According to the new issue of People and the hundred other magazine covers that Angelina Jolie is on this week, Angelina Jolie is not finished having preventative surgery. her next surgery scheduled to be performed is to have her ovaries removed. Angelina says she has a 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer which is what killed her mother. There is not a timetable set for her surgery, but I'm sure when she does get them removed she will let the world know. She is absolutely everywhere this week. On Friday when all the weeklies are on the newsstands, just go to a big news outlet and count how many covers she is on this week.
The surgery to remove ovaries is not nearly as complicated as the double mastectomy surgery. I'm glad she's making a big deal out of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to see how many people are giving her crap about HAVING CANCER.
It's not the issue of cancer but bleeding the issue for everything you can like Armstrong or Ron Goldman's dad crying on camera every chance he got.
DeleteYeah @just curious Ron Goldman's dad was such a dick, always crying about "my son was nearly decapitated and they let his killer go free" boo hoo, what an asshole. I mean it's not like reporters with cameras walked up to him and asked him how how he felt, nope. He would totally seek them out because the one thing parents love most is talking about how their children were murdered.
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Delete@Gypsy Like look up the definition of sarcasm?
DeleteSorry Daniel. It's hard to read sarcasm. Especially when I've been reading so many seriously wretched comments about a woman who did a courageous thing. My apologies and god I am glad you aren't the prick I thought you were.
DeleteNo problem, I just wrote that after reading the comment above mine. I just think that it is hilarious/horrifying that someone has the nerve to call out Ron Goldman's dad for crying about his son being killed. Honestly, how sheltered must your life be that it allows you to get to a point where you feel totally comfortable calling out parents over how they grieve over the murder of their children?
Delete@Daniel Alex,
Delete"Hilarious/horrifying" are the perfect words to describe just curious.
Really, she's everywhere? Haven't noticed.
ReplyDeleteCalm down, Enty.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd rather discuss this story at a news site or Jezebel or someplace like that. IDK---I'm not mad at AJ at all, and this is a pretty complicated issue for a gossip blog.
jmo, of course.
I have to agree with Libby. It's kind of nice to have the conversation bar raised. At least it's not the " You Call This Fat?" inane nonsense from the K Klan.
ReplyDeleteThe media always goes on overdrive disproportionate to the story; I can't really fault her for that, it sounds like she timed her piece in the Times deliberately to miss the cutoff for the tabs (and yet Kneepads still re-did their issue).
ReplyDeleteThere aren't a lot of celebrity-related things that make my jaw drop but I admit, when I got to work, having heard news teasers about "Angelina's shocking news" without managing to catch the story, my jaw dropped when finally told what I missed.
The media will run it into the ground, of course, but she can't control that. I like that she controlled the message, and demonstrated that a celebrity can, when they put their mind to it, keep personal information private and on their own terms.
This is a good thing she's doing. Whenever celebrities use their fame to advance awareness and acceptance of an issue--whether it's health like this or social like being gay--they are doing a great service.
ReplyDeleteAt least her mother didn't have skin cancer and she can keep hers.
ReplyDelete@Boxes She doesn't HAVE CANCER, she just has a better chance at getting it. Sheesh, settle down.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's a good thing she's doing, by making women aware of their options and breast cancer awareness, but I had never heard of having a procedure done before you got a disease. I have been reading up on this in the past couple of days, and found that a large percentage of women believe they will automatically get breast cancer and want to have a their breasts removed to prevent it. There was a good article on NBC New Vitals about it, with interesting comments from various doctors.
ReplyDeleteNo surgery is easy, even elective ones. However, this surgery has really came a long way. A pocket at the armpit to suck out the breast tissue, so theres none of that carved up thing of old. Some could cynically say, she's nearing 40, just had a few kids, killing two birds with one stone with the implants, lifting. Whatever. I am not a Brangeloonie, dont think this makes her a saint, but if it helps women make an important decision to save their lives, then good on AngieJo.
DeleteI dont see anything to snark about on this issue and shame on you enty. You think this is fun for her? That she thinks she needs the press? That somehow its all a scheme to ruin anistons wedding? Please try to get in touch with reality.
