Seattle cancer survivor allowed to swim topless

Jodi Jaecks is seen in a June 20, 2012 photo in Seattle. / Dean Rutz,AP Photo/The Seattle Times

(AP) SEATTLE - A Seattle breast cancer survivor whose breasts were surgically removed has gained the permission to swim topless at a city pool.

But Jodi Jaecks wants to make sure her privilege is also extended to other breast cancer survivors who want to swim comfortably.

"Initially when I heard about the reversal, I was elevated. Then it came that it wasn't a policy change, it was just an exception for me. Then I was quite deflated. It seemed like it was a reaction that it was just meant to appease me," the 47-year-old said Thursday.

On Wednesday, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Christopher Williams announced he was giving Jaecks an exception to the department's clothing policy.

"Our original concern stems from our responsibility to accommodate the needs of all our patrons. In this case, I see nothing that might alarm the public," Williams said in a statement. He was reacting to an article about Jaecks that was published in The Stranger weekly newspaper, which also ran a picture of her topless.

Williams said that he will review on a case-by-case basis requests from people who have had surgery and want to swim.

After enduring two surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy and the surgical removal of both her breasts in March 2011, Jaecks wanted to turn to swimming to regain her strength. But swimsuit tops proved too uncomfortable and nerves on her chest remained tender, Jaecks said.

So she asked the manager at her city pool if she could swim topless earlier this year. Eventually, she heard from the head of the aquatics department, who told her she couldn't.

"And that's when they said it was a policy that they required gender-appropriate clothing ... regardless if I had nipples or whatever," Jaecks said.

Jaecks hasn't swum topless yet. She is planning a swim on Monday. Her exception extends only to adult lap hours.

She plans to meet with Williams next week and ask that her exception be extended to anyone who survived breast cancer.

Jaecks said cancer patients shouldn't be made to feel self-conscious by asking for special permission.

[ralphing]

If this woman thinks she can go topless because she no longer has any breast tissue, why didn't she have the nipples removed during the surgery? It's not like she actually needed them for anything. If she had, she wouldn't have had an issue of them being irritated while wearing a top. Don't most women get implants afterwards?

I see very slim women who hardly have breasts at all. Can they go topless also? What about flat chested 12 year old girls, or ones with tiny buds? Where do you draw the line in who can or can't go topless?

This women is being ridiculous with her request. If she wants to lobby, then it should be that all women be allowed to go topless. Not just women who had surgery.

[obabyo]

How sensitive and kind of you. You sound christain[sic].

[ricktrick]

and just what is wrong with womens breasts?

Let them out!

Let them breath free!

Maybe then you prudes will stop obsessing over them and stop treating them like a sex object.

Grow up! Geeze.

[kma smith]

sounds to me like this woman thinks breast cancer and having her breasts removed has made her less than a woman...NOT! I've had breast cancer and is's only reminded me that I am a woman and will continue to be a woman. Sensationalizing breast cancer is ridiculous and totally unwarranted. Wear your normal swimsuit in public and do what you want in the privacy of your own backyard. Public exposure of mastectomy scars is definitely something people will take second glances at...maybe this is what she's wanting, the
attention. Well, she has it.

[enlightenu]

This helps with raising breast cancer awareness and associated issues.

[ralphing]

So exactly how does awareness helps her or anyone else? The medical community knows about it. The Susan G. Komen foundation knows about it. I also know about it, but even if I didn't, I don't see the need for a topless and scarred woman to be out in public. Now if it applies to ALL women, that's a different story.

[ksharon1]

"Jaecks said cancer patients shouldn't be made to feel self-conscious by asking for special permission."


But swimming topless in public....whether or not one has anything to show in that department, be it boobs or scars where boobs used to be, not a problem. Got it. (eye roll)

[guest173]

do it in private, not in a public pool. we are better than animals, have some modesty, doesn't matter if they were surgically removed.

[ksharon1]

Thank you!

[facelessdrone2005]

One of the all-time stupid comments. What is she showing? She has NO breasts to show, idiot. So, she is showing her plain, unadorned chest. By your "reasoning," men should be required to wear shirts at the pool because they are showing their chests. You know, have some modesty. You know, I don't care if an 86-year-old grandmother goes topless in the pool, it's just breasts. They aren't sex organs and half the population in the world has them. Grow up.

[AnnieDanny]

And why can't people just be decent for the sake of others. People are proud of pushing boundaries. Yeah, we've pushed boundaries so far we're all a bunch of lemmings jumping off the cliffs of insanity. No rules!! No rules!! No rules!!

Nobody has a clue anymore of what Freedom truly means or how we got it or the price that was paid.

Anyway, good for her. She got what she wanted. Yay.

[Transatlantique]

Breasts are such a non issue. We can see her scars, but God forbid her nipples? How stupid can this get?

[55minus5]

I guess this is not a subject for everyone.

[barbaram99]

What about a sports bra..They have no cups..I do have breasts..I wear sports bras under my t shirt..I think she should not go topless..

[gnimelf1968]

What do you care, you're supposedly blind.

[rtw88]

It's the constriction of the fabric against the chest which is causing pain. A sports bra will not work.

[erasmus111]

Well, all I have to say is if people find breasts alarming, they will also find no breasts and scars alarming.

I'm afraid I don't get her reason for not wanting to wear a bathing suit top. Wear a one piece bathing suit. She wears shirts, doesn't she? She could even wear a t shirt.

It sounds like it's more about getting attention than anything else.

[Jaylah54100]

I agree.

As a breast cancer survivor myself, I know that I was a big fan of "jog bras" right after my surgery. (Still am.) They kept the fabric of my shirt from irritating my new scars.

But even double mastectomy patients can't walk around nude from the waste up all the time for the rest of their lives. Just about any breast cancer support site has tips for non-irritating clothing while you recover from surgery.

And if this all dates back to March 2011 (when she had her double mastectomy), she shouldn't be experiencing all that much discomfort by June of 2012. Not if she bothered to do her range of motion exercises as instructed.

[erasmus111]

knsn_for_cmn_sense

No, it doesn't look that bad.

She does admit that she wants to show her scars as a "badge of courage". I think it's more about that than the discomfort, because like Jaylah said, her surgery was over a year ago.

knsn_for_cmn_sense, do I know you from a different name?