The Scar Project: Breast Cancer is Not a Pink Ribbon

[Paula O]

These poignant pictures of partially nude women with breast cancer have been around awhile on the internet (copyright is 2011) but tonite was the first I've seen them. I did a search on the Her2support.org site to see if the link was posted here previously and saw the post in 2007 looking for young cancer survivors volunteering to be photographed for the Scar Project.

http://www.thescarproject.org/ (click on "images" at top if you are interested in viewing the slide show).

From the website:
"The SCAR Project is a series of large-scale portraits of young breast cancer survivors shot by fashion photographer David Jay. Primarily an awareness raising campaign, The SCAR Project puts a raw, unflinching face on early onset breast cancer while paying tribute to the courage and spirit of so many brave young women.

Dedicated to the more than 10,000 women under the age of 40 who will be diagnosed this year alone, The SCAR Project is an exercise in awareness, hope, reflection and healing. The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in young women ages 15-40. The SCAR Project participants range from ages 18 to 35, and represent this often overlooked group of young women living with breast cancer. They journey from across America – and the world – to be photographed for The SCAR Project. Nearly 100 so far. The youngest being 18 years old.

Although Jay began shooting The SCAR Project primarily as an awareness raising campaign, he was not prepared for something much more immediate . . . and beautiful: “For these young women, having their portrait taken seems to represent their personal victory over this terrifying disease. It helps them reclaim their femininity, their sexuality, identity and power after having been robbed of such an important part of it. Through these simple pictures, they seem to gain some acceptance of what has happened to them and the strength to move forward with pride."

The SCAR Project book, "Breast Cancer Is Not A Pink Ribbon" is available on Amazon at : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YUKKC0



Paula

"My scars are but brushstrokes in the Masterpiece which is my life."
--Unknown

[suzan w]

powerful..I am proud of my scars..no reconstruction

[Paula O]

Suzan, thank you for sharing a comment--I thought it was powerful too.

I haven't had reconstruction either--probably won't ever but have thought about it and keeping it as an available option I can change my mind about in the future if I want.

There were close to 100 clicks before you commented. Nary a peep before you. Honestly, I wondered what that meant--I asked myself why nobody here had anything to say after viewing all those women in the same boat as us, sharing their very personal scars. Of course people are free to speak up or not without pressure but I think this could be a very interesting conversation amongst us if people want to talk about this topic. Those ladies obviously bared their souls along with their chests--incredible transparency and vulnerability I'd say.

I am a modest person, hate everything there is to hate about pornography and the damage it does in both men and women, the terrible road porn can lead people down,(which I would normally associate with women having photos taken topless) but I did not consider this link pornography at all. It certainly was the first time in my life I've posted a link to nudity anywhere and I was wondering if perhaps I offended anyone here or if the link was inappropriate for me to post here or what, hoping not, sorry if I crossed an unacceptable line in the forum. I wondered why nobody before Suzan said anything after looking at them--if it was too private to talk about or if people just didn't feel like sharing how the photos made them feel. If anyone else possibly feels like sharing now we're talking about it---what emotions did you experience as you looked at those photos? Some of them brought tears to my eyes. Hope and joy stirred in me as I saw the pregnant woman -- a celebration of the life of two people.

Anybody want to talk about how they feel about their scars from a mastectomy, lumpectomy, or reconstructive surgery? Would any of you have been comfortable to pose for the Scar Project? Not me but I commend their bravery to tell their story to the world watching.

I like that quote I shared (unknown author):
"My scars are but brushstrokes in the Masterpiece which is my life" but honestly wish mine was a more attractive brushstroke. My prosthesis is comfortable and looks and feels real with clothes on. My chest isn't pretty without clothes though...lopsided with a huge scar and no breast on one side. I am thankful for my husband's loving acceptance of me, just as I am: through the baldness, blowing up like a balloon with my weight through treatment, one breast completely gone, fighting crankiness and oversensitivity emotionally on Tamoxifen if I can honestly blame it on that, etc. There certainly are a lot of changes in body image that go along with breast cancer.

Actually this is reminding me of a very happy memory of #607 on my 1000 Gift Gratefulness list in my blog http://jpoliver.com/wordpress/archives/676
When I was grieving the loss of my left breast at the time I was also remembering the blessing of having the joy of nursing two precious babies years before. I'm so thankful I got to do that!
I'd love to hear what you guys are thinking and feeling about this topic if you are comfortable sharing your thoughts.

