AGAINST BREAST RECONSTRUCTION.
JOAN LUNDEN, A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, IS WITH US THISCER
SURVIVOR, IS WITH US THIS MORNING.
MORNING.
>> THANKS, HODA.
A LOT OF WOMEN HAVE MASTECTOMIES AFTER BREAST CANCER.MASTECTOMIES
AFTER BREAST CANCER.
BUT A LOT OF WOMEN ARE GOING
WITH STAYING PLAT. >> MY NAME IS REBECCA.
IM 41 YEARS OLD.
AND IM A BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR.
SURVIVOR.
MY HUSBAND AND I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE A CHILD TOGETHER.ANTED
TO HAVE A CHILD TOGETHER. AND I WANTED TO KEEP MY OTHER
BREAST IN THE HOPES THAT I WOULD
BE ABLE TO BREAST-FEED HER.
>> YOU ACTUALLY HAD
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> YES. I HAD THE SINGLE MASTECTOMY AND
RECONSTRUCTION ON THAT SIDE.
>> YOUR MOM FOUGHT BREAST
CANCER.
CANCER.
AN IM TOLD YOU MADE A PROMISE
TO YOUR MOM.
WHAT WAS THAT PROMISE? >> I PROMISED HER THAT I WOULD
DO PREVENTATIVE SURGERIES AND
REMOVE MY OTHER BREAST.
AND THAT WAS A DIFFICULT CHOICE.
THERE WASNT MUCH ABOUT WHAT TO
EXPECT EMOTIONALLY.
EXPECT EMOTIONALLY. AND THERE CERTAINLY WERE NOT
IMAGES OF REAL WOMEN.
ITS REALLY ABOUT FINDING WAYS
OF JUST ACCEPTING OURSELVES AND
REDEFINING BEAUTY ON OUR OWN
TERMS.
TERMS.
>> IM SHAY SHARP, IM 39 YEARS
OLD AND A TWO-TIME BREAST CANCER
SURVIVAL.
YOU HEAR YOU HAVE TO BE AGE 40
TO GET A MAMMOGRAM. IN MY MIND, I HAD NO REASON THAT
I SHOULD GET IT.
>> TO MAKE THE DECISION TO GO
FLAT, AS ITS NOW CALLED.
ITS A VERY PERSONAL DECISION.
BUT PROBABLY NOT AN EASY ONE TO
MAKE.
MAKE.
>> NOT AN EASY DECISION.
YOU KNOW, ITS NOT JUST PHYSICAL. ITS NOT JUST
PHYSICAL.
ITS MENTAL, AS WELL. AND NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE
THAT.
THAT.
>> ITS MADE YOU AN ADVOCATE. YOU STARTED YOUR ORGANIZATION.
IS IT PINK WISHES?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
>> SO, WE GRANT FINAL WISHES TO
YOUNG WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO
HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED OR AFFECTED
BY TERMINAL BREAST CANCER.
AND THIS YEAR, I SAID, ROW ONE,
SEAT ONE, AS HER SON GRADUATED
FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
THERES NO WAY IN THE WORLD I
WOULD HAVE DONE PINK WISHES
WITHOUT HAVING CANCER.
>> IM 52 YEARS OLD AND IM A
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR.
I HAVE TO TELL MY NEW HUSBAND,
NOT ONLY DO I HAVE CANCER, BUT
WE CANT HAVE KIDS.
NOW, YOURE GOING TO GET ME TO
CRY.
CRY. >> YEARS LATER --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOU, AGAIN, HAVE A SYMPTOM.
AND YOU FIND YOUR OWN LUMP.
THIS TIME, IT COMES BACK AND YOU
HAVE BREAST CANCER.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. UNFORTUNATELY, AS SOON AS I GOT
THE EXPANDERS TAKEN OUT AND THE
IMPLANTS PUT IN, I GOT AN
INFECTION.
INFECTION.
>> AT THIS POINT, YOU MADE A DECISION, AS THEY ARE NOWE A
DECISION, AS THEY ARE NOW SAYING, GO FLAT.
ITS A VERY PERSONAL DECISION.
>> YES.
>> YES.
IT WAS TOUGH. BUT I REALLY ENJOYED HAVING
BREASTS.
BREASTS.
THEY WERE PART OF MY IDENTITY.
AND THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM
ME.
AND NOW THIS, IS THE NEW SEXY
FOR ME.
>> YOU WERE ABLE TO STILL HAVE A
CHILD.
>> THANK YOU, YES.
ITS BEEN AMAZING.
IM SORRY, IM CRYING AGAIN. I TOLD HIM YESTERDAY WHAT I
WOULD BE DOING.
AND HE SAID, THIS IS YOUR
MISSION, MOM.
MISSION, MOM. >> I DO FEEL STRONG AND
EMPOWERED.
EMPOWERED.
AND I THINK THAT THAT COMES FROM THE INSIDE. THAT THAT COMES FROM
THE INSIDE.
>> THIS IS NORMAL.
ITS UNFORTUNATE.
BUT FOR ME, ITS MADE FORTUNATE.
>> I WANT WOMEN TO SEE THE
BEAUTY IN THAT.
THAT YOURE STILL SENSUAL.
SOMEONE STILL WANTS YOU. YOURE STILL AWESOME.YOU.
YOURE STILL AWESOME.
YOURE STILL YOU, WITH OR
WITHOUT THEM. >> IM AUTHENTIC, BEAUTIFUL,
CHANGED.
CHANGED. >> BLESSED, HUMBLE, DEFINITELY
HUMBLE.
HUMBLE.
>> IM STRONG, WHIMSICAL AND IM RESILIENT.NG, WHIMSICAL AND IM
RESILIENT. >> THIS IS, OBVIOUSLY, A REALLY
PERSONAL DECISION.
PERSONAL DECISION. BUT IM HEARING FROM A LOT OF
WOMEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHO SAY, I
WASNT GIVEN THIS CHOICE.
I WAS TOLD I WAS GOING TO PUT
YOU BACK TO NORMAL.
AND SOME OF THEM WANT THEM TAKEN
OUT.
OUT.
AND NOW, ARE WONDERING, WILL INSURANCE COVER IT?ING, WILL
INSURANCE COVER IT? >> THINK OF ALL THE
COMPLICATIONS THAT COME WITH
RECONSTRUCTION.
RECONSTRUCTION.
>> A LOT OF SURGERIES. >> JOAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT.