Fake Body Parts

I’ve lived life as a one-breasted woman for almost nine years now. My right breast has been replaced—when I’m out of the house, anyway—by a fake boob, which is my favorite term for a breast prosthesis.

Don’t like that word, “prosthesis,” never have, never will.

I didn’t want a mastectomy in the first place (who does?), but once I realized my situation, I went ahead with it and since then have not agonized over the missing breast. I never even considered breast reconstruction, which (after LOTS of surgery) only gives you a “breast shape,” anyway, and I have that with Jabba, which is what I named my prosthesis.

No one can tell with my clothes on, or even when I’m wearing just a bathing suit or a bra.

I do make a distinction between “breasts” (real) and “boobs” (fake), which is why I was intrigued to pick up a copy of “Mamm,” a magazine for breast cancer patients and survivors, in my doctor’s waiting room to find three angry letters to the editor.

The letters were from women upset by the magazine’s use of the term “fake boobs” in a headline to describe breast prostheses. One writer was “appalled” and concluded her letter by saying, “By the way, another definition of the word ‘boobs’ would be stupid or foolish people. Enough said.”

Another, an oncologist, said she had removed all copies of the issue (January/February, in case you want to check it out) from her waiting room. She writes, “The term ‘boobs’ is a vulgar street term for breasts.” And she concludes the letter, “A prosthetic device is not fake, but one that assists a purpose or function.”

Well, I’d argue that last point with her—a function? No. A purpose? Yes, but only a cosmetic one. No one’s going to be nursing a baby on a breast prosthesis. Or getting any sexual pleasure from one.

The third letter was more of the same: “sophomoric and degrading” and so on.

Obviously, these women are not my readers.

When I put up my posts on “Breasts and Boobs” back in March, no one wrote in to object to my language.

Of Boobs and Breasts, Real and Silicone

A Boob Named Jabba

I thought I’d check in with Sara, a blogger and a reader of my blog who lost a leg to cancer.

Sara describes herself on her blog as “… a happy, ordinary, middle-aged, suburban woman who paints odd pictures, gardens in a straw hat, lives with the love of her life, is owned by the ghosts of several cats, and walks a little funny 'cause she has a fake leg.”

I e-mailed Sara and asked her the following questions:

“I noticed on your blog that you say right out that you have a fake leg. Is that what you usually say? Do you ever call it a prosthesis? Do you like that word? Do you call it anything else, like George or Charlie?”

I’ll add her comments once I hear back from her.

Meanwhile, I’m getting tired of Jabba. Even with a well-fitting bra, I am aware that I’m wearing him, and I sweat under the prosthesis in the summer, and sometimes end up with a rash, which is not comfortable.

Right now, I’m leaning toward ditching Jabba altogether and going out into the world with only one breast. If I do, I’m going to get some clothes from Jacqueline, who blogs at Rebel1in8.

See the Fashion Show.

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.

Comments

[Sara]

I just sent you a long (big surprise) e-mail on all this, but you sort of answered one of my questions already. I must say, I'm very surprised that a magazine named "Mamm" would attract a readership that would be offended by the expression "fake boob." It would be like a magazine called "Peg" devoted to prosthetic leg wearers getting outcry for using the expression "fake leg." Or so I would think, anyway. Huh.

Maybe people are just more touchy about this stuff if they read it while sitting in an oncologist's waiting room. Maybe a lot of people who have spent a lifetime not speaking openly about their breasts in the first place and are now suddenly faced with not only having to talk about them quite a lot but giving them up are running across this magazine in the very place where they're being kept waiting for hours on end just to experience it all in increments, and maybe it's just a little too much for them. I don't know. But few people are likely to run across this blog in the same circumstances.

Incidentally, I am told that skin breakdowns are the number one reason for failure of all types of prosthetics. If Jabba is giving you a rash, I say you dump him like a cheating boyfriend and put on Jacqueline's pretty garments instead.

But what about the other breast? Is there such a thing as an effective one-cup bra that won't ride off to one side or irritate your scars?

[Jeanne]

Sara--thanks. Jacqueline has designed a one-cup bra. I'm going to try it when I visit her in New York. Hope to do that this summer.

And thanks for pointing out the title of the mag--Mamm--I skipped right over that.

Do you want to start a publication called "Peg"?

Jeanne

[Sara]

Heh -- it would be fun, but I haven't the time, money, or experience. I might happily write for one, though. It would sort of be a natural progression.

See, when I finally made up my mind to have my leg off instead of dying (once my choices had been narrowed to those two, of course), I had to tell people, to let them know why I was going to disappear for a few months, and they would get this look on their face that so mirrored how I felt about it that I couldn't bear it, so I would crack jokes. One of them was that I was going to change my name to "Peg." Heh.

On the bra front: Boy, that Jacqueline! She's thought of everything. Rock on, J!

[Jeanne]

Sara--I remember how much I did not want to lose my breast, and then I realized that it was a choice between my breast and my life.

That made the decision clear.

But much harder to lose a leg than a breast, no question. Since I wasn't going to be having any more children, the breast was just decoration.

Jeanne

[Jane]

I appreciate the personal decision not to have breast reconstruction. At the same time, I think justice has not been done here regarding breast reconstruction. What's available now, with skin-sparing mastectomies coupled with using your own flesh from tummy or butt, is absolutely amazing. Some docs can even combine the mastectomy and reconstruction, so you actually wake up from surgery with something that looks an awful lot like a breast and you have one surgery, period. I know. I had it. Having a great reconstruction has made an great deal to me while struggling with cancer. Check out Dr. Robert Allen's site on the Web, and find a doc in your area that has trained with him.