Friday, May 17, 2013

Cutting Off Your Breasts


Women are cutting off their breasts in fear that they may get breast cancer someday. It seems radical to me given the risks of surgery, the toxicity of anesthesia and drugs, and the long term effects of breasts implants.

My dad is a pathologists and he said implants that had been taken out of women were covered with ugly looking stuff.  The body tries to rid itself of foreign objects.  Once you get implants, you have to have them replaced every ten years or so.

Rather than do all this to prevent cancer, why not eat a lot of fruits and vegetables which are proven to prevent cancer and stay as far away as you can from toxic chemicals and sugar which are proven to cause cancer? It would seem to be a wiser decision to do everything you can to build a strong and healthy immune system.

If you have breast cancer, I completely understand going this route but to prevent cancer  this way seems like you may be causing cancer by trying to prevent it since surgery and drugs are very hard and toxic on the body.

The same thing puzzles me about scheduling C-sections for a mother's convenience. Many working mothers do this. This is major surgery!  The stomach and uterus are cut open. Then one must live on strong pain killers for awhile afterwards that I am sure are transferred to the baby if one nurses her baby.

Some actions like these two just make no sense to me. Yes, I am glad there are mastectomies for women who have breast cancer and C-sections for women who would be putting their lives and their babies lives at risk if they didn't have one, but to do this voluntarily is difficult for me to understand.

Major surgery is hard on the body. There are many risks. Choose carefully when making these kind of decisions. Pray, ask for wisdom, and research before taking these drastic measures and do all you can to prevent cancer.

The very idea that breast cancer is a "percent risk" is a complete lie. In reality, everyone has cancer micro-tumors in their bodies, including myself. Cancer is not a disease you just "get" like being randomly struck by lightning. It's something you must "manage" or "prevent" day by day, meal by meal, through a lifestyle choice that involves vitamin D supplementation, nutrition, superfoods, vegetable juices and avoidance of cancer-causing chemicals and radiation. So when a doctor says you have a "chance" of getting cancer, what he's implying is that you have no control over cancer, and that's an outright lie. Cancer quackery, in other words. {Sarah's Daughter}

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you
 and that you may be in good health,
 as it goes well with your soul.
3 John 1:2

Comments (31)

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I've heard of women having elective c-sections also. I've even heard of doctors who scehdule a c-section for their patients early (~35 weeks even) because they are going out of town and want to deliver the baby before they go. Putting both mother and baby at risk for the convenience of the doctor is ridiculous. And you might be surprised how many c-sections occur between 4pm and 5pm. Doctors too often suggest a c-section for a woman in labor so they can be done with it and go home for dinner.

It's crazy that women in our society are so scared of labor and delivery that they schedule a major surgery instead of going through the natural process. I'm glad that c-sections are available. they save many, many lives. But they should be reserved for when they are actually needed. Elective c-sections (i.e. without good medical reason) are a case of the cure being worse than the disease.
Lori YES. Women must speak out about this. This is a very dangerous trend it does NOT help women at large. Please read these articles about what may be fueling this behavior and notice how "other options" always goes back to medical technology (more mammograms-which cause cancer btw,) and never ever mentions natural methods. There are billions of dollars at stake to get women to be afraid of their breasts.
http://www.infowars.com/angelina-jolie-part-of-a-...
http://www.infowars.com/angelina-jolie-part-of-a-...
http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/reac...
3 replies · active 618 weeks ago
I disagree with your thoughts on breast removal. Eating vegetables is great but for those women who have the BRCA genes it is probably not nearly enough to either prevent cancer or set their minds at ease. I have been tested and have the BRCA genes and my mother had premenopausal breast cancer--my possibility of someday getting breast cancer is incredibly high. I watched my mother suffer and then die at a young age leaving four fairly young children behind. For those women who do not want to suffer like that I think breast removal is an excellent form of preventative medicine and the only way to guarantee you wont get breast cancer. And breast implants are not required, external prosthetics are an option. I think it's harsh to judge women who may feel it is their only option available to save their lives.
jeanne stone's avatar

jeanne stone · 619 weeks ago

I totally agree with Rhiannon on this issue. It is a big decision, however, often times the high risk of the toxicity of chemo, radiation, dying and leaving behind your family is much worse that the choice of an elective mastectomy, and eliminating the high risk that you have.
You can eat all the fruits and vegetables in the world but if you have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene you will not reduce your risk of breast cancer. Genetic breast cancer is more aggressive, occurs in younger women, and is more difficult to treat, it also occurs in men. It's less common than the type that is dependent on estrogen and progesterone but has a higher rate of death. I understand any woman with the BRCA 1 or 2 gene have a prophylactic mastectomy and also having their ovaries removed since they are at higher risk of ovarian cancer also.

