Wanda Sykes never second-guessed her decision to have a double mastectomy after she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.
“To me, it was, ‘They’re just boobs,'” the comedian says. “Do you want your boobs or your life? I went with life.”
Sykes, who stars in a new Super Bowl ad promoting breast cancer awareness, learned in 2011 she had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a early form of breast cancer in which the cancer cells have not spread beyond the milk duct in the breast. The cancer was discovered after Sykes underwent breast reduction surgery, and the comedian opted for a double mastectomy as a preventive measure.
“It’s weird to say ‘fortunate’ when it comes to breast cancer, but I was fortunate that it happened to me at a very early stage,” says Sykes, who’s partnered with pharmaceutical company Novartis to encourage women to visit the website YourAttentionPlease.com and find out more about screenings and their risk for breast cancer. “I know so many women who weren’t as fortunate. Early detection is key. If we can get through to some women, ‘Think about your breast health’ … I think it will save lives.”
Since her own diagnosis, Sykes says she’s diligent about maintaining own health — and making sure her wife of 16 years, Alex, does so too. “I make sure she’s on top of it,” she says.
At 60, The Upshaws star is “feeling great right now. It’s diet and exercise,” she says.
Although she admits the “bounce back” is a little tougher now (“you can’t just walk off stuff anymore like you used to”), she says aging — and being on the other side of menopause has its pros too. “I think I’m done with the hot flashes…and the irritability that came with it. You were just always annoyed,” she says. “But now it’s like, I’m good. I’m feeling all right — maybe even a little sexy!”
Her family, including the couple’s 15-year-old twins Olivia and Lucas, help keep her fit and healthy. “My wife, she’s 10 years younger [than I am], so she’s pretty active,” she says. “And the kids, they want to do things and you go along with them. Over Christmas break, I’m on the beach jogging with my son. I like to impress them a bit — they think it’s cool, like ‘Mom’s keeping up.'”
Her kids were toddlers when Sykes had her mastectomy, and they remember what she went through. “It was a big deal. My son would climb up on the bed and point at me and go, ‘boo-boo,'” she recalls. “So they know how important it is for me to get this message out.”
The whole family will be watching on Sunday — “they think it’s pretty cool that their mom’s in the Super Bowl,” says Sykes, who’s rooting for Philadelphia (“Go birds,” she cheers as she holds up an Eagles ball cap). “I love watching the games. And now I get to think, ‘Woo, is my ad up?’ It will be fun to see the impact. I’m waiting to walk down the streets in New York and someone’s like, ‘Hey, Wanda. How’s your boobs?’ I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened.”