Accepting Our Scars as Cancer Survivors

Viewing scars associated with cancer can be a difficult thing, but with a little understanding, it can become easier. 

BY BONNIE ANNIS

PUBLISHED JUNE 02, 2020

Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.

Watching television recently, I was intrigued by a commercial advertising Dove body wash.  What caught my eye was an image of an older woman opening her robe in front of a mirror.  As the robe opened, I got a glimpse of a familiar sight.  I noticed her flat chest and a faint horizontal scar.  This woman was a breast cancer survivor, just like me.  She’d had both breasts removed, just like me.  And apparently, she’d chosen not to have reconstructive surgery, just like me.

The scene I witnessed had been brief.  It was toward the end of the video and if a viewer had blinked, that powerful scene would have more than likely been missed.

I sat in awe for a few minutes. The commercial for a new moisturizing body wash had impacted me greatly, but I hadn’t paid attention to the details of the product.  My eyes were fixated on the breast cancer survivor. 

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