Her Cancer Journey
- Comedian Tig Notaro was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2012 and had a double mastectomy.
- Notaro went viral in 2012 when she started a comedy show by saying “Good evening everyone! I have cancer, how are you?”
- Notaro started a podcast in July and shared that she’s taken control of her body image.
In an episode of her newly launched podcast, “Don’t Ask Tig,” Notaro invited fellow comedian Nicole Byer on and they talked about body image. It was inspiring to hear Notaro open up about how she’s embracing her new look. It seemed easy for her once Byer began speaking about her recent book ‘#veryfat, #verybrave,’ which deals with how we see ourselves. Byer told her followers to wear bikinis and feel empowered in their bodies.
Read MoreTig Notaro’s Cancer Journey
Notaro was diagnosed while having a routine mammogram and didn’t suspect anything was wrong. She said her breasts were too small for her to think her chances were high. Then, when diagnosed, Notaro assumed that she was going to have stage zero breast cancer. The reality was that she had stage 2 breast cancer and her doctors would not know if the cancer had spread until they performed her mastectomy.
Even with her diagnosis, Notaro continued to work. She took her story and turned it into a comedy act. In a CBS interview with Notaro, the comedian discusses her thought process about how to introduce her new material. She decided to start off the show with a “Good evening, hello! I have cancer, how are you?” Notaro continued her act and renowned comedians present were blown away by her performance, saying they had never seen anything like it before and shared her deadpan humor act, resulting in her performance going viral.
The Flat Movement
Marianne Cuozzo Discusses Her Anxiety During Her Cancer Journey
Notaro, like many other breast cancer survivors, decided against an implant surgery after her mastectomy, saying that scars felt more relatable than fake boobs. Other survivors share in this mentality, opting to “go flat.” Artist and survivor Marianne Cuozzo is among those choosing to go flat. “We're trying to make it so that it's not this stigma,” Cuozzo previously told SurvivorNet.
Related: Sarah Michelle Gellar Thanks Bestie Shannon Doherty, Who's Battling Breast Cancer, For Supporting Her Through Tough Times
Feeling Beautiful and Empowered After Cancer
Caitlin Kiernan Discusses Feeling Beautiful After Cancer
Breast cancer survivors, whether choosing to “go flat” or not, are all figuring out what’s right for them in their journey. Breast cancer survivor Caitlin Kiernan speaks to the necessity of feeling like yourself and feeling good in your own skin after your cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“You’re fighting for this life and then you want to live it. You don’t want to feel uncomfortable,” Kiernan tells SurvivorNet. Cancer patients might have different ways of approaching the end goal of body empowerment and feeling beautiful and happy but there should be support systems in place to get them there each and every way.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