Paula

[embur102]

Paula,

I am so appreciative of you posting this link!

I had the idea of gathering photos of what women did with their hair, prior to losing it, and also of breasts, pre and post surgery and scars, reconstruction, etc . and making a book with them. So happy to see that it has been done!

My personal cancer journey has been a mix of the powerful and the mundane.
Of seeing the beauty amidst the pain, the ugliness, the fear.

What courage these women have to proudly show their altered and BEAUTIFUL bodies! And what courage we have to bravely view them!

['lizbeth]

Paula,

Havent' been on - but you can always count on me to put in my 2 cents. I think the book realistically shows the aftermath of breast cancer surgery.

Society can wrap everything up in the nauseating pink pepto of raising money for a little bit of research and some charity manager's new BMW. I think we do women a better service by sharing the aftermath of cancer treatment.

I am one of the lucky ones who had an immediate reconstruction. Yep, I had big complications - but the upside I don't have the ugly horizontal scars which would bother me terribly.

Even without immediate reconstruction such as a TRAM or a DIEP women can have skin sparing mastectomies with an expander - that gives a much nicer result.

I don't even connect it with porn. It is the context that it is given in - a sharing of women who show the result of current breast cancer treatments.

[Debbie L.]

Hi Paula! And everyone. I hadn't seen this post until this morning, although I'd looked at the Scar Project before. My daughter had sent it to me awhile ago. She raved about it but my initial reaction was more in the "okay, but why?" category.

I had bilateral mastectomies without reconstruction. Much like you, Paula -- I did not rule out eventual reconstruction, at least not for the first few years. But over time I adjusted to my chest, mostly. Of course I miss my breasts, but it's not high on my list of life's issues.

For me, the lack of interest in reconstruction was mostly based on the artificiality of it. I have always been a function-over-form kind of person and so, for example, prostheses never worked for me. I had a lovely pair, with a beautiful bra, and like the wig -- I tried to wear them. I couldn't even make it out of the bedroom with them in place, however. I felt costumed and hyper-aware of my losses. The props didn't help me deal with the loss, they made me uncomfortable (both physically and mentally), and more aware of the loss. Knowing that there was unlikely to be much sensation in reconstructed breasts, I figured I would not like them much more than I did the prostheses (which found a nice home with a grateful woman who saw things differently than I did). It's different for each of us.

On another list, we once had a rather heated discussion about whether mastectomy is a "mutilating" surgery. I think that was more about language and word definition than anything, but language carries feelings of course, and it was interesting and surprising to see the different feelings expressed. Some people felt disfigured or mutilated, in a traumatized way. Others said "yes, their chest was disfigured but oh well" (that was closest to my thinking). And still others were really upset at the words -- insisting that there was only beauty and to call the surgery disfiguring or mutilating was insulting and hurtful.

Oops, rambling again. Back to the scar project. So when my daughter asked what I thought, I said it was fine but I didn't really get its purpose. It seemed so staged and somewhat sensational. Was it for the general public and if so -- to what end? Or if for survivors -- again, what purpose did it serve (function over form for me, remember)? Her reply made sense to me, but in a broader context than breast cancer. She said that we, as a society or perhaps as a species, are phobic and judgmental about people's differences (skin color, disabilities, deformities, etc). She said that anything that reinforced the idea that we are not our bodies, that real people live within all kinds of bodies -- can only help us learn compassion and understanding. I can't disagree with that!

Debbie Laxague

[Debbie L.]

Me again. I logged off from here and checked my news feed, only to find myself back on topic (smile). This is from a local paper. While I don't disagree that all eligible women should be offered the option of reconstruction, I have some qualms about the idea of considering immediate reconstruction to always be the best option. In addition, I get my scruff up about comments that women can be "whole again" if they have reconstruction. It's back to language, I guess. You can call me mutilated, but I'm not less than whole. I remember being at a conference where a male plastic surgeon said "we can now give women breasts that are better than what they had before breast cancer". Oh man! Don't get me started . . .

