A few days ago a friend sent me a link to a cancer survivor’s blog and suggested that I might want to get involved. I did go and spend a good deal of time reading the blog posts and it stirred up my emotions.

Although I have empathy for these women, I am just in such a different place than they are right now. Looking back, I probably also struggled with feelings of “Why me?” and grieving over the loss of my breast. BUT… here I am 30 years later and I want to smack these gals for being consumed with that attitude.

Life does not stop because we lose a breast. It would be far worse to lose an arm, leg, an eye, or even your hearing.

I remember 30 years ago I was living in Manhattan and I had just gotten out of the hospital. I was on the bus going downtown to my bank, feeling oh so sorry for myself… There I sat, just having had major surgery, and NO ONE on the bus but me had the slightest idea of what I had been through.

I watched a blind man get on the bus with his guide dog, and he found the time on his watch with his fingers. Then I spotted one of the homeless beggars with no legs on one of those dollies pushing himself down the street with his hands.

At that moment I felt pretty damn lucky to have only lost a breast.

GOODNESS… I sure wish there was a way to make women wake up and realize that this BREAST issue is all fueled by media hype, implant manufactures, plastic surgeons, and obnoxious men that just want to look at big breasts.

For crying out loud, the ONLY REASON for breasts is to nurse babies… and if you don’t have a baby, why the hell do you need breasts?

Just to let you all know where I am coming from… I am a 30 year survivor of breast cancer. I was a 25-years old and not married when I was diagnosed and had a mastectomy. I did silicone reconstruction five years post-mastectomy and then had to deal with multiple surgeries and illnesses as a result of that choice. For the last 12 years I am back to living with one breast… and, yes, there are times when I find it difficult to obtain the look I want in clothes or bathing suits. And no, I will never wear a strapless gown again… BUT WHO THE HECK CARES? I have my LIFE! And a pretty darn happy one at that.