"Angelina Jolie willing to cut off
her breast to save her life:
Is it enough to protect or is it just too much?"
~ Cynthia G. Creel
May 14, 2013
Angelina Jolie’s choice, my choice, two different paths:
Two women bonded in time and space with one factor both shared the lost of a mom from cancer. The thoughts were the same the choices were the same, the path chosen is different and the results may end the same.
Printed in the New York Times (2) is the story of Angelina Jolie and her choice written in her words. The why she took her path to have a double mastectomy to prevent cancer was so similar to mine story yet my choice was to keep my body intact by working with what I had to possible create a positive outcome. Could both these choices have the same results in the long run and save us from the grasp of cancer?
Like me Angelina Jolie’s mom died of cancer at age 56. Angelina Jolie’s mom died of breast cancer and my mom died of ovarian cancer. Both can have the same gene that creates the two different types of cancer.
We both have children, only one of Angelina Jolie’s children met their grandmother and just like my children the Angelina Jolie’s other children will never know their grandmother except thought stories and pictures. We both will do what it takes to make sure our children do not go though what we did, the early loss of their mom. I was younger and only 23 when my mom died.
I was told I had a 70% chance of developing ovarian cancer. Anglina Jolie was told she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and 50% risk of ovarian cancer.
We both want to help other women so we both write about our passions. We both became proactive in very different ways.
I elected not to have surgery and over time looked for answers that were not available at the time of my mom’s death. Angelina Jolie elected to research and to have a double mastectomy and possibly a hysterectomy. I elected to research and choose not to have elective surgery.
Different paths my lead to the same result:
Only time will tell if my choices vs. Angelina Jolie’s will end the same with a long and happy life. We have the same goal to be around for our children and grand children to be healthy and happy.
We shared many of the same type of experiences and from Angelina Jolie’s comments she has read or been told much about the same research I have read that has been available treatments and the genetic risks. She even refers to the idea of a holistic doctor’s as an option. Is the difference between the path a right or wrong path?
Which path do I take?:
I do not know everything Angelina Jolie has research or understood. We are different people. I can tell you my choice was different before I have studied and found new information in the last few years, I had expected to have a hysterectomy around 50 years old or so. The only option I felt that was a good option was to cut out the parts of the body that put me at high risk. Even so as reported on CBS News This Morning (2) with the surgery there is still a 5% risk of breast cancer developing after surgery. We all have a risk of developing cancer it is the amount of acceptable risk that I considered.
There were many factors I found that leveled the playing field and gave me a new consideration. The idea that I may have control over my genes gave me new pause to think of a new way, a new path I could travel without cutting part of my body and stick around to be with my children and grand children sounded ideal.
Ovaries still have a function throughout life:
I found new information that gave me a different picture. I originally thought the ovaries had no function after menopause. There is still a function to help balance out the body. According to the New York Times (4) the ovaries still produce needed hormones just differently. With no period for 12 consecutive months menopause occurs creating some large changes in the female system. Ovaries stop secretion of estrogen and progesterone and yet still produce small a mounts of testosterone (male hormone) which can be converted to estrogen. Also the adrenal gland continues to produce androstenedine (male hormone) which is converted estrone and estradiol. The total amount of estrogen produced after menopause is scientifically less then during childbearing years.
Possible vitamin D3 protection:
Part of the reason I choose a non surgical path was the facts surrounding a simple vitamin. Vitamin D3 has been shown to improve the chances of keeping cancer from developing. Studies (3)(5) are showing “a protective effect of vitamin D for premenopausal breast cancer.” Or the study (6) in China that sites the possibility that “Vitamin D may reduce the incidence or improve the out come of cancer in Chinese people.” Vitamin D may not be all powerful and yet it may give me a home court advantage plus.
Other factors that helped my decisions”
There were many factors that influenced my choice. One of the largest that supported my choice that my old path was another prison created by the idea that genes hold us prisoner. It seems I found choices I never knew I had. My grandmother on my father’s side lost her memory starting in her late 50’s and by the time she was in her 80’s she had no memories or ability to speak. She was tied into a chair so she would not fall out. I watched for signs in my father and found a few. My father died in his early 70’s. By the time I was turning 50 my family and I noticed I had major memory problems. Large pieces of information had been lost. It was a constant battle though out a day to remember anything new. This was one of my largest fears of loosing my memory until the day I stepped on to the path of True Health and my memory returned better then before. Not perfect, but the abilities to keep track of everyday events plus seem to have returned my memory beyond my youth leaving me with new options.
Final word:
I believed at the time when I was loosing my memory it was my inherited factor. It was my other belief that won out that new information may lead me to a new choice and new path. I never stopped looking. There were many bits and pieces that lead me to take a leap of faith. Time will tell if I am on the right path. There is no guarantee in life for Angelina Jolie or myself. No matter which path is taken there will always be risk. When faced with a challenge we must all come to our own conclusions and what risk we are willing to take. The fact for any person to undergo a surgery there is a risk of death. Or not to take a surgery. This was my choice and my story. This was Angelina Jolie’s
choice and her story. I hope our paths end up in the same place of a long happy life.
The best part of life is we can all be proactive to choice the best path available. Each persons path may be just a little different with the same goal in mind. Hopefully we end up with the same results to be around for our children and grand children and maybe even great grandchildren as happy healthy older adults.
The more proactive we can all become the more likely the negative results in life can be avoided. Stand up tall with an upright posture and be proactive. The solution helps to keep moving the best direction is to step onto the path of True Health. Discover a new world. Help yourself, help the world, step on to the Path of True Health and vote with your dollars company you want to support to create a world you will love to live in. I do, and I like the world I am helping to create. Together we can create a better life for all to remember over their entire lifetime Together we can protect what we have so we don’t need to live in a world that is second rate.
By Design ~ “Life is good By Design”
Photo creation by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013
Red pear, similar to the shape of a women's uterus.
There is now some advertising on my page, I do not necessarily endorse the products sold. Look carefully I do not always have control over the ads placed. I am in favor of helping the environmental wild life and people. I do my best to try to have advertising that agrees with my this philosophy however it takes time to create what is needed. So please consider the larger picture before purchasing anything. Thank you for being proactive.
all rights reserved ©2013 written permission is needed to duplicate
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel. Consultation of a medical professional is highly recommended before any changes are considered. This article is not saying anyone person in a leadership position is unhealthy or healthy, it is just a possibly of many and is only speaking in general terms. .Note: No company mentioned in this article is considered to serve “healthy or unhealthy” food, any examples given was only used as an example of how business works though their history and public information. The focus is only to help explain a idea. Statements and conclusions of any study authors that are presented are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Cynthia G. Creel or any means the information is published. There is no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
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Sources:
(1)http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html
(2)http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50146772n
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18839430?dopt=Citation
(4) http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/menopause/print.html
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17974532?dopt=Citation
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20552265
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