Healthy Limbs Amputation

In looking at the British article about the controversial decision a man made to have his healthy limbs amputated. He had a debilitation disease where he had an obsession over the inadequacy with a part of his leg. The problem was that his limb was completely healthy and it is considered unethical to amputate healthy limbs. The man never wanted the limb there and that is where the issue came from. It was difficult to find a surgeon to perform the operation because many found it contrary to thier beliefs. Also, many surgeons considered their reputation in this way because they did not want to be labeled in that way. The article also dealt with the ideas of becoming less "normal" by changing something about oneself. It resonates on the idea that outside sources will always have a say in how we live and lives and the decisions we make. It is impossible to escape the "peanut gallery". In my opinion I feel that if a person made a conscious decision to remove a part of their body then it should not be a problem. If they know the ramifications of their actions, then it is their own call.

Article Response

In looking at the article "Cancer Free at 33, but Weighing a Mastecomy" we see the overall quarrel that people have with removing a part of their body. In Cancer Free... the quarrel was with the womans family who did not want her to have her mastecomy because they felt it was dehumanizing. No one like the idea of removing breats because it is such a defining feature in the eyes of the Deborah's mom. The importance was that it was a safety precaution against the spreading of cancer. I think that the hardest part for the mom was they were healthy enough to survive but still very dangerous. It did not matter how long it took for the cancer to develop, it was inevitable. Deborah made the choice to alter herself and change a defining part of her appearence and that was hard for her mom. Deborah's mom saw it as something that was not necessary at the time and was simply dissapointed by the fact that Deborah was so willing to do the operation even though it was not necessary. The conflict took special consideration because it was difficult to part with something that had become so defining in who she was seen as.