I caught a quick glimpse of the News of the World headline on BBC news and have just found this story on the News of the World website…
newsoftheworld.co.uk/showbiz/801503/Coronation-Streets-Sally-Whittaker-in-real-cancer-agony.html
apparantly Sally was diagnosed just before they started filming the scenes shown at Christmas… which had to be filmed in an intensive block due to her illness… it all puts a totally different light on how Coronation Street dealt with the story and why so little has been seen of Sally since…
sending her and her family lots of love
Theresa x
So sorry to hear this,we wondered where she had gone.
I can’t imagine how hard it must have been filming those BC scenes.
Take care Sally,
Love
Dot
xxx
Sad to hear - always sad to hear of another diagnosis.
But honestly this tabloid article is EVERYTHING I hate about the way this disease is presented in the media - “killer disease” “tragedy” “heartbreaking” “horrific” “courageous” “battle”
“grim” - all the blooming cliches.
Heart disease kills more women than breast cancer but you never hear a heart disease diagnosis talked of in these terms.
I would really like to see the cancer charities putting some pressure on the media to take their collective foot off the over-emotive pedal. And get them to FACT CHECK.
Yes cancer is disgusting and frightening but there is almost a fetishism about the word “cancer” that I know drives oncologists round the bend. When women are diagnosed with the disease they are dealing with the reality of it as well as the OTT myths attached to it too.
I’m with you on that one. I suppose that our culture fetishes breasts so it’s almost inevitable. Doesn’t mean it has to stay that way and it would be good to see cancer charities working with the media including glossy magazines to get facts right.
Elinda
Really sorry to hear this. I also had wondered why she always seemed to be hiding away in Corrie.
Hugs and strength to her and her family
She xx
The press will always sensationalise, it’s how they attract readers & sell copies, which is after all their primary aim. Who was it who once said there was no such thing as bad publicity ?
We need loads more research to find out why there are so many of us in this horrible club that none of us wanted to join, so wouldn’t it be good if the press donated some of the revenue that they perceive they’ve made by publishing these stories to that cause ?
I wish Sally all the very best, it must have been so hard for her to be filming what we all thought was a fictional storyline while going through it for real. We’ve said before that the celebs may not have the same pressures as we common folk, but, my god they certainly have their own stuff to deal with. We’re all equal in this situation.
wondered why she had disappeared, must have been so hard for her, hope she told the writers what it is really like. Wish her well as every other woman or man who has to go through this xxx
Never realised what a good actress she was! No way l could have gone through that knowing l had bc
Sending her and her family our thoughts and love
Sandra xxx
i am so blown away that Sally managed to film those scenes, what a fabulous woman, i have seen the news of the world and sally had done a magazine interview which is out on tuesday ( don’t know whcih mag tho) and has donated the fee to charity, plus she was already championing this cause for all of us who have been through this, are going through this and sadly will go through it in time to come. I for one was glad to have seen the corry storyline when i was diagnosed with this, though i never dreamt it would affect me a few short weeks after watching it. I just think well done, well done, well done, well done.
I totally agree and wish her that continued strength and strong spirit
galen x
I thought at the time the characters portrayal of breast cancer was pretty poor and a wasted opportunity. Really shocked to hear in real life Sally has also joined this not so exclusive club, but I still feel even more that yet again a wasted opp by TV or celebs to assist in hilighting this disease. People who do hilight it appear to have lower stage cancer (no demeening that at all) but the number of people I hear talk about it as though it is a minor op/condition is unreal.
Sally Whittaker has had chemo etc and what a great way to promote would have been to have this on the show, I noticed her picture in Hello mag, I’m sorry maybe I am bitter and twisted but noone evershows the world the round fat face from steriods or herceptin, the lose of eye brows and lashes (always painted on or falsh on show) or the bald head (although sally has done this). For once why does someone not just show it how it is so everyone really knows, I get sick and tired of all the pretence. There are more diagnosis at a higher grading and stage than we see on tv.(to those ladies and men with lower grading again i am not deemining your plight) I just think people would do more in lots of ways and after all it is about educating people.
Even I kept a little video diary to show people.
Come on BCC and those TV shows/press etc that contact BCC lets get real. Stop painting up the cancer women for photo shoots and show us as we really are - anyway on publications it would be nice to show a bad day and a good cancer day. You know the days we cant be bothered to put on make up and pretend eye brow and lashes as well as the days we do want to be feminine again!!!
