Look who's lived through breast cancer

[thatcrazycajun]

This month, as is every October, is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I just took a look at Wikipedia's list of famous people who've survived the disease, and you won't believe how many you know:

• Kaye Ballard, actress
  
• Brigitte Bardot, actress
• Shirley Temple Black, former child film star and UN ambassador
  
• Eileen Brennan, actress
• Diahann Carroll, actress
• Sheryl Crow, singer/songwriter
• Ruby Dee, actress and widow of Ossie Davis
  
• Betty DeGeneres, mother of Ellen
  
• Barbara Ehrenreich, essayist, book author and reporter
  
• Jill Eikenberry, actress and wife of Michael Tucker
  
• Linda Ellerbee, newsgal for NBC and Nickelodeon
  
• Melissa Etheridge, singer/songwriter
• Marianne Faithfull, actress/singer
• Peggy Fleming, the Olympic skating medalist whose hair launched a thousand bobs in the '70s
  
• Betty Ford, former First Lady and widow of Gerald
  
• Nanci Griffith of the rock band Heart
  
• Kate Jackson, actress and one of the original three Charlie's Angels
  
• Ann Jillian, actress
• Betsey Johnson, fashion designer
  
• Jennifer Jones, actress
• Joan Kennedy, ex of Ted
  
• Sondra Locke, actress and wife of Clint Eastwood
  
• Rue McClanahan, actress
• Tucker L. Melancon, a federal judge in my home state (yes, men get it too!)
  
• Kylie Minogue, singer
  
• Kitten Natividad, legendary mega-bosomed porn star
  
• Phyllis Newman, actress
  
• Olivia Newton-John, actress/singer and a longtime favorite of mine
  
• Cynthia Nixon, actress (yes, Sex and the City's Miranda)
  
• Sandra Day O'Connor, retired Supreme Court justice and history-making 1st woman on the court
  
• Nancy Reagan, another former First Lady and widow of Ronald
  
• Lynn Redgrave, actress
• Cokie Roberts, ABC/NPR newsgal and commentator
  
• Margaretta “Happy” Rockefeller, widow of Nelson
• Richard Roundtree, actor—yep, ole Shaft himself!
  
• Lynn Sherr, Cokie's ABC colleague
  
• Jean Simmons, actress of Upstairs, Downstairs fame (and an early quasi-villain on Doctor Who)
  
• Carly Simon, singer/songwriter and owner of the most impressive collection of teeth this side of Jimmy Carter
  
• Jaclyn Smith, actress/entrepreneur (or should that be "entrepreneuse"?) and another Angel
  
• Suzanne Somers, actress, author and entrepreneur (sorry, confused her with Farrah there)
  
• Gloria Steinem, author and activist
  
• Linda Tripp (yes, that Linda Tripp)
  

If you want the complete list, it's here. One key seems to be, in most cases, early detection and treatment, and greater willingness of today's doctors to lay out all the options for patients and let them choose for themselves, rather than simply telling them what was best for them. Mammograms are important, particularly for women over 40. But most vital is information and support from family and friends, especially friends who can be less emotional and draining for the patient. See more on how to live through it at the month's official site here.

Even more sobering is the list of those who have died, just under the list of survivors. So buy some products to support research, or join a Race for the Cure, or do whatever you feel you can. Let's kill this thing before it kills any more of our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and wives.

Comments

[ladyqkat.livejournal.com]

My sister caught her first breast cancer when her youngest was about 7. Despite recurring infections and other problems her second bc was not caught until after it had metasticized (sp?). Her youngest was by then a senior in college. She passed last year.

One reason the second bout was not caught early was because she had passed the (in)famous five year survival mark with no problems and the doctors did not want to 'consider' her having a recurrence that far past her survivorship.

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

There's also been a correlation between breastfeeding and breast cancer, in that the women who breastfed had a lower rate of cancer.

It could be caused by other things: maybe if you breastfeed you're more likely not to smoke, or eat more vegetables or something. Breastfeeding is a good idea, anyway.

It is ironic to see high fat items with a pink ribbon on them, though, given that there's a higher rate of breast cancer in women with high fat diets.

[mdlbear]

My Mom's a long-term survivor. She's 87; her double mastectomy was roughly half a century ago.

My sister-in-law is fighting it now. My Mother-in-law died of it in '99 (though I'm sure her smoking didn't help).

Get a mammogram when your doctor tells you to. Give generously. Don't give up.