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fauxgypsy · 08-25-2007, 09:15 AM

While I am looking forward to seeing the film, I must say I don't care much for the title. There is a forum at the link posted previously. There is a debate going on about the name. And of course I had an opinion. Only one of the five women featured in the film is a breast cancer survivor. While I know that all cancer survivors share a lot of the same problems, breast cancer deals a blow to the very heart of our cultural ideals of femininity and each one of us has to deal with this in their own way. I don't feel less atractive to my husband but I must say that I feel much less physically attractive to the world at large. I know that I am the same woman, that inside nothing has changed. But the outside certainly has. Right now I have a crew cut a marine sargeant would be proud of. My husband loves all of me (mind and body) but much of the world trades on appearances. I have not recovered enough yet to get fitted for a prosthesis and am making do for now. When I do wear something to go out in I am constantly checking to make sure it is place, As many of you know, it tends to ride up on the mastectomy side, giving a really perky breast on one side. If I left it alone I would look like I had a teenage boob, nearly under my chin, with gravity having affected only one side. I wish I had the self confidence to just go without but I don't and even then I don't feel that it would be appropriate in a business situation, where I need to project confidence and ability in order to sell my work, not draw attention to my illness.

Leslie

Leslie

08-25-2007, 09:15 AM	#7
fauxgypsy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 600	While I am looking forward to seeing the film, I must say I don't care much for the title. There is a forum at the link posted previously. There is a debate going on about the name. And of course I had an opinion. Only one of the five women featured in the film is a breast cancer survivor. While I know that all cancer survivors share a lot of the same problems, breast cancer deals a blow to the very heart of our cultural ideals of femininity and each one of us has to deal with this in their own way. I don't feel less atractive to my husband but I must say that I feel much less physically attractive to the world at large. I know that I am the same woman, that inside nothing has changed. But the outside certainly has. Right now I have a crew cut a marine sargeant would be proud of. My husband loves all of me (mind and body) but much of the world trades on appearances. I have not recovered enough yet to get fitted for a prosthesis and am making do for now. When I do wear something to go out in I am constantly checking to make sure it is place, As many of you know, it tends to ride up on the mastectomy side, giving a really perky breast on one side. If I left it alone I would look like I had a teenage boob, nearly under my chin, with gravity having affected only one side. I wish I had the self confidence to just go without but I don't and even then I don't feel that it would be appropriate in a business situation, where I need to project confidence and ability in order to sell my work, not draw attention to my illness. Leslie Leslie __________________ In the world of destiny, there are no statistics. Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3 February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy. March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy, June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative August 7th - Brain MRI-negative August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07 July 2008-Finished Herceptin!