Christina Applegate...venting

I feel like I watch Christina grow up.  From when she was a young teen-ager on "Married With Children."  I like her alot and was sad to hear she got breast cancer.  Although I heard she was going through treatment, I didnt realize she chose a bilateral mastectomy. 

In the beginning - before I learned about breast cancer, I also believed a bilateral mastectomy would be my 100% cure.  Her journey has just begun and I believe she will have many hard days ahead of her.

Today, she is my idol.

Nicki - aka chemosabi

Please remember that we can say what we want but the press and media edit, and write things as they interprete the info. Sensation sells. None of us had the understanding and medical lingo right during the early days--so much info to process. 

We all have frustrations. Some times I read various boards and get tired of reading about surgery, chemo radiation etc.  I was diagnosed straight out wirh stage 4 (not recurrance) and headed straight to AIs and Lupron.  I read about women changing or going off AIs and commenting about SEs.  For me there is no other options--I am on AIs and deal with all the rotten SEs every day until the day they don't work any more and hope there will be other options. 

The point is that everyone's situation is different, everyone's experience is different, everyone's support system is different and everyone's response to treatment is different and every one has the right to support, understanding.  No one knows whats going on at home...we only see what people want us to see or what others report (often incorrectly).  We all do what is right for ourselves and our family.

Elaine

Well said Beesie! 

I'm sure glad I read through all 3 pages of this thread before commenting.

At first, I, too, was really ticked off that a Hollywood starlet could declare herself "cured" after a 15-day battle with BC.  I was puzzled that she would choose a bilateral mast for what I thought was a fairly innocuous tumor.  I would have written a critical post, too, at first.

But, it's better to show her the compassion we would show to each other.  If someone came here and told us a story similar to the one we've read or heard about Christina Applegate, we wouldn't be so critical of her overly optimistic use of the words "100% cured."

Personally, I would love to be able to say I'm cured after having had a mastectomy and negative nodes (oh yeah, and chemo).  Most of my relatives, friends, and acquaintances assume that I am cured--not because I've said so, but because that's what they believe about cancer treatment.  We've all complained about people who have said to us, "Well, thank goodness they got it all!", when we realize we can't know that.  My dh nearly cried the first time I explained to him that I face a fairly significant risk of recurrence for the rest of my life.  He thought I was cured.

I am 7 months out from my dx, 6-1/2 months out from surgery, and almost 3 months out from my last chemo tx.  I am also 2 months into a 5-yr adventure with Arimidex.  I was feeling great until yesterday, when I had my first post-surgery mammogram on my remaining breast.  The radiologist said there were no changes from last year, but she that my breast tissue is so dense that it will be difficult to see anything.  Basically, the message was that I will need to feel my next tumor before it will be diagnosed.  My onco surgeon agreed, explaining that there were no acceptable alternatives to mammography for screening.

So, I send my best wishes to Christina Applegate.  I am jealous that she was able to justify having a bilateral mast--I couldn't do that.  As a result, I will never be able to think that I'm safe, much less "cured".  I hope her wish comes true.

otter 

If it was indeed DCIS, Robin should have done a better job in explaining to the audience that DCIS are cancer cells that have not invaded, perhaps many never invade the breast. That is why at this point it is not life threatening and very curable. Also, I know this offends many DCIS women, and I don't mean to , but MANY docs, including Susan Love do not call DCIS a cancer. My doc diagnosed me by saying "I wish I had better news for you, but I don't have bad news."  He called it a pre-invasive disease, that if wasn't removed, may become the real deal one day. I listened to her interview and I though it was ridiculous. If she is using the word cured, then she better explain to the audience just what she had. She did test positive for the BRCA gene, thus the mastectomies.

I just saw the video and RR was clear in saying that having the bilat was a step towards prevention of recurranc or something to that effect ... she never said that word CURED because of the double. So our sister, CA, ever hopeful, like us, may say, I AM FINE and roar with it, because she desperately wants to believe  it, our BC sister, RR, did say the right things .....

With that being said ....  sad sad that she  has had this fear for sooooooo long and then it happened!!!!  Damn!  Good for her and the prophy and good for her for bringing awareness.

Crap on the media who has put a powder puff on BC.  That's why everyone thinks we're fine once the tumor is out. 

I am very shocked at how upset some of you are for the statement "cured".  Maybe she means I am cured from the episode of cancer.  She never stated it will never come back.  I think we should support another human being going through cancer.  Be nice.  Give up the anger.  It will never get you any where.  You are all very special women...remember you have battle and won from a bad bad disease.  Be nice to others and to yourself.  We all need to let go of the fear and live life to the fullest every day that we are granted.  Wake up and smell the roses instead of thinking it might rain. You all deserve that.  Let go and Let God.

Tigwig, it doesn't sound like a lot of anger ........  it sounds like people don't like the ease with which the media portrays BC ... like it's a 15 day journey.  Almost like a nose job, there ya go, all done.  It's not the actress or other bc patients, it's the media that doesn't get it.   We all know what she means.  I think all the women are supportive of her.  I think you glossed over the whole thread.

Having worked for a celebrity, I can understand that CA's words were natural and off the cuff....and not intended to give viewers a comprehensive understanding of her exact diagnosis. By being public, and a supporter of BC causes for several years, she is doing a valuable service and letting people see that one can be up and out so soon after surgery. As far as the " cure" thing goes, if they have not been specific about her pathology, she may have had extensive LCIS and made her decision based on her experience of her mother's cancer and her gene status. The statistics in this case reflect the most dramatic risk reduction effort she can undertake.

Seems this gal knows the facts with her Mom's recurrence. Her activism proves this.

