Wanda Sykes reveals a shocking revelation on Monday’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The 47-year-old comedienne will speak about her diagnosis of breast cancer which required her to undergo a double mastectomy earlier this year.
“I had real big boobs, and I just got tired of knocking over stuff. Every time I eat…Oh, lord. I’d carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore, so it was time to have a reduction. It wasn’t until after the reduction that, in the lab work, the pathology, that they found that I had DCIS [ductal carcinoma in situ] in my left breast.
“I was very, very lucky,” she continued, “because DCIS is basically stage zero cancer. So I was very lucky. But cancer is cancer. Wanda speaks of her choice to have a double mastectomy: “I had the choice of, you can go back every three months and get it checked. Have a mammogram, MRI every three months just to see what it’s doing. But I’m not good at keeping on top of stuff. I’m sure I’m overdue for an oil change and a teeth cleaning already. I have a lot of breast cancer history on my mother’s side of the family, which I didn’t know about.”
Wanda of course was funny about her situation like any good comic would be who has survived the worst. “I was like, I don’t know, should I talk about it or what? How many things could I have? I’m black, then lesbian. I can’t be the poster child for everything! At least with the LGBT issues we get a parade, we get a float, it’s a party. I was real hesitant about doing this because, I hate walking. I got a lot of walks coming up!”
