Christina Opens Up: "I Had A Double Mastectomy!"
Christine Applegate gave her first interview today on Good Morning America, her first time talking publicly since announcing she had breast cancer earlier this month.
Applegate revealed that although her cancer was contained in one breast, she elected to have a double mastectomy three weeks ago.
She'll therefore have to undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.
Of the decision she says, "I just wanted to kind of be rid of it. So this was the choice I made and it was a tough one."
But for Applegate, she said it was a logical decision as her mother had battled breast cancer before and then suffered from a recurrence years later. Christina also tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, which is linked to breast and ovarian cancer.
She adds, "My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy. So basically I had a prophylactic double mastectomies."
However, she did describe the experience as an emotional roller coaster.
She said, "Sometimes, you know, I cry and sometimes I scream and I get really angry and I get really like, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes. And I think that's - it's all part of healing, and anyone who's going through it out there, it's OK to cry. It's OK to fall on the ground and just scream if you want to."
Luckily her cancer was detected early enough through a doctor-ordered MRI.
After her experience, Christina is trying to keep her sense of humor.
She says, "I've laughed so much in the last three weeks. I love living, and I really love my life, and I knew that from this moment on it was only going to be good that was going to be coming. Yeah, I'll face challenges, but you can't get any darker than where I've been. So knowing that in my soul gave me the strength to just say, 'I have to get out there and make this a positive.'"
She also added jokingly, "I'm going to have cute boobs ’til I'm 90, so there's that. I'll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I'll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table."
And as a result of her experience, Applegate has decided to start a program to financially help women who are at high risk for breast cancer, such as to meet the costs of an MRI which is not always covered by insurance.
Applegate will also appear in a one-hour TV special, Stand Up to Cancer, which will air on September 5th to raise money for cancer research.
[Image via WENN.]
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