Posted on 06/18/2013 4:22:21 PM PDT by drewh
Angelina Jolie's decision to get a double mastectomy after learning she had the breast cancer gene mutation has been lauded by many as courageous, empowering, and even heroic. But singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge -- a breast cancer survivor herself -- thinks it's actually the opposite of those things.
Asked about Jolie's recent New York Times op-ed, in which she revealed the news of her mastectomy and breast reconstruction, Etheridge told the Washington Blade that she wouldn't make the same decision for herself. Nor would she encourage others to do so without properly researching their options.
"I have to say I feel a little differently," the Grammy-winning chanteuse (who, incidentally, performed at Brad Pitt's wedding to Jennifer Aniston) said of the choice to get a preventive mastectomy. "I have that gene mutation too, and it's not something I would believe in for myself. I wouldn't call it the brave choice. I actually think it's the most fearful choice you can make when confronting anything with cancer."
"My belief is that cancer comes from inside you, and so much of it has to do with the environment of your body. It's the stress that will turn that gene on or not. Plenty of people have the gene mutation and everything, but it never comes to cancer," she continued, noting that surgical removal of one's breasts is "way down the line on the spectrum of what you can do" to lessen your risk of the disease.
"I've been cancer free for nine years now, and looking back, I completely understand why I got cancer," she added. "There was so much acidity in everything. I really encourage people to go a lot longer and further before coming to that conclusion [of a mastectomy]."
To be fair, Jolie said in her May 14 editorial that the decision to have a mastectomy was a personal one. Her main point was that women should be informed about the various options available to them.
"I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices," she wrote.
"Life comes with many challenges," she explained. "The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of."
At this point, what difference does it make?
None since Christina Applegate among many others have had this procedure done well before Ms. Jolie.
Melissa thinks nobody except her is capable of "properly researching their options."
My sister made the same decision as Jolie. The doctors removed a lump but told her she had a 10% chance of it coming back. My sister looked at her two baby daughters. .. 2 and 5. ...and would have cut off her legs to make sure she was there to raise them .
>> “My belief is that cancer comes from inside you, and so much of it has to do with the environment of your body. It’s the stress that will turn that gene on or not.”
It’s always been amazing to me how merely having mediocre skill at music, and moderate attractiveness, and the fortune of being in the right place at the right time, confers extraordinary powers of knowledge and understanding about essentially EVERY subject to the American “celebrity”.
It’s uncanny.
Under Obamacare, you’d be advised to just take the pain pill rather than seek any surgery.
But I bet she thinks it is brave when a homosexual comes out of the closet.
Go quietly fade away, Melissa.
I never thought I would agree with Melissa Etheridge, but I do.
I think what Jolie did was not only fearful, but stupid. You don’t have healthy, normal body parts removed because of a chance of cancer. If you have a very high chance of developing cancer, you simply get frequently tested. If you actually develop the disease, then you take appropriate action. What Jolie did was bizarre and unhinged - no matter how liberals in the MSM laud it as “brave”.
Okay, I’ll say it: Melissa Etheridge is retarded.
Mel is right. It’s just foolish to be afraid of getting cancer, dying horribly and leaving your family alone.
Total stupidity.
Another story the US MSM can sink their teeth in.
>> would have cut off her legs to make sure she was there to raise them
And so proceed the “ordinary” lives of the genuine heroes that inhabit the LORD’S circle of life and love.
(As opposed to many celebrities, who believe they are the only heroes and the world turns around them.)
May GOD continue to bless your sister richly. Seems he has already given her much wisdom, courage, and love.
THanks for sharing that, and FRegards
My sister is a strong Catholic social conservative. I’m not sure how you bring liberal or conservative into this. I think it’s a “Mother Bear” thing.
I think they both make valid points and I am not the person to judge. That being said, I think they are both idiotic narcisitics who felt the need to tell the world “look at me, look at me.”
>> You don’t have healthy, normal body parts removed because of a chance of cancer.
And you don’t have much knowledge of state-of-the-art cancer treatment best practices.
Prophylactic surgery for cancer prevention is not only commonplace, it’s proven effective. That’s how it became a best practice.
Obviously, it”s a personal decision, but I’m inclined to agree with you. I don’t care to go under the knife for any reason unless I absolutely have to. And I’m skeptical about whether identifying a gene or genes would really be such an accurate predictor of whether or not you will get cancer.
She’s taking it harder than Brad Pitt.
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