ReplyDelete@ auntliddy. Thank you! Wtf Enty?? Face risking a horrible fucking death or cutting off your balls and then your opinion matters. And your balls will never mean as much to the world as Jolie's breasts have. As a women (not to a woman) breasts are important as they are the 1st thing most people I.e. men notice. This was not an easy decision and I am sick to death that so many people are treating it so blithely and with snark. Fuck all the haters.
Delete@Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI'm aware of that. Also aware of the fact that her mother died of ovarian cancer and Enty is making a joke about AJ's ovaries being sent to the Smithsonian. Fun times!
My grandmother died of Ovarian cancer. I have 2 co workers who have died of it. It's the one cancer that really scares the shit out of me because its so deadly and the symptoms mock so many other things, such as IBS. I will probably have mine taken out in time. I really really really wish my mom would.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your grandmother. I also plan on having a hysterectomy after my second child (I'm on my first). Being a nurse and seeing people fine one moment and gone in 6 months after a diagnosis scares me more than I can say
DeleteYoung Carrie, you are so right. Ovarian cancer hides like pancreatic cancer does. By the time you find it, it's well advanced.
ReplyDelete(Tests get better every day though.)
Anyone who gets people interested in and talking about women's health issues is OK by me.
ReplyDeleteWord, Nope. Exactly. We need more discussions like this one out there in the public consciousness.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind this story because it has made everyone talk about it. My girlfriend's mother had breast cancer and we had the discussion about this. She is going to get the genetic testing done and then she'll decide.
ReplyDeleteAnjelina's openness about this may save many lives, so it's a good thing. My only other comment is Christina Applegate did the same thing a few years ago and it didn't have 10% of the buzz of Anjelina doing it.
She's doing a good thing and not making a penny off it. She doesn't need more fame she has it. I really can't see this as a self serving act.
ReplyDeleteIf it helps more women get tested or takes the stigma or fear out of what she did, then she should be on every magazine to talk about it.
I think she is brave, she is a long way from who she used to be and I respect her for it.
@Carrie - I have to go get some tests done because my doc thinks I may have Crohns. Now I am officially scared shitless (pun intended).
ReplyDeleteI too have Crohns but it is in remission due to Humira (I'll take the cancer risk in favor of being functional).
DeleteNot to sound like a broken record but check into gluten & crohns. I would also consider getting into juice fasts and out of the habit of processed foods. It is really hard but oh so worth it. Crohns is a bitch but it can be managed. Good luck! Hope it is just a false alarm.
DeleteThe main thing with chronic disease is that inflammation is the enemy. Lower the inflammation and your suffering is reduced. I am a prime example of this. And I suffered horribly for 30 years. If I can make a comeback as sick as I was (I literally look 20 years younger! No surgery, just dietary changes) then anyone can.
Gluten free definitely reduces any residual inflammation, especially in my joints and eyes.
DeleteIt's interesting to read comments on various sites - seems like people either love AJ or hate her. No matter what you think of the woman, you have to admit she got a LOT of people talking, and got a very serious issue brought to the forefront of today's news and quite possibly - saved more than a few lives. If that is the only legacy she leaves in life, well, then I think she's done all right. But it's not. She gets involved in humanitarian issues around the world - she USES the celebrity she's been given to bring attention to these causes. You can't fault her for that - sometimes I wonder if people would rather she use her celebrity to just promote herself, like so many in Hollywood do? But then they'd snark about that too. She's got a past... done some off the wall stuff (haven't we all in some form or another?) and yes, the whole scandal with BP and Jennifer Aniston will probably haunt them all till the day they die, but it was almost 10 years ago. Everyone's moved on. I'm not nominating her for saint-hood but I think what she did was very brave - and took a lot of courage. Even more so to put herself out there publicly. Think about how image-obsessed the world is, and knowing people are going to be going over every photograph of her with a fine tooth comb for any sign of a flaw or a scar... few people could handle it.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, getting your ovaries removed is no picnic either. You get thrown into early menopause, hormones go crazy, the physical discomfort can be draining - yeah, if you want to snark on that, you've never been through it. Her journey isn't even close to being over. But I wish her well... and wish anyone the best who makes the decisions to save their own life through these kinds of measures.
This makes me respect her more. She didn't have to share this at all and could have just ignored the speculation that she got a boob job for cosmetic reasons. It is bringing a lot of attention to the issue. I'm wondering how insurance companies will or, most likely will not, cover these kinds of preventive procedures.