You do not have to have silicone implants. I had both breasts removed for breast cancer, I did not have reconstruction. Depending on what I'm wearing I have prosthetics (fake boobs) to wear, you put them in a pocket sewn in your bra. And if I want to be flat or it's a hot summer day I don't wear them. It's no big deal not to have breasts. You need them to nurse your babies but once you're done with that they aren't needed. I had breast cancer twice so the decision was very easy for me. Now my risk of recurrence is 5%, much easier to accept.
3 replies · active 500 weeks ago
I agree with you on elective C-sections. I don't think they are in the best interest of either mother or baby.
I read a story only yesterday of 3 sisters, the two older sisters were in their late 30/early 40's whilst their younger sister is in her early 30s. They all carry the BRCA gene. The two older sisters made the difficult decision to have their breasts removed, the younger one did not. She decided to have another baby. She is now dying of breast cancer at the age of 32. Just like her mother, her grandmother and her aunt. So far her sisters are clear. This is a very difficult decision that we can not sit back and lecture about and tell these women to eat more fruit and veg. The statistics are there - if you have the gene, you are highly likely to die from cancer. These women are very brave and congratulations to them for deciding to live.

My cousin died from cancer at 50, likewise her sister (at 46). Her daughter now has it (32). They all ate their veggies and lived healthy lives. Sadly they carry a gene for another form a cancer and if you have it, you will die from it. 100%.
Thank you for the link, Lori. Just to be clear, that wasn't my actual quote but a quote from a site I linked to.

I've got to say I'm disheartened by the comments here so far. Christian women, our almighty God did not create any part of your body for you to fear. Know the source of your fear. You speak power to the enemy. My heart aches for you.
1 reply · active 618 weeks ago
Sarah's Daughter, Christian women can carry the BRCA 1 or 2 gene. While Ashkenazi Jews have a higher incidence of carrying the gene women of all races and religions have the gene. If you had the gene and your risk was 87% for getting the aggressive, difficult to treat type of breast cancer perhaps you would still elect to keep your breasts. That would be your choice. Other women would choose to reduce their risk down to 5% by having their breasts removed, that is their choice. It's not fearing our breasts, it's reducing our risk. It's taking control. Are you opposed to women quitting smoking? Quitting smoking can reduce your risk, it's taking control over cancer. Having a prophylactic mastectomy WHEN you have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene is taking control.
1 reply · active 619 weeks ago
Very interesting post, seems to be a bit controversial from reading the comments. :)
Being well informed is always a good thing. Having doctors, options and all that are also good things. But in the end, we have to decide for ourselves, and that decision should NOT be born of fear.

As some-one who knows natural healing, it is incredibly frustrating to have to argue with a doctor over something you do not want done. In one case they were trying to scare me into something, and it scared my husband so I had him against me too. At that point I gave in, I cannot fight them all.

And we would all do well to incorporate more fruits and veggies and stay away from sugars. Even if not for the fear of cancer, you simply feel much better when you eat cleaner.

I'm stopping by from The Better Mom
Preventative surgery is considered to be the most effective risk-reducing strategy for women who carry genetic mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20961453