Remember, there is no right or wrong in all this -- it will be different for each person. As Paula said, it can be helpful to discuss it, sort out our feelings, and find that personal "right", as we adjust to what has changed on our chest. The article:

October 29, 2012
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/persbilde?Avis=MM&ID=mm0013&maxH=47 By Chris Conrad
Mail Tribune

When you think of plastic surgeons, images of wealthy Beverly Hills yuppies receiving high-dollar facelifts and tummy tucks spring to mind.


However, the role of the plastic surgeon has become increasingly important in the realm of breast cancer treatment, notably here in the Rogue Valley.


Plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Kreul, whose office sits on Hillcrest Park Drive in Medford, believes that having breast reconstructive surgery integrated into the process of treating cancer is an important step in the healing process.


"I believe that if you can restore a woman's sense of wholeness early in the process, it will help give them a psychological lift," Kreul said.
It is not uncommon for a plastic surgeon to be in the operating room as doctors perform a mastectomy.


Kreul said he advises the surgeons on how best to remove the breasts to leave him in the best position to reconstruct the chest.
"I have drawn where the incisions should occur and advised how much tissue can be left behind," Kreul said.


In the past, the reconstruction aspects of breast cancer were put off for weeks, months or sometimes years.In a sense, restoring a woman's chest was nearly an afterthought, Kreul said."What we focus on now is getting the patient back to wholeness sooner rather than later," Kreul said.


Kay Kolp of Jacksonville lost her breast to cancer and later received reconstructive surgery from Kreul.She appreciated having the plastic surgery process started at the same time as her mastectomy. "It was helpful, because it made me feel like I wasn't completely flat-chested after the surgery," Kolp said. For many women, the option of having breast reconstruction didn't become plausible until 1998, when Congress passed the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act. Before this, insurance companies did not have to cover the costs of reconstruction.


Rebekah Ruby, who was featured in a breast cancer story earlier this month in the Mail Tribune, said her insurance paid for most of her breast reconstruction surgery. Ruby, 24, had a mastectomy to treat her cancer.She's not sure what she would have done without this coverage."One of my surgeries was $54,000 alone," she said. "It was covered by insurance. I don't even know how much the reconstruction would cost, but I'm sure I couldn't have afforded it."
Like Kolp, Ruby said having the reconstruction process start early in her treatments was a boost to her spirits. "I just couldn't imagine it taking years for me to have a chest again," she said.
Kreul said many women don't realize they have the option of reconstruction offered to them when they are forced to undergo a life-saving mastectomy. "They need to know this is something they can have done," he said. "It is better to have it done immediately when possible, and not in a delayed fashion."

[Ellie F]

Thanks Paula for posting. I have only just seen it so can't quite articulate totally how it made me feel. Initially I was struck by the beauty of the photography then angry that breast cancer is not pink and fluffy but cruel and hard and robs women of their lives. Somehow seeing young women is even more difficult, perhaps because it hits maternal instincts. I also have not had reconstruction. I haven't ruled it out but am not sure it's that important to me or on a cowardly note not sure I want any more surgery and drains and pain!
Ellie

[Paula O]

I appreciate reading your insightful comments, ladies.

I wonder: did you guys feel that you and your husband were adequately prepared prior to surgery for what your chest was going to look like afterwards? Would pictures like the Scar project been scary/shocking or helpful to see beforehand do you think? I imagine it is customary to look at medical photos of final results in a plastic surgeon's office prior to surgery but I imagine not so common with a surgeon doing a mastectomy without reconstruction.

You are right Ellie, breast cancer sure is not in the least pink and fluffy in reality--just some of the symbolism of femininity I guess in the breast cancer awareness ads. Ann's "But Dr I hate pink" gives me a chuckle.

Paula

[Jackie07]

Thought I'd written on the topic once in one of the threads.

Since I've always been very flat-chested, the mastectomy was not a traumatic event at all. Hubby was only concerned about my getting well, he couldn't be happier for me not having to go through any more surgeries.

Just like the huge scar on my head after my brain tumor surgery in 1990 - I'm not the one having to look at it, so it doesn't bother me at all! I only put on hats/wigs for others' sake. As for my husband of 22 years, he's seen me bald, scarred, paralyzed, ... etc., he's just happy if I'm not complaining about any of my physical ailments.

I've rarely used make-ups - was persuaded in the early 90's by my late Mother-in-law to put on lipsticks whenever I'm in the public. Like I said - I can't see myself. So unless hubby reminds me to put on a certain outfit or look certain way (for certain occassions), I don't worry about it.