ReplyDeleteLove or hate her, she's doing a public service for women. I have a friend who had the gene with family history and opted for the same surgeries.
ReplyDeleteY'all have pretty much covered everything I think about this topic. I think it's incredibly courageous of her to both go through this procedure and to speak about it publicly. Everything she does is placed under the public microscope and scrutinized to minutest detail.
ReplyDeleteAs for the claims that she did this for publicity, I'd like to point out that all she has to do for that is walk out in public with her kids, place her hand on her abdomen, get caught in the same city as Billy-Bob. *clutching pearls* She doesn't need this to remind the world she's out there.
ReplyDelete*OT to GenTwist*
I have Crohns!!! It comes and goes with me, because I've learned how to eat, and it flares worst with stress.
My main advice is don't let doctors just give you prescriptions and a pat on the head. Do your googling about diet & stress reduction too.....The pills can be serious and expensive, depending (like cancer risk Cleo mentioned^^).
Digestive enzyme supplements (like acidophilus) are you friend. Buy the pills, don't waste money on Activia.
@libby I'm sure I won't be shy in asking you guys lots of questions! On the plus side, this plays right into my plans to finangle my medical marijuana card.
Delete@GemTwist. There have to be easier ways of doing that.
DeleteThen again, I live in California, where apparently you only have to sneeze to get one.
ON TOPIC---The reason the Angie thing is so complicated IMO is that I've seen the arguments elsewhere devolve into health care expense debates, or the 'definition of femininity' debates, etc....gets tense sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAnother OT...human volunteers are needed in the cities of Cleburne and Granbury Texas for search and rescue and cleanup. Red cross and blood are not needed.at this time
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of Angelina Jolie (she's just so damn smug all the time), and while I understand that having this test and surgery is not an option for every woman as it can cost a lot of money and isn't always covered by insurance, I think it's great that she is talking about this. She is considered a beautiful, sexy woman, and I think that her having these procedures can show other women who are at risk that you can still be a beautiful, feminine, sexy woman even if you have had your breasts and ovaries removed. I think there is a huge stigma attached to mastectomies/ hysterectomies and her talking openly about it is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI still think she's smug, though ;)
GemTiwist--I'm looking to move to a MM state. Need a shitty roommate?
ReplyDeleteOops....'GemTiwist' sounds like I said it with a Southern accent.
ReplyDeleteGayeld---a court just ruled that cities in CA (whole counties even?) can OUTLAW MM dispensaries. SUCH bullshit.
ReplyDelete@libby. The real problem in California is that our law contradicts the Federal law. Among other things, this means that Feds can withhold funds from cities/counties that don't abide by their rules.
DeleteThen there's the problem of Doctors who write prescriptions for any reasons. It devalues the actual process and lumps the people who really need it in with people like my bio-dad.
I didn't know that Crohn's was considered an inflammatory disease. I do know than many MS people take circumin as it has anti-inflammatory properties, worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteAs for this post, pretty much everyone has said it. Not her fault the media has become so sensationalized. She also announced it after the tabloid deadlines, I suspect on purpose. Of course People had it's staff up till midnight to change the cover story!
I also liked how she addressed the problem of cost and admits she's lucky. That gene has a patent on it! Our bodies are no longer owned by ourselves. This is also true of stem cells, if you want to have stem cell treatment, even with harvesting your own stem cells, they are owned by corporations. Grrr.r
libby - CA needs to get their act together and pass a state bill allowing MM dispensaries! THe previous one didn't pass because even MM advocates agree that it was terrible.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Maja about AJ always looking smug. She's always annoyed me but I certainly admire her strength in this and if it saves one life, the publicity is worth it.
ReplyDeleteAnd as an aside, if Brad ever leaves her, you'll hear the whole "she lost her sexuality along with her breasts" gossip. Having your original breasts and your ovaries, while certainly accentuating your femininity don't define your femininity. Any more than I became unfeminine because I've been through menopause. And real men understand that. Men that don't aren't men, they're boys.
Armstrong lost a nut, she'll lose her ovaries .Seems fair enough.
ReplyDeleteAlready sick of hearing this "heroic" bullshit. Christina Applegate did it years ago, and announced it, and no one cared. Others have done it as well. It's this syndrome of "ohhhh! If we do a cover story and call her a hero she'll love us and maybe give us an interview". Eff that homewrecker.