It is not unreasonable for a woman, especially one who may have seen her own mother or close female relatives die prematurely of cancer, to do everything in her power to avoid dying early and leaving her children motherless. Yes, it is major surgery, but if a woman tests positive for one of the BRCA mutations, there is no evidence that eating fruits and veggies is enough to manage the risk.
Maybe we should try to just focus on our own bodies and leave the generalizations out of it. I agree with many comments here-no amount of fruit and vegetable eating can prevent certain types of breast cancer. And no amount of blogging can make all God-fearing Christian women act and think alike.
Something that is almost never talked about is that breastfeeding will bring down your chances of breast cancer. A woman who breastfeeds for 7 years or longer will have a less than half a percent chance of ever getting breast cancer. I know that is a long time, but if you think about the way God designed women and how many children most families had, this was not too difficult. I'm just finishing my fourth year. (This is with three babies, over the course of 6 years). Just a little encouragement for you breastfeeding mammas!
My friend discovered her breast cancer when she stopped nursing her 18-month old. She spent the next five years fighting to survive this disease. Breast cancer ran in her family, and she had already lost one of her sisters. Her mother, and another sister were also diagnosed. My friend struggled trying to pack in as many experiences and memories into her two young children's lives while dealing with aggressive treatments. In the end, she left two grieving young children and a husband. Her kids were 7 and 9, and always had to deal with their mother's illness most of their lives. All the nutrition and healthy life styles would not have stopped the onset or progression of this aggressive cancer. Don't judge others who make the decision to do this surgery - to watch my children grow up would be a no-brainer for me.
Wow! I had no idea about all of this. My auntie and my momma died of estrogen based breast cancer in their fifties. I'm nearing fifty now. No signs of cancer so far from mammograms. I don't have all the same risk factors they did and don't use hormone replacement after my hysterectomy.
This has opened my eyes to some of the the changes in breast cancer information over the last twenty years. Thank you for opening this conversation.
I've looked at some of your other posts as well. I am your newest GFC follower, and I've added your blog to my blog list at the bottom of Harvest Lane Cottage.
Our Savior tells us to "be anxious about nothing." "Perfect love casts out fear." "Fear not for I am with you." There is so much about "do not fear" in God's Word!

As a woman who was diagnosed one year ago with a very aggressive breast cancer at age 31 with a husband and three young children, the Spirit has shown me so much about how to trust and not to fear. I am appalled at women getting prophylactic mastectomies. This is fear driven! And now the media is promoting fear-driven procedures as "brave" and courageous. On the other hand, it is not surprising that unbelievers would respond this way. But this is not for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Sisters in Christ, do NOT be driven by fear! Fear is the opposite of faith, and we are to have faith, for our God does the impossible, and we have all the armor we need to fight the flaming arrows of the evil one - including this fiery dart of cancer or any other disease. We have everything we need for LIFE and godliness. Do not be afraid of any disease. We have hope that the world does not have. Trust in God and do not believe the lies of this world that are so appealing to our flesh.
2 replies · active 618 weeks ago
It seems like maybe we're talking about two different cancer causes? I'll have to look more into it, but from what I understand the BRCA gene indicates a high probability of an aggressive breast cancer. I
Scriptures can be interpreted in as many ways as there are Christians who read them. Faith is very powerful. But, I agree with Cynthia's comment. I wish you peace and success in your journey.
I agree with many things in this article (although the stomach is not cut open during C-section - it's the abdomen.) Having had a C-section, I wouldn't recommend it as the "easier" option. It was hellish trying to care for a newborn while recovering from major surgery, and a good 3 months before I even began to feel normal again. I still have keloids and numbness.

And about Angelina Jolie's decision - of course we overreact in preventive surgery and "early detection" of breast cancer. It's a real problem. But if my mother had died of breast cancer and I had been given her odds I would have done the same thing. It's only logical. I just don't understand why one would need dangerous implants. Breasts are not an essential body part, and as another reader pointed out, there are external ones that fit under clothing.
I see the heart of this post. Although I do not know much about the story that stemmed the post, I hope we can all agree that we are not to live in fear or act out of fear. If women choose this route and can say it is not fear based, but out of prayer, wisdom & knowledge, are we to tell them "It is out of fear!"? Our culture is all about fear. It tells people to plan their retirement, to get health screenings, to take mind altering drugs, to do many things that cause issues while trying to prevent other issues. We focus on entertainment and distraction to live more comfortably, all through fear. It is a cultural issue as a whole, one which believers in God have no place because of the truths in the Bible. I think that is the heart, live in freedom, not in fear. :)
This was a very ignorant post. You clearly don't know what you are taking about. Stick to smoothy recipes.

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