," I will take you down.

Or, I would've, but then I read this:

Oh Fuck You.

Don't want your real name bruited about on Teh Interwebs? Don't sign it to a jackassed comment on those Interwebs.

Thanks for your input, Jackasses. No, really. Now I know who not to slow down for when I see a group of people crossing the street.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I read that her grandmother or mother had died quite young, which prompted her own testing? I imagine she has more close knowledge of what it's like to see a family member die of cancer than most of us, and made a well-informed decision.

I can only wish her good health.

My neighbor when I was growing up was diagnosed with breast cancer quite young, and since it had killed her paternal grandmother, she did the BRCA (sp?) test, found she had the genes, and had to make that decision for herself. Her younger sister also had the test and was positive, and had to make a decision for herself. I'm happy to say, they're both alive and well some 15 years later, and I'm very happy for that.

I'm still not really sure why she made it public, but I suppose it's far better that she makes it public than that someone stupid talks about her surgery or health and she then needs to respond?

bobbie said...

Amen. In triplicate.

messymimi said...

She considered all of her options, and did what was best for herself and her family. Brava to her.

And i wish, if i could even afford such a test, that my insurance company would even consider covering me for such a thing. They'd rather wait until i'm sick and have to also pay for the additional chemo and radiation that do preventive stuff. Stupid.

Nikki said...

As someone who just wrapped up 2 years of chemo for Her2+ breast cancer (diagnosed at 36), I say BRAVOFUCKINGO to Angelina. If I had known the hell I was in for (even though I was NOT BRCA+), I would have cut those fuckers off at home with a hot butter knife.

Shelly Burke said...

I became really irritated when the headlines said she had "secret" surgery, as it was something she should have announced ahead of time, or something she should have put up for a vote.

In truth, it was a "personal" surgery. And absolutely no one has the "right" to know that she had surgery, what kind of surgery, and/or under what circumstances. Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

A year ago, I watched my cousin die a slow and horrible death from inflammatory breast cancer. I have a giant kick in the solar plexus waiting for anyone who THINKS about questioning Angelina's decision, or that of anyone in a situation like hers, in my presence.

Laura said...

Weird. The few articles and comments I read were generally positive and supportive of her decision. The only remotely negative thing I read was someone worrying that it would make people think that a preventative double mastectomy makes them breast cancer-proof (rather than just reducing the probability).

And I'm with Shelly. Her boobs, her business.

Mama D said...

Idiots, the lot of them. She made a personal health choice based on the best information available to her, quite rationally to my way of thinking. To suggest that doing so diminishes her sexually is the height of ignorance and malice. Wonder what these buffoons think of people who get implants for non-medical reasons??? Or hysterectomies for endometriosis??

Erica Rose said...

As a medical professional, cancer survivor, and vegan (kale, it always could have been prevented with MOAR KALE), I cannot agree with you more. Good on her for making such a decision.

RehabRN said...

jo:

Please do not hit them: they will put unsightly dents in your vehicle.

Just scare the crap out of them.

Thanks for that link. Much, much appreciated. I needed a good one.

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

HIPAA protects us all and we are only privy to Angelina's medical story because she Chose to tell us. This last year I have watched my dearest friend go thru chemo, surgery, radiation... hell essentially, and she's among so many others who are fighting for their very lives. Each of us gets to decide what we do with our bodies in the face of any medical info--it's incredible that she has chosen to share with all of us,

MommyFixIt said...

As the spouse of someone that's nearly died from breast cancer, I applaud Ms. Jolie. I think it was a brave, and very self-sacrificing move to make the decision public - we need people to understand that making that decision is OK. My partner has a prophylactic mastectomy on one side, after discovering two stage II tumors on the other side. We're three years out, and she's still tumor free.

Now I know which folks to target with my car, too. I'm older, and have more insurance.

Moose said...