ReplyDeleteDid she wreck your home? You hate someone you don't know for something she didn't do to you? That seems a little unstable. Let it go. Else you seem bitter and jealous. Just sayin.
DeleteCome on move on, she was in her 20s - haven't we all been selfish and immoral in our 20s? Forgive and forget because that aside she does alot for charities and causes and seems kind. Brad was the actual one that cheated but no one slags him off for it? And lets be honest they've been together years, they have kids, it was obviously the right thing.
DeleteShe's doing a brilliant thing talking about this, educating and showing this no stigma to a mastectomy. Be a grown up
This sure as hell beats seeing nasty Goopy on every cover. Angie has substance and depth, unlike Goopy and whiny Jennifer Aniston and so many of the other vapid "celebrities" out there. I can feel for Angie because havig your ovaries removed causes instant menopause--far better that than cancer but oh, menopause is a witch when its natural, and when its induced by surgery Ive heard its worse. Best of luck, Ange.
ReplyDeleteThis is not an a$$hole sarcastic article in the least! Someone is bitter about the NY Post article exposing them as a fraud.
ReplyDeleteShe does always look smug. I think her and Brad often use the media for their gain when it comes to their charity work to be seen in a positive light. In this case sometimes the good outweighs the bad. Even if the information is coming from someone I don't like, at least someone is making it part of the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI do think having to make a decision to have a double mastectomy and your ovaries removed would be a hard decision for most woman to make. I won't say all because who knows.
Oh wee, I just noticed the Whitegirl in Distress Rule in effect.
ReplyDelete@Froggygurl Are you from the Metroplex? Did you suffer any damage? Hopefully not. I live in Central TX and we thankfully only had strong storms. Spring in Texas never a dull moment.
ReplyDelete/off topic
Ovaries to the Simthsonian? Really ENTY, really? cough*douche*cough
I cannot believe the amount of shit Angie is getting for this.
Somewhere Jennifer Aniston is freaking out and plotting how to upstage Angie.
ReplyDeleteCrila- I hear an Aniston sex change is in the works. Take that Angelina!
DeleteOvarian cancer sucks. An awesome lady at work found a tumor accidentally when she went to have a cyst removed, so we were all think hey she was one of the lucky ones and they got it out... okay chemo, she'll be fine... four months she's dead.
ReplyDeleteI normally don't give a shit about Angelina Jolie but will be hard on her, she already has sooo much scrutiny and now everyone is going to be looking for scars, are her boobs lumpy/bigger/smaller, etc. But HOPEFULLY, this will not only get women thinking about the issue but also get policy change started so maybe the testing will be covered if you have family history. It could happen.
It is nice to see an actual celebrity be noticed for something of substance. It takes a certain kind of bravery to be so public about it and there's going to be even more information available later about her procedures.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this gets people talking. Amazing but some people still didn't know about this sort of thing regarding testing/screening.
The problem I have with this--and it's not AJ's fault--is that what she's doing isn't an option for the average person. Genetic testing can be expensive and not covered by insurance. Most folks can't afford it, not to mention the preventive surgeries she's having.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated AJ's intent, I think her heart is in the right place. But as with most things in life, it comes down to money. And most of us don't have it to do this sort of thing.
What kills me are the guys (because they certainly aren't men) who are bitching on Twitter, et al. about how could she do this, she doesn't have the right, her boobs were the best thing about her, now I can't fantasize about her any more, wankwankwankwankwank--acting as if she's duty-bound to keep her tits, irregardless of risk, because clearly it's more important for males she doesn't know and will never meet to have jackoff material than it is to be alive while her kids grow up. (I could rant some more about guys who think women's bodies exist solely to please them in some capacity or another, but I think you get the idea.)
ReplyDeleteNo, she's not a saint, and I'm sure the idea that this could bring her good publicity crossed her mind at some point (honestly, in her line of work I'd be surprised if it didn't), but I don't think that's why she went public, because she certainly didn't have to--she did it (in the NYT, no less, pretty much the American paper of record) so that people could learn about this, get the conversation going (as it were), and with any luck at all save lives. I can picture her thinking "You know, if this saves even one or two other women's lives so they can be there for their kids, too, then fuck it, it's worth coming out," and then doing it. There's probably at least one woman out there right now making an appointment who'll find out she has the gene, or has early-stage cancer, and gets treated in time, and isn't that what's important here?
