New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was such source of incredible support for TV Chef Sandra Lee during her treatment for breast cancer, and now the couple has broken up after 14 years.
Their relationship as on display in an HBO Documentary which Lee released last year following her breast cancer journey. In the documentary, Cuomo appears to be extremely present during her treatment, even wearing scrubs over his suit as he accompanies her into the operating room early on the morning of her cancer surgery.
Read MoreWe reached out for comment on the breakup between â¦@NYGovCuomoâ© and â¦@SandraLeeâ© and were given the following joint statement: pic.twitter.com/E4Ww3VbBbd
Zack Fink (@ZackFinkNews) September 25, 2019
Information about the difficulty of relationships during cancer
Going through a breakup when you're healthy is hard enough going through one while you're already battling cancer is an incredibly difficult challenge. But ovarian cancer survivor Tara Lessard says the experience has taught her a great deal about compassion.
Tara and her partner of five years broke up while Tara was going through treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. She says that during the cancer journey, her ex began to see her as a patient instead of a partner and that made the relationship too difficult to continue. "Any person who's experienced a breakup, having later stage cancer, I understand it," Tara says. "It's a challenge, and it's hard. I get it."
Survivor Tara Lassard on going through a breakup during cancer
After the breakup, Tara's mom began acting as her caregiver. "I see now, my mom has been my caretaker, and I see love through her and what that looks like when it's the love of a parent vs. the love or a partner," Tara says. "I can just say that it's a difficult place to be … it's often a thankless job. It's a 24/7 job. I'm an advocate now, as a cancer patient, for caregivers."
Tara says that the whole experience, the breakup and watching her mom take over the caregiver role, showed her just how much pressure is put onto people who act as caregivers. Now, she advocates for people like her mother to make sure they're receiving the support they need in the challenging, but incredibly critical role.
Sandra Lee’s breast cancer journey documentary
Rarely has a famous person allowed the world an up-close view of her decision making process after being diagnosed with breast cancer. SurvivorNet attended the premeire of HBO’s new documentary with celebrity chef Sandra Lee, “RX: Early Detection – A Cancer Journey With Sandra Lee.” Lee, who is also the longtime partner of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is seen soliciting information from some of the top doctors in the country in order to make her decision about treatment, and ultimately whether to have her breasts removed.
Related: “Instead of a Sick Person, He Saw Bravery”: Survivor CC Webster Shares Her Love Story
Lee decided to remove her breasts. Many women, of course, make different decisions. What's remarkable about this film is a very personal view of this process. As we live in a world where it's hard to escape politics, people who look out for these things will also notice the very prominent and warm role Gov. Cuomo plays. We're not going to go there. We think any awareness is good awareness, especially when it comes to disease.
What is also really important to note is that after her surgery in the film, Lee had very significant complications as a result of the procedure. These sorts of complications from breast cancer surgery are often overlooked in the conversation about how much progress there has been in breast cancer treatment. There has been enormous progress … but complications still happen.
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