Though an important weapon in the battle against breast cancer, a mastectomy can take a serious emotional toll on a woman! A mom of two faced it with extraordinary, strength, courage and joy.
Last month, when Deborah Cohan, 44, an Ob/Gyn (obstetrician/gynecologist) in San Francisco, California found out that she was having a bilateral mastectomy (surgical removal of both breasts) for breast cancer she decided to make her final pre-op moments unique.
Minutes before undergoing surgery to have her breasts removed Cohan held a dance party with her medical team in the operating room of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Clad in a baggy blue gown and colorful cap, Cohan along with anesthetists and nurses in scrubs grooved, laughed and shook their booty to Beyonce’s catchy hit “Get Me Bodied.”
Cahon has also asked friends and family to make videos of themselves dancing for her to watch while recouping from surgery.
In a blog documenting her fight with cancer, Cohan wrote, “My fantasy is for you to play the song and dance wherever you happen to be (in the kitchen, the carwash, subway platform [Dan!], classroom, Labor and Delivery unit, wherever!) — ideally at 7:30am but really anytime Tuesday. It would be extra remarkable if you could send me a photo (or, better yet, a short video segment) of you dancing (via caringbridge.org or deborahcohan1@gmail.com). I have visions of a healing video montage. Nothing brings me greater joy than catalyzing others to dance, move, be in their bodies. Are you with me people?”
The inspiring 6-minute-long video was posted on Nov. 5, the day she had her operation. As of noon on Thursday, the video had garnered nearly 700,000 clicks.
