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ASKBetty Ford died this past week. She was an under rated First Lady in my opinion. Those of us in the breast cancer community have a very soft spot for Betty Ford. In 1974 when at age 56, she openly talked about her breast cancer it was very controversial. From the White House, discussion about the First Lady’s health made the evening news. What was new was not her cancer or her treatments but that it was openly discussed! Breast cancer was usually spoken in whispers and often not directly to the patient but to her husband.
The director of the Susan Komen for the Cure here in Oregon is a 35 year breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed after the birth of her child but her husband was told her diagnosis first. This was after Betty Ford, yet her doctor thought she was too excitable of a person to understand her disease state!
Betty Ford was open about her disease and her course of treatment, a mastectomy. In 1974, breast conservation was not a viable option. A radical mastectomy was standard surgical protocol. With her news and frankness and newspaper pictures, Betty Ford helped to start American women breast cancer awareness.
Betty Ford was a pioneer in alcohol and drug additions also. She was an advocate for mental health. One of my favorite quotes from Betty Ford showing her candid and frankness was when asked about her husband’s political career she answered “I didn’t think he could win”.
Betty Ford started the awareness of breast cancer by being vocal. The Susan Komen foundation, http://www.komen.org/ started a few years later fueling the momentum for breast cancer awareness.
In the 37 years since Betty Ford told the world she had breast cancer, much has changed for the better in the diagnosis and treatments of the disease. The legacy also that Betty Ford leaves is she lived to be 93 and did not die of breast cancer!
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Thank-you Pat for your kind words.
August 4, 2011 - 1:05pmI agree 100% with you that action is needed.
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Thanks for the beautiful tribute Haralee. When Betty Ford spoke out publicly thousands of women were inspired to start taking charge of their own breast health. Others, including professional women in healthcare, moved forward in changing service delivery and treatment. Even later, as women became more educated and empowered, providers were less able to give second rate services or pat women on the head and tell them to blindly accept a mastectomy as the only treatment option. Few young women today really get this - how hidden breast cancer was in the past, how barbaric the treatment was, and how many millions of women died simply because this medical condition was not addressed publicly or properly. I am not talking about the distant past, these conditions existed in many US communities in the 1990's and exist in many countries today. I applaud your personal efforts to educate others Haralee and invite others in the EmpowHER community to do the same. Betty Ford will be looking on and smiling. She would add that breast cancer awareness is not enough, action is needed too.
July 16, 2011 - 7:30pmThanks Missie for your comments. She was a great woman for just speaking out!
July 14, 2011 - 2:31pmHi Haralee,
Well written and certainly worth our thanks. Betty Ford was certainly a pioneer and will be missed very much. Thank goodness that her legacy will live on for many years to come.
Missie
July 11, 2011 - 11:12am