Please, the words "free boob job" and "breast cancer reconstruction" never belong in the same sentence.
BY Barbara Tako
PUBLISHED October 15, 2018
Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com ,or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.
If I hear about one more person who tells a breast cancer survivor that they are "lucky" to get a "free boob job," I may start banging my head against a wall – literally. October is breast cancer awareness month. but comments like this make me wonder just how aware we really are. Yes, I am sensitive to this topic because the parts of my body formerly known as "Barb's breasts" are currently under reconstruction. Under clothing, the ultimate results will look "normal," but they will be without sensation for the rest of my life and they may require future surgeries. Seriously. Is that a "free" boob job?
Many women with a diagnosis of breast cancer or a genetic mutation that may increase their chance of getting breast cancer are faced with difficult choices: Does it make sense to get a double mastectomy? And, do I want to go flat or to do reconstruction? If I do want reconstruction, what kind? These are challenging, gut-wrenching, and very time-consuming choices that are not made lightly or carried out easily. Survival is the goal. Appearances are secondary. Most of us (breast cancer survivors or breast cancer previvors) just want to blend back in with the pack and to get on with our lives as soon and as normally as possible.
Many women with a diagnosis of breast cancer or a genetic mutation that may increase their chance of getting breast cancer are faced with difficult choices: Does it make sense to get a double mastectomy? And, do I want to go flat or to do reconstruction? If I do want reconstruction, what kind? These are challenging, gut-wrenching, and very time-consuming choices that are not made lightly or carried out easily. Survival is the goal. Appearances are secondary. Most of us (breast cancer survivors or breast cancer previvors) just want to blend back in with the pack and to get on with our lives as soon and as normally as possible.
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