Beat Breast Cancer Like a Boss
Looking ahead to a special ACCJ May event
Today, I am a seasoned television producer and reporter with a decade of covering the White House, the US Department of State, and Capitol Hill under my belt. I’ve been in plenty of high-stakes situations where it pays to be cool, calm, and collected, whether it’s writing a scoop on deadline, chasing senators through the basement of the Capitol building, or grilling the White House press secretary in the briefing room.
Ali Rogin
Producer PBS NewsHour foreign team
But 10 years ago, I was a scared-out-of-my-mind college senior who had just found out I had a genetic mutation that made it likely—about 80 percent likely—that I would develop breast cancer at some point, having tested positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation.
I was in a panic and had no idea where to turn. I was just a college kid—I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about breast cancer! Besides a few words about having children before the age of 35, my genetic counselor didn’t give me a lot of advice. So, I met with a few doctors, one of whom told me she was seeing more and more young women opt for a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
Making Choices
It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was the right choice for me. I no longer viewed my breasts as assets; they were ticking time bombs.
But I had all sorts of questions that the doctors couldn’t really answer. What was the best time in my life to take two weeks off to have life-changing surgery? Should I do it while in college, or should I wait until I was out in the real world? Would I miss my natural breasts? What about dating? When was the right time to disclose to potential boyfriends that I was in various stages of chest renovation?
Our challenges all take different forms, but, at their core, they are the same—they force us to make hard decisions and ask ourselves difficult questions.
And when I did decide to have the surgery while in college, I got so many questions about why I was doing this at such a young age. Didn’t I want to keep my breasts until I snagged a husband? What about losing out on the joys of breastfeeding?
Overall, I was lucky. I went through that whole period quite bravely and defiantly. Besides those initial few days of panic, I never looked back and ended up answering many of those questions myself. Nevertheless, I often felt as though I was traveling this road alone.
Helping Others
My experience has led me to appreciate that, when you’re going through a trial, community matters. That’s why I decided to write Beat Breast Cancer Like a Boss. It helps to hear from and connect with other people who have been through similar experiences—not just to seek advice, but simply to commiserate.
Kathy Matsui is a perfect exemplar. The former Goldman Sachs Japan vice-chair also faced breast cancer. And like every individual navigating a new, life-changing health challenge, she had to chart a course of action that she was comfortable with. In Kathy’s case, that included the difficult decision to take a leave of absence from work and travel from Japan to the United States for care.
Breast Cancer and Careers: A Conversation with Kathy Matsui and Ali Rogin
May 26, 2021
Hosted by the Independent Business, Healthcare, and Women in Business Committees
Following her treatment, she was at a crossroads. Did she want to return to her career full time or was breast cancer a signal that she should dial back work a bit? Her health crisis afforded her invaluable clarity: she loved her job and looked forward to returning to it. There was nothing she’d rather be doing with her time.
My hope in writing Beat Breast Cancer Like a Boss is that it will help you relate to aspects of each woman’s breast cancer battle, and that you can apply some of the messages in the book to whatever it is you’re going through—whether it’s breast cancer, a different type of cancer, or a challenge that has nothing at all to do with your physical health.
Our challenges all take different forms, but, at their core, they are the same—they force us to make hard decisions and ask ourselves difficult questions. The book can serve as one mallet in the toolbox that can help you take on any of life’s challenges.
Continuing along this journey, in late May, Kathy and I will be having a conversation about these challenges, decisions, and what we’ve learned from them at a special ACCJ virtual event. I hope you will join us.
THE JOURNAL
Vol. 58 Issue 4
A flagship publication of The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), The ACCJ Journal is a business magazine with a 58-year history.
Christopher Bryan Jones, Publisher & Editor
