Sharon Osbourne recently underwent life-altering surgery under the celebrity radar, opting for a double mastectomy after her doctors told her she was at high risk for breast cancer.
The 60-year old wife of rocker Ozzy went through a battle with colon cancer in 2002 against slim odds–about a 30% survival rate–and says when her doctor told her she has a genetic trait which puts her at higher-than-normal risk for breast cancer, she thought of her granddaughter, Pearl.
“For me, it wasn’t a big decision, it was a no-brainer. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life with that shadow hanging over me.
I want to be around for a long time and be a grandmother to Pearl. I didn’t even think of my breasts in a nostalgic way, I just wanted to be able to live my life without that fear all the time,” she said.
Even without the genetic fault, it’s possible Osbourne would have been at risk for developing cancer again, anyway; survivors of the disease are dangerously prone to relapses or to other health risks, as was the case for “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts.
Osbourne says that news of the decision has been met with pity from fans and friends, which isn’t what she wants.
“It’s not “pity me”, it’s a decision I made that’s got rid of this weight that I was carrying around.”