After undergoing a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis, Christina Applegate will have reconstructive surgery around her birthday at the end of this month.
“I still have quite a process until this is done,” the actress says in the new issue of TV Guide. “Yes, it’s hard. It sucks. But I’m not a victim.”
She will undergo reconstructive surgery near her 37th birthday, at the end of November. She had a double mastectomy in July.
Applegate – a workaholic who clocks 14 to 16 hour days on Samantha Who – changed her outlook on life after her spring diagnosis.
“I started looking for a beach house the day I found out I had this little disease,” she says. “You just kind of go, ‘What are you waiting for to get the things that you want and the things you dream of?’
“I don’t own tomorrow or yesterday – today is all I’ve got,” she adds. “And if I don’t make today good, then I’m only gonna’ be p–ssed off tomorrow!”
Applegate has also taken time for herself to grieve. Just weeks before having both her breasts removed this summer, two of her cats died and her ex-boyfriend, Lee Grivas, was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.
“To be honest, I think that was even more difficult and more painful than anything else,” she says of Grivas’ death. “It still is a lot of the time.”
She draws from her recent painful experiences for her day job as a sitcom star.
“I think I’m bringing a lot of me now to Sam, just in the sense of, ‘This too shall pass,’ you know?” she says.
I think Christina Applegate is amazing for talking about this publicly. The decision to have a double mastectomy is an extreme and often controversial one.
In Australia a breast reconstruction following cancer is considered cosmetic, unnecessary surgery, and is not completely covered by our public health system, but I think that attitude needs to change. It can be a final step in recovery, for some women, to feel they are getting their femininity back.
Christina is currently working on Samantha Who? where she plays the title character as well as performing duties as producer. I get the impression from comments made by her colleagues that she has a strong work ethic, and chose to not have chemo primarily to preserve her fertility, but also so that production on the series could continue.
Christina Applegate is shown on the set of “Everything Is Going to Be Just Fine” in LA on 11/4/08. Credit: ODuran/Fame Pictures
What an inspiration Christina is to millions of women world wide who suffer from “this little disease”. i applaude her for her courage and what she offers of herself by going through this so publicly. It gives me some perspective, “I don’t own tomorrow or yesterday – today is all I’ve got”.
what a horrible year!! God bless her..
I know… I loved that quote SixxKitty – Can’t think of a better way to say it. This gal earns more and more of my respect on a daily basis.
100% agree with earlier comments and am inspired too by her courage and positive approach in the face of such a life-threatening, life-changing event.
What an incredibly strong woman. Just wow.
She is amazing. She’s been so open about this whole thing, and seems to take it in stride when you KNOW there has been a lot of crying going on in private. Classy lady.
Poor thing 🙁
I admire her, and respect her, and also think she is beautiful. 🙂
I hope everything goes well for the reconstruction with a smooth recovery. She made a difficult, lifesaving choice, and I admire her strength.
Just when I think I can’t love this woman anymore, she throws out my main motto:
“I think I’m bringing a lot of me now to Sam, just in the sense of, ‘This too shall pass,’ you know?” she says.
“This too shall pass” has gotten me through some pretty dark times. Sounds cheesy, but yeah. Love this woman. Keep on keepin’ on, Christina 🙂