Angelina Jolie and Lisa Lynch: What we have in common...and what we don't.

Jolie and Lynch: Two hot mamas who refuse to be defined by their breasts.

What we have in common: 

1. We underwent bilateral mastectomies in February and both recovered fairly quickly.  It's an intense surgery but definitely not the worst pain I've ever been in.  And the reconstruction process is pretty miraculous.  

2. We opted for prophylactic mastectomies, that is removing a healthy breast in the name of cancer prevention.  We differ in that I had cancer in one breast and I opted to remove the other to avoid having to go through the cancer thing again.  Why didn't I opt for a lumpectomy?  I could have, but given the size of the tumor (medium) and the size of my breasts (relatively smallish), the lumpectomy would have left my breast very deformed.  Of course reconstruction has come a long way, but it really would never look all that great.  Also, the chances of getting it again in the same breast and the other non-affected breast over my lifetime was significant - approximately a 1% chance increase per year.  I still have a lot of years left, so I was looking at a good chance of a recurrence, which I honestly didn't want to think about.  Removing both breasts reduced my odds of recurrence to 1-2%.  Why is Jolie's risk of breast cancer higher at 5%?  Probably because she kept her nipples, which gives her a bit more breast tissue.  I opted for remove the nipples because it complicates that surgery, there's a high risk of tissue necrosis and/or losing all feeling and I just wanted the lowest possible odds of getting cancer again.    

I'm sure in the not-to-distant future, this will seem like a barbaric choice because we'll know so much more about the breast cancer. I hope that's the case as there is a lot to learn.     

3. Like me, she's chosen to be open about the ordeal so that others can learn from her experience.  I've touched at least three people through my blog.  Thanks Mom, Kristy and Tom for reading.  (Actually, I recently found out that my mom and sister, Kristy, don't read my blog, so really it's just you, Tom.  Spread the word.)

I admire how Jolie released the news about her choice and how she's leveraging her celebrity to educate other women about their choices.  Almost just as important, it's sparked a conversation around breast cancer   research and the need to go beyond just awareness (ala Susan G Komen and all that pink) to come up with more answers and a cure.  Before you get your undies in a bunch, please note that I think Komen's organization has done an amazing job of elevating the profile of breast cancer.  I also think that we're over pinked to the point where it doesn't mean a ton anymore and the focus needs to shift from driving awareness to actually curing it.  

4. We have the means to pay for testing, surgery and reconstruction and think all women should have the same access to make the right decisions for their health, regardless of income.  I quit totaling up all of the bills from my surgery etcetera, but they're some where in the mid-$100,000's.  The genetic tests I had done - the Oncotype DX to determine if I was a candidate for chemotherapy and the Myriad BRCA test - were $7,000 alone.  We have insurance, so we've payed a fraction of that cost, but it's still a chunk of change.  But our finances never factored into my care decisions.  I know it must for other women and it's simply not fair.      

5. We're the same age - well, at least for a few months this summer when we'll both be 38-years old.  I think we're both holding our own.  

6. We both have had the amazing experience of having children - and breastfeeding them. 

Tom and I were done having kids after we had Alice, so I didn't feel so bad about losing my breasts as I already had experienced the joy of childbirth and breastfeeding.  Great job, little boobies!  Thank you!

FYI - I actually have no idea if Jolie breastfed her children, but she seems like the sort of person who would have.  At least that's how I'm going imagine her.  I could do a Google search on it but dear God, can't the poor woman have any semblance of privacy!  

7. Our husbands are uber supportive and both rock the facial hair.  

8. Both of our families have a close affiliation with Fight Club.  Ours is through Miss Alice who's taken to spontaneously whacking me and saying, "Let's fight!" as she pumps her fists in the air and dances around.   

Where we differ: 

1. Jolie has a BRCA mutation which makes her statistically more likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer.  I found out two weeks ago that I do not have the BRCA mutation.  Phew.  That means we don't have an explanation as to why I got cancer.  It also means my chance of getting ovarian cancer isn't through the roof. Unfortunately, Jolie's is.  I feel for her in having the contend with the worry of getting it and potentially contemplating what measures she can do to proactively prevent it.  Monitoring for ovarian cancer isn't all that great, so there are more and more women who have the BRCA mutation that are opting to remove their ovaries.  Ugh.  Not a lot of great choices out there.  

2. I had a tumor; Jolie didn't.  And I didn't have a tumor in my non-affected breast, so like Jolie, I opted to remove my healthy breast (Jolie removed two healthy breasts) in the name of cancer prevention and for peace of mind.

I think that's about it for differences.  We're really very, very similar from the two or so articles I've read about her.  We're like two twins who've never met living parallel lives - I'm the blond one and she's the brunette.  

Enough of that.  And now for some pictures!

Margo (McMahon) Fochler, Me and Lark at the Get Your Rear in Gear walk/run for colon cancer (April 21).  Miss Margo, aka Goey  (like Joey with G) as I like to call her, was diagnosed with colon cancer last fall and just finished up a grueling 12-rounds of chemotherapy.  She's endured it all with grace and beauty.  Yay Goey!  Yay Steve!  Yay all of us who are blessed to have you in our lives.

Did someone say twin?  Geez, I can't believe how much my sister and I look alike!

Here we are on our way to Mexico together.  We had soooooo much fun.  Thank you, Swister, 

for bringing me as your date!

Our little beauties.  Those are our tulips in the background.  All 250 or so bulbs I planted in the fall.