The ignorance of people when it comes to anything vaguely related to science is just astounding. Yesterday I read this:

--
Hey, friend, Angelina's mastectomy because of her gene scan isn't setting a dangerous precedent. No, it's not actually a slippery-slope new idea that shouldn't be embraced to decide to do things based on a high probability of a bad result if you don't. Yes, you don't actually understand modern medicine at all and don't get shirty with me when I make a remark about that. You think goddamned homeopathy works and you can self-will yourself out of chemical depression for fuck's sake. Just shut up.
--

It was the start of a conversation that pointed out that pro-active mastectomies are hardly something new.

Another person commented that someone said to them, "This will start a trend of treating illnesses before they even happen!" and she replied, "Yes, it's called WASHING YOUR HANDS."

Idjits, we're surrounded by idjits.

Anonymous said...

I heard some a*hole a couple of days ago saying she was crazy and only cared about her looks. The person he was saying that too? His mother. And he had his kid with him. I've seen someone die of breast cancer, also other people die of other types of cancer, and if his kid hadn't been there, I might have asked him if he wanted to see his mother die of cancer. No? Well then a*hole you don't have any place to criticize anyone else's decision in the matter of cancer.

On the flip side of that there's this recent posting of a doctor's experience with his wife's breast cancer (she also had a bilateral mastectomy)
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2013/05/caregiver-doctor.html

jwg said...

For the record, you are one of the best umbrage takers around. Thank you for saying what I was thinking. I'd help pay the body shop bill.

Norma said...

The real problem with the way this story was reported in the media is that the math was repeatedly mis-stated. Having the gene did not give Jolie an 87% likelihood of developing breast cancer. It made her chances of developing breast cancer 87% higher than the risk faced by someone who does not have the gene. A person who does not have the gene has about a 5% chance of developing breast cancer.

As you said, no one's opinion outside of hers and her medical team's really matters. But that misrepresentation of the genetic risk factor undoubtedly has a lot of women who've had a relative affected with breast cancer now in a panic about having a $4,000 genetic test performed. Sloppy reporting and too many buzzwords.

Barb said...

Norma is spot on...the majority of the public will think that there is an 87% chance of developing breast cancer. Where in reality it's an increase of 87% from the single digit risk the population carries. Sad.

Susan said...

I am a nurse/writer with a young blog for expressing some fun and at other time, some serious opinions. Your site is recommended as one to read, and I see why.

Thank you for this post and especially the link! I am incredibly disturbed by the uninformed comments from the nurse. Your passionate response to the idiot type statements made are comforting. Compassion seems to be lacking lately in my work place. Your blog has helped.

NurseP said...

I am a nurse who has worked for years in a Plastic/Reconstructive surgeon's office, where I have seen so many women with breast cancer. They come to see us just after they have been told they have cancer. These women are devastated and scared. Now they have to have a mastectomy on top of that. Then they have to go through chemo and/or radiation before they can start the breast reconstruction process, which can include several different surgeries, which can be accompanied by complications brought on by chemo and/or radiation. Chemo is so hard on your body and you are never the same after going through it. I have not been through chemo myself but I have watched my Mom, Dad, and countless other patients go through it. It affects your skin, your bones, your teeth, your hair, your brain, your energy level, etc., etc., etc...So, if I were Angelina Jolie and I found out that I am pretty much doomed to have breast cancer at some point in my future, I certainly would not sit around and wait for it to happen so that I can experience the mastectomy/chemo/radiation/reconstruction process. To me, Angelina Jolie is very smart and very brave and very courageous. She has hopefully forever avoided chemo/radiation and all of the undesirable effects that come along with it. Plus, she probably has some very pretty reconstructed breasts...often times the reconstructed ones are better than the original. And I think there was a comment about her being less of a woman??? Has this person ever SEEN Anglina Jolie?! She is one of the most gorgeous women on Planet Earth! There is no way she could ever be less of a woman! Really???

Ms. Donna said...

As someone with HER2+ bc I chose to have a modified radical mastectomy w/o reconstruction. The reason? I knew I'd be fired after the DX and I did not want to be in the middle of radiation treatment when I lost health ins.

Ms. Jolie did all a service.