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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=1&

Apparently, she's at a very high risk for breast cancer, so she took steps and had them both removed. How fucking brave is this? I mean, I've never been her biggest fan (I think she's a bit whacked out), but considering how much of a sex symbol she is and how marketable she is in movies, this is an amazingly proactive and inspiring act. Proactive because she's doing it for her kids not herself, and inspiring because millions of women have a role model. "If Angelina Jolie can have it done and not feel self-conscious..."

I applaud the decision and wish her well.

When someone sent me the link, I thought it was from the Onion at first. "Angelina Jolie cuts off both breasts to avoid breast cancer."

This is very interesting. By being proactive and doing it before cancer shows up you have a much better chance of keeping portions of the breast that are often removed due to cancer spread.

Further she was already getting to the age where, as an actress, she would have been considering plastic surgery to make up for age.

If she has the risk, and preventative surgery is covered (I imagine it's not, but it might be eventually) then, in effect, it's free plastic surgery.

stienman - Cause we all know she's hurting for dough

Angelina Jolie has a long history of Not Caring What Other People Think and Doing What Needs Doing. I envy her mercilessly for this pair of traits far more than any other pair she may have had.

--Patrick

I'm surprised they could give her a number as high as 87%. That's impressive. But when the number is that high, it doesn't really seem like a crazy, bold move, just common sense.

fade said:

I'm surprised they could give her a number as high as 87%. That's impressive. But when the number is that high, it doesn't really seem like a crazy, bold move, just common sense.

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That's why I respect her for this. Let's put it another way. For guys this would be like saying, "To prevent testicular cancer, I had my testicles removed." It's that big of a deal. The way society treats breasts causes women to not even think about having this done. The fact that Angelina did it might make some take the necessary steps, which is wonderful.

Dayum.

I'll take a healthy Jolie who can raise her kids for good, long while over a dead-too-soon sex symbol any day.

ThatNickGuy said:

a dead-too-soon sex symbol

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Yeah. We've already had way too many of those.

--Patrick

Dave said:

That's why I respect her for this. Let's put it another way. For guys this would be like saying, "To prevent testicular cancer, I had my testicles removed." It's that big of a deal. The way society treats breasts causes women to not even think about having this done. The fact that Angelina did it might make some take the necessary steps, which is wonderful.

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This isn't even really comparable since no one can see your testicles in daily life without already being intimate/etc.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

This isn't even really comparable since no one can see your testicles in daily life without already being intimate/etc.

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I meant psychologically for the patient.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

This isn't even really comparable since no one can see your testicles in daily life without already being intimate/etc.

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Except removing breasts doesn't cause irreparable changes in your hormones like testicle removal will and will cause visual changes to you all the same.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

This isn't even really comparable since no one can see your testicles in daily life without already being intimate/etc.

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Well, unless you wear these pants that I have...

Hey now, breast cancer isn't a female-only thing, y'know.

--Patrick

PatrThom said:

Hey now, breast cancer isn't a female-only thing, y'know.

--Patrick

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True, but people don't sneer at flat-chested men.

When's the last time you went to the gym? Poor skinny guy on the bench, pushing his heart out...

Officer_Charon said:

When's the last time you went to the gym? Poor skinny guy on the bench, pushing his heart out...

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Then I have to walk over to the mirror to see if my shoes are tied...

According to my wife, her mother did this as well, given that breast cancer runs through that side of the family. It's a humongous fear of my wife's.

Much respect to Ms. Jolie for this step.

That's how you stay abreast of modern medical care.

I really respect her decision to do this and to talk so candidly about what is involved.

I'm torn between joking about it due to the "I Have It" prerogative and giving mad props.

To hell with it... Mad props.

Dave said:

True, but people don't sneer at flat-chested men.

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Men with breast cancer tend to be much weaker than they appear, as a male mastectomy always involves chopping away a good big bit of chest muscles. The guy that's wearing a light bag while his wife's carrying the big heavy one, or who doesn't take the things off the high shelve, does get some stares. In most cases those stares will be well-deserved for being a jackass, but one in a thousand may be a guy who's had breast cancer.

I freely admit it's nowhere near the same, but still, men who (have) suffer(ed) from breast cancer can also be judged instantly and badly by a lot of people. Also, as a man, asking for sympathy for breast cancer? Hope you've got some friends who don't insist on making the same joke every day. That, of course, is somewhat par for the course in a lot of cases where cancer's concerned....

GasBandit said:

That's how you stay abreast of modern medical care.

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I get it.

Can I just add how disgusting some peoples commentary has been regarding this? Like...makes me want to vomit kind of disgusting.

I agree. Pretty shitty.

What LittleSin and Cajungal said - the amount of self-important stupidity has been truly disgusting.

I guess I haven't seen these comments. Can you give an example? Are there any here?

http://www.blisstree.com/2013/05/14/public-health-2/disease/angelina-jolie-mastectomy/

It's about what you'd expect.

Jesus Christ. That's abysmal.

WHAT ABOUT DEM TITS?! OHHH!

Most of that shit sounds too silly even for Andrew Dice Clay.

At first I thought the commentary in question was in this thread, and I thought I'd missed something.

You do what you gotta do to protect your health. She's got young kids and a very high risk for a type of breast cancer that killed her mother and grandmother. Sounds to me like she made the right choice. The people who are making those crude comments are either jerks, jerks who think they're funny, or people with a lack of empathy. ( on the Internet - really?)

They don't really understand anyway. She's replacing all the breast tissue, except for the nipple, with implants. She might have also opted to enlarge, reduce, or change the shape at the same time.

Except for a few small scars, she will look just as she did before the surgery, nipples and all. As long as they did it correctly she will not have lost any sensation or feeling in any part of her breasts.

In fact, if she had said nothing, no one would be the wiser, although it's possible if she changed the size or shape some would claim she had plastic surgery.

People have, unfortunately, equated mastectomy with loss of breast and nipples altogether. That doesn't necessarily have to be the case, though it's typical in advanced stages of cancer simply to reduce the risk of recurrence.

More than likely, the comments are being made by people who felt some sort of ownership of these breasts, and feel violated that they are being removed.
Not the first time someone has been criticized for changing a characteristic without the 'permission' of the fan base.

--Patrick

PatrThom said:

More than likely, the comments are being made by people who felt some sort of ownership of these breasts, and feel violated that they are being removed.
Not the first time someone has been criticized for changing a characteristic without the 'permission' of the fan base.

--Patrick

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I clicked "brofist" but that's only because we don't have a "thought provoking" rating.