*steps off soapbox*
@Layna: True, but I believed she referred to that in her NYT piece--I'm thinking she's hoping that by getting that information on the table, people will start talking about it, and hopefully enough pressure will be brought to bear on insurers, etc. that they'll be forced to cover testing & surgery as a preventative measure. (On a purely selfish level, they should realize that paying for that is still a lot cheaper than long-term cancer treatment...)
ReplyDeleteOvarian cancer survivor and huge AJ fan here. I caught a lucky break and survived stage III/IV (according to my records) ovarian cancer. It was found during emergency exploratory surgery. It almost got me and I had no real symptoms. Long story short, it's almost 10 years later and the only test I get is a simple blood test for CA 125. I think they do it once or twice a year. It's a protein that needs to be tracked over time to be usable. Ask your doctors about this test.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she's bringing attention to this. She's in a great position to do this and her heart's in the right place.
Just came back from my routine mammo - and the tech said doing what she did is quite painful and invasive, so I don't get all the people who are saying she did this for media exposure and to get a new set of boobs. It's amazing how much hate there is in this world!
ReplyDeleteI think the difference btwn AJ & Applegate, is Applegate revealed she had the preventative surgery but didnt go to the length AJ did (writing an op-ed piece).
ReplyDelete@ crila16 _ i was thinking Jen Aniston is pulling her hair out right now. poor thing
I meant to also say an ex-boyfriend's mom has 1 breast removed due to breast cancer. Now this was in the early 90s. She never opted for an implant bc her husband never changed the way he touched her or loved her and she didnt feel like she needed it. She actually showed me her chest and I just thought how incredibly brave and strong she was. She said it was only bc her hubby really supported her through it. Now I think about all these asshole guys that are commenting how the breast removal is the greatest single tragedy of life.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing it is good that AJ came out with this and make it a national discussion. She luckily has access to good insurance and medical care. Most insurance companies wont pay for the preventative testing so maybe this can change. I know a woman kicked out of the hospital 2 days after having her breast removed bc the insurance wouldnt pay for a longer stay. thats just terrible. But Viagra is fully covered by insurance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information, welldun. And even happier that you're here to give it to us!
ReplyDeleteAnd the countdown starts to one of the Kardashians claiming the same thing.
ReplyDeleteCan't hate on Angelina. She always suprises me with these kinds of brave things.
ReplyDeleteI don't like her. Which means I don't care about her ovaries. I'm more worried about mine annd I was taught in school to always get myself checked for these things. I don't need a self entitled whore to remind me.
ReplyDeleteGood for her. I had my ovaries removed a couple of years ago for the same reason--a bad BRCAI gene. My sister and my grandmother both died of ovarian cancer. I plan on having a double mastectomy as well in the near future. I think it's good of her to try to educate people on this.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a lot of women are already aware of this issue, but a lot of women are probably just now learning about it because of Jolie.
Was it confirm that she had a double mastectomy ? Are we talking total loss of BOOBage with no chance of even breast augmentation?????
ReplyDeleteMaybe Brad Pitt should reconsider marrying her. Going from Jennifer BLANDiston to Jolie was a great upgrade. But if the woman can't breast feed a grown man then he needs to reconsider his options.
You can't motor boat with one tit , or worse NONE.
There is nothing funny about this at all. Shame on you, Enty, for trying to make this into a gossipy snark. My mom had ovarian cancer. She was one of the very few lucky ones whose OvCa was discovered very early. Most are not. So Angelina is doing EXACTLY the right thing in having the surgery. And she is not fueling the media frenzy, the media is quite capably doing that all by themselves. But, the more it is talked about, the more women's lives might be saved. So stop with the hate - it really makes you look like a complete jerk!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the people on here making snarky comments are truly disgusting examples of the worst of the human race.
ReplyDeleteI've had a hysterectomy. It's not fun, no matter what they say about laparoscopic surgery being easier. She's determined not to die like her mother did. I also think she's raised awareness about cancer and its genetic markers, so she gets a pass from me on all her weird BS, even for that damn kickstand leg thing.
ReplyDeletemost of the women who have their level of awareness raised won't have the money to do what Jolie did. even folks with insurance often can't absorb the co-payments. so part of what she is doing is saying, here is the danger, i can afford to do something about it.
ReplyDelete