00:00Even you have removed part of your breasts or both of your breasts, it doesn't make you less of a woman, right?
00:05Because how you identify yourself, I mean, all those years living as a woman itself would help you to identify yourself as a woman.
00:13But those who have to remove entirely half of their breasts on whichever side,
00:18then they may have this psychosocial body image, you know, distortion.
00:24I mean, so how have you seen in your practice?
00:28Yeah, I mean, when you're asking this question, I have this one client that just pops out of my head
00:32because the first thing that she asked me when I met her was that,
00:37does it make me less of a woman when I have gone through mastectomy?
00:41And that question hurt me so much.
00:45It hurt me because it's like, hey, what made you a woman is not because you have breasts.
00:51I mean, maybe biologically, yes, but even you have removed part of your breasts or both of your breasts,
00:58it doesn't make you less of a woman, right?
01:00Because how you identify yourself, I mean, all those years living as a woman itself would help you to identify yourself as a woman, right?
01:08So, and I keep on thinking what would actually contribute to this question from this client.
01:15And I can imagine that, you know, the client's background, family support may not be there.
01:20And then to make her feel so fearful, you know, to be less of a woman because she has to go through mastectomy.
01:28And so that is the problem that we face sometime in the community where they're still very fearful of what's going to happen to them, their identity.
01:37I understand that when you got diagnosed with cancer, your role would have changed.
01:41I mean, previously, you are a mom, you know, you are able to breastfeed, but then now you can't.
01:46So it's just going to be challenging, but it doesn't mean that you are less of an identity that you already preserved and created for so long.
01:54So in order to work through that, it's to help them to remind that, hey, what have you gone through?
02:00Help them to rediscover themselves again.
02:03If they wish to change their identity, because maybe previously they were a mom and then now it's a cancer patient or previously it's a caregiver.
02:14And then now they have to take on the role as a patient.
02:16So all these are changes that we have to just adjust and make peace with, come to terms with the adjustment.
02:23So it doesn't mean that even you have been forced to go through all these processes in which you're less of a person you are.
02:30You're still the same you, just that, hey, maybe physically you are different, but you are still you.
02:35I know, I have knew you for so long.
02:39Doesn't mean that because of going through some procedure, then you are different now.
02:44So patients have to actually understand as well.
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