Coping With Emotions & Breast Cancer Reconstruction
- Singer and actress Alicia Witt, 48, says her new role in the suspense thriller “Longlegs” that premieres soon allowed her to channel her emotions stemming from the loss of her parents and breast cancer diagnosis.
- Witt kept much of her cancer journey private but later revealed she underwent a mastectomy (removal of the breast(s), chemotherapy, and reconstruction surgery for breast cancer.
- Breast reconstruction surgery is an option for women after going through a mastectomy for breast cancer treatment. The reconstruction process can happen at the time of the surgery to remove the breast or later on.
- Plastic surgeons can reconstruct your breasts with implants or with your own tissue taken from some other place on your body (known as a flap procedure).
- Breast implant surgery is a significantly simpler process than a flap procedure, and therefore, the recovery process is much quicker, but the results may not look or feel as much like natural breasts.
Actress Alicia Witt’s latest film is a supernatural thriller ripe with suspense and emotion. She began filming a few months after she lost her parents and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Witt, 48, known for roles in Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” and “Nashville,” called her role in “Longlegs,” which follows a newly minted FBI agent as she attempts to solve an elusive case involving a serial killer, “personal.”
“It felt as though something within me that needed to be released,” Witt told The Guardian.
The movie began production after Witt’s parents were discovered deceased in 2021. Witt lamented her feelings in January 2022 in an emotional Facebook post about her parents, who were found dead in their run-down home. Witt said she continuously tried to help repair their home, but her parents stubbornly refused.
“I struggle, as much as I helped, with what else I could have done – short of petitioning the court system for taking control of two otherwise very sharp, very independent, very capable adults. They were a united, intertwined, indivisible force, determined to do things their own way,” Witt said.
While coping with grief, she was on the receiving end of a breast cancer diagnosis. Needless to say, when she started filming for the suspense thriller, Witt had lots of pent-up emotion to channel into her acting role.
Helping Patients Better Understand Breast Cancer Treatments
Alicia’s Breast Cancer Journey
Witt, 48, led a private cancer journey until roughly two years ago when she began speaking publicly about it after being inspired by the likes of actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and journalist Katie Couric.
Witt shared her diagnosis a couple of months after she completed chemotherapy before undergoing a mastectomy. She revealed the news in a heartfelt Instagram post that shows her hitting a gong, signaling the end of chemotherapy.
WATCH: Restoring Sensation After a Mastectomy
She admitted after she was diagnosed, she looked at breast cancer survivors actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and journalist Katie Couric for inspiration.
“They’re both out there thriving and working. When I chose to share it, I thought, I really want to let other women know, all of the women who are going to hear that news, just let them know: don’t go to the worst-case scenario in your head. The truth is, most of the time, you’re going to be all right,” Witt said.
Witt said her diagnosis changed her outlook on life, including her drinking habits. She says since alcohol can be a risk factor for cancer, she’s reassessed how much she drinks.
“That’s a big thing that is a risk factor for getting a diagnosis like this. So that’s a choice I’ve made,” Witt said.
What Goes Into Breast Reconstruction Like What Witt Experienced
The reconstruction process can happen at the time of the surgery to remove the breast or later on.
Getting reconstruction surgery is a very personal choice for women to make, and many decide not to go through reconstruction. However, for the women who do, they’ve said that it’s a way for them to feel more like themselves after going through the difficult experience of a breast cancer battle.
“Breast reconstruction is a restoration of a woman’s form and her sense of self. A lot of breast reconstruction is trying to erase the trauma of the mastectomy surgery, putting cancer behind a patient, saying this is in the rearview mirror, and putting her back on track,” Dr. Andrea Pusic, chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Brigham Health previously told SurvivorNet.
WATCH: Breaking Down Breast Reconstruction Options
Plastic surgeons can reconstruct your breasts with implants or with your own tissue taken from some other place on your body, such as your back, your abdomen, or your inner thigh. Reconstruction that uses your own tissue is called a flap procedure. A flap can produce breasts that look and feel more natural than implants.
Like natural breasts, they can also change as your body changes. For example, they can get bigger or smaller as your weight changes. However, not all women are eligible for this surgery, such as those who smoke, have poorly controlled diabetes, circulation problems, or connective tissue disorders. Luckily, there’s another option.
Breast implant surgery is a significantly more straightforward process than a flap procedure; therefore, the recovery process is much quicker. However, implants won’t look and feel as much like natural breasts. As you age or gain or lose weight, the implants will stay the same, which could make them look less natural over time.
Implants can sometimes leak or burst. In this case, you would have to have them replaced. When choosing implants, women will then need to decide whether they want saline or silicone ones.
The main difference between the two is that saline is a sterile saltwater-filled implant and typically requires less monitoring since it’ll be pronounced if it starts leaking. While silicone implants usually feel better and look more realistic, they require more surveillance during an MRI. Additionally, if the silicone leaks, it doesn’t jeopardize your health but will need to be replaced immediately.
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