By now, you may have heard the news about Angelina Jolie’s elective double mastectomy. Because she’s a well-known Hollywood celebrity, this has made big news. Of course, this is a sensitive and very controversial story. Some say this was a very brave, difficult and proactive decision on Jolie’s part, which she did to assure that she’s around to care for her children. Jolie’s story sends a strong message about both the rights of women and the real scare of cancer. But there are other sides to this issue.
This posting is intended to address both ends of this ongoing and hot debate. So, we first look at the initial news about Jolie’s surgery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F89PhWqTBWc
Elective breast surgery is not new. For a number of years now, there have been other women (see Allyn Rose and Sharon Osbourne), who have made this same decision — either to have a non-cancerous breast removed along with the cancerous one or to have both non-cancerous breasts removed after a BRCA diagnosis. It is assumed that many more people (women and men) will now opt for elective breast surgery by using Jolie and others as role models.
This blogger is a breast cancer survivor herself, who had a mastectomy and — due to fear following cancer diagnosis — followed traditional oncology advice without first checking out other options. If you should receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, you are strongly advised to take a deep breath, research, carefully weigh your options and then make an intelligent decision about this important issue. Usually you have a little more time to research and weigh your options than you might think. Consult with your physician, of course (and you might get more than a couple of medical opinions); but, generally, never let anyone rush you into making this important life decision about your own health and well being.
It cannot be denied that cancer is serious business. However, there are both traditional and alternative avenues, as well as a combination of both. Also, breast surgery is not the simple surgery that it’s sometimes made out to be. The length of the physical and psychological recovery depends upon the person, of course. Oh, and by the way, having a double mastectomy is NO guarantee that you won’t later get breast cancer OR get cancer in other parts of your body. Check that one out!
“Reconstructive surgery” can definitely help with self-esteem. It sounds like one surgery, but it’s actually a series of surgeries. Unfortunately, reconstructive surgery is very expensive; and each surgery takes recovery time. Also, there are no guarantees that reconstructive surgery will even produce the desired, expected results (as a number of people can attest, IF they will even talk about it). That’s just one of the risks. And, of course, there are those who cannnot afford reconstructive surgery or simply decide against it. Some women will instead opt for special bras, nothing at all or even tattoos over the surgical area.
In the end, your decision about all of this is a very personal one, so carefully consider the best options for you. Not all decisions have to be made at the same time; but, for different reasons, it can be wise to at least have a general plan before you start to move forward.
For an entirely different opinion about this type of elective surgery, check out this 14-minute radio interview on NaturalNews.com:
“Mike Adams, the Health Ranger and Robert Scott Bell talk about how Angelina Jolie refuses to empower women with real choices about cancer prevention and instead wants to corral women into a “cancer industry meat grinder” that mutilates and poisons women with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.”
“Angelina Jolie wants women to mutilate themselves for breast cancer they don’t have”
If you’re curious to learn more about this alternative view, take your pick of the articles below from NaturalNews.com. They were recently published, and all were published within 6 days of each other.
“Angelina Jolie wants women to mutilate themselves for breast cancer they don’t have”
“Conventional medicine openly admits to confusion over BRCA1 gene”
Here’s yet another viewpoint by Alex Jones, “Actress Duped Into Self Mutilation by Eugenics Cult.” Interestingly, Jones’ opinion is confirmation for some and absolute irrelevant hogwash to others.
The Menawa Report 