I do wish EVERYONE in this not so exclusive club well.
Sorry if my ranting makes anyone feel worse today
xxxxxxx
Hello jo68
I agree with everything you say. There are those of us who are going through hell to get rid of this horrid disease and yet the celebrity stars who have breast cancer seem to come out unscathed or is the press, media and the stars money hiding it?
Im on my fifth chemo (tax) and what a horrid chemo it is. It has been reduced by 20% as I was so bad last time. the tips of my fingers are dry and cracked, I have bone and joint ache, I’m petrified of dying and lay awake at night thinking is this my last night or will I survive chemo, herceptin, radiotherapy and tamoxifen.
Without my current treatment I was given a 65% chance of survival for five years as I am grade 3, 2 positive nodes and her2 positive. I want to know what the famous people suffer from.
I know one person who had breast cancer 20 years ago and had a mastectomy like me, but no reconstruction, not like me and that is it, no chemo or radiotherapy.
Hi Everyone
This topic has moved from the first post focus which was how celebs are ‘presented’ to the public via the media. I know that they only have a small level of control over the info/pics issued, but the lives they live are so different to those of us in the real world that of couse we will see the ‘glossy’ side of BC.Just as I wouldnt go out without my ‘slap’, they are the same. I like to look as good as I can, same as before my DX.
I feel sad when I hear this oft reported ‘scale’ of treatment-‘only dcis’ or ‘only rads’ or ‘only whatever’.
I ‘only’ had DCIS, multi-focal,no node involvement,had mastectomy then Tamoxifen, but I still had BC.The effects to your emotions are similar, if not the treatment.
I dont know what is recorded in the national statistics for BC, but I know several ladies who have had the same kind of treatment as me.We are all different and manage this whole journey in our own way.
Cathie x
I just feel sorry and sad for everyone who has BC whatever the scale of the illness .
To be in the public eye and have to try and look cheery when you might actually be feeling like poo , I don´t think i could do that .Have just heard that Lynne redgrave has died , it´s certainly no respecter of wealth and fame .
However the media portray it , it won´t suit all of us , and I´m sure there´s a lot of people with BC who don´t want to read anything about it ,find it hard enough to cope with it themselves without reading about others .
I have found the news over the last few days very upsetting as i am sure have many more.
As I had my first check up on Friday since being dx in Feb 08 and thankfully all ok for now it has come at what has been I find a very emotional few days. I wonder am I alone in finding a checkup very emotional. It brings back so many many very bad memories. I only managed to get this check up by asking to be referred to a different hospital where it is their policy to check every six months from dx. There does not seem to be any standard for checkups. Treatment yes.
The bc journey is a long hard road for some of us and I find the future uncertain. I was unfortunate to have a mastectomy 6 lymph nodes involved, 4 of FEC & taxotere, the taxotere I found to be dreadful, 12 rads, 18 herceptin and 5 years of Arimidex.
I developed lymphoedema early on in Dec 08 - again little help so far - and have terrible pains in my feet caused by the Arimidex so much so that it is difficult to walk at times. Also my hair and nails are in a terrible state.
So it is difficult to feel positive all in all but many say who have not had it but isnt it great there are so many treatments now.
But good luck to all of those going through treatment, take good care of yourselves it does make a difference I found to the tolerance of treatment, eating well when you can and the right things is also very important I found.
xx
So sorry to hear about Sallys real life DX of BC, goodness knows how she managed to play those scenes portraying BC at christmas, i wondered why she had been away for so long.
Hugs to her and her family.
Was so sorry to read today of Lynn Redgrave who died yesterday after a 7 year journey with BC, so very sad.
Linda
I too wish Sally Whittaker the very best and hope she copes well with this horrible disease.
The scene in Coronation Street which struck me most was when Sally was standing in the street (obviously having recently been given her diagnosis - although the general public didn’t know) and the camera whirled around and around whilst she stood transfixed. If ever there was a more accurate fictional portrayal of that ‘moment’ then I would like to see it! It is a tribute both to the woman and her power as an actress that this ‘moment’ took my breath away.
I wish you all you wish yourselves…
AlexG
Must admit i was full of admiration for Sally when i opened the newspaper and she was sitting with her hair just starting to show.
I know i could not do it and when i go out i always wear some make-up and try and look okay, i did it before and i will keep doing it.
Funnily enough i wondered where she got to but never thought it was bc.
Reneex