Moogie 

I just watched the interview and my primary impression is how brave CA is to do an interview like that just 3 weeks after surgery.  I could never keep my composure like that on that timeline.  Never mind that I'm probably the biggest blubber bucket on the planet and I set the bar mighty low when it comes to keeping one's composure.  I wish I could be calm cool and collected like that. 

I'll agree that some of the comments seemed incongruous.  To be so certain she'd be an old lady in a nursing home someday after testing positive for the brca1 gene, well, it sounds more like an exercise in positive thinking than quotes from an oncology journal of statistics.   And who among us doesn't believe in striving for positive thinking??  I used to think it was enough to keep any and all serious health conditions at arm's length.  When CA said she was mad after dx, I completely empathized.  I had divorced my doucebag ex and believed I was about to begin the best of year of my life when I got dx'd.  I felt completely betrayed by my own world view and I was totally and completely pissed.  And yet, nearly 4 years later, I've reverted back to my belief that I'm not ever going to get cancer again because I've DECIDED it's not gonna come back on me.  Don't bother me with details!   

I got the impression CA is sufficieintly educated on this heinous disease to know about mets.  She's BRCA1 positive.  She may have diverted chemo and rads, but damn, brca positive and propholactic masts ain't no cake walk in my book.  I don't think it's her fault that media painted her experience as a cakewalk.  I think her assertions of being cured is more of a positive affirmation for coping and not so much a belief in a medical certainty. 

The only thing I thought about her saying she was cured is "Hollywood", if producers think she is sick they will not cast her in any part. Acting is her livelihood and she has to protect herself and her job, its sad but true in our plastic world everyone says that it doesn't matter but it does. Actors and actress have an image to uphold, or the fans will tear them apart. Maybe she just doesn't want to be a pic in a magazine, with big headlines Christina is dying of BC.

Some very Good Nice Posts -starting with Rocktobermom.

I agree with what alot of you said.

And Robyn did Update this am about the Interview...Saying that her & Christina Both know it can come back.  But they prefer to think Positively that it wont.

Pam

Today Robin mentioned that some had written in about her "cure". She said that Christina is choosing to stay positive. When I saw the interview, I had just gotten up and was suffering from the expander pain and still stinging from a "no big deal" comment the previous day so I was a little ruffled to begin with. After time to get over my own issues, I can understand her putting on a positive face. At the same time, I have even heard, "I am so jealous....you will have great breasts". Yes, they may look great but look at the cost!

I just worry that we cannot get people behind BC if the myth stands that it is no big deal and you come out with great breasts! 

I remember when anerexia first came to light. I thought "oh, if I could just get it for a couple of months and loose some weight". Then I came to fully understand the disease and see it's devastating effects on the body and mind and am glad for my little roll around the middle. I don't want the public to ever take BC lightly and to fully understand all the implications that go along with BC and the loss of one's breasts.

As for Christina, I am glad they got her early and due to her mom's BC and her positive BCRA status she chose to lower her risks. That is why I chose a dbl mast. As she goes through the painful process of recon, maybe she will be open about how it is really like. 

Debbie 

I don't believe it's Christina Applegate's job to enlighten the world about BC any more than it's my job, or yours. Of course, when someone indicates to me that I'm cured I tell him or her, in no uncertain terms, that there is no cure for BC--not yet.  Nonetheless, I prefer to believe that I am cured.  Helps me get through the days (and nights).  No doubt it also helps Christina Applegate.  In the beginning I rarely talked about BC--too afraid of it; now I can talk about it, but not with everyone.  I congratulate Christina Applegate that she is talking about it, and on TV to a national audience.  Gutsy lady. 

Speaking to Debbie's post and a few others:

I think that's what makes us ALL angry about the "pinkwashing" of this disgusting disease. The media and yes, some "awareness" campaigns, would have us believe that BC is a little bump in the road. In fact, the day the doctor told me the results of my biopsy were cancer, I found myself saying those very words when talking to my family: "It's just a bump in the road," and even worse, "Nobody dies from BC anymore." Lucky me, at age 38 I was dx'ed with mets in the routine, post-mast follow up scans. I was slapped in the face with the reality that, yes, BC can and does claim over 40,000 lives annually.

I think that "buying" the pretty pink package that the Hollywood machine and so many BC awareness campaigns leaves us ill-prepared for the reality of BC. I remember lying in bed after my mastectomy and wanting to throw something at the TV when the promos of the movie, "Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy" came on. Yes, the author of the book on which the movie was based had BC and there was lots of the film that showed the reality of some of the trials we go through with treatment and surgeries....but it seemed to completely ignore the fact that so many of us either have METS from initial diagnosis or go on to develop them after believing we have been "cured". I also get disgusted by the endless stream of "feel good" films that blindside us with the mother walking into the room and uttering the phrase, "It's back,"---then ten minutes later she is lying in a Laura Ashley hospital room perfectly coiffed and spewing profundities.

We must realize (and I hope the unaffected public understands) that THERE IS NO CURE FOR CANCER. There are very effective treatments and some cancers are CONSIDERED to be "cured", but if we had a cure for cancer none of us would be dying from it.

I saw snippets of Christina Applegate's interview and when she referred to "100%", I got the impression that she meant all the breast tissue was gone and her nodes, etc. were clean. I do hope she understands that our present day scanning and testing methods are imperfect and she must be even more vigilant now.

I think it must be a horrifying experience to have to go through this under the microscope of public opinion and even worse to be in an industry where the "quality" of her reconstruction is going to be scrutinized. I imagine that her performances will be overshadowed by the public/media's voyeuristic attention to what's on her chest.

Diane