'My cancer brought us closer': Rita Wilson says relationship with husband Tom Hanks stronger than ever after double mastectomy
Rita Wilson has gone on the record about the 'amazing care' she received from husband Tom Hanks following her breast cancer diagnosis and surgery.
In an interview with the New York Times, the 58-year-old says the couple laughed, cried and watched movies before and after she had both breasts removed in April to stop the cancer spreading.
'Who knew it would make you even closer?' she said.
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Stronger than ever: Rita Wilson has revealed that her breast cancer diagnosis and surgery has brought her and husband Tom Hanks even closer together and says she was 'blown away' by the care he gave her
Before her diagnosis, neither Wilson nor Hanks, who have been married for 27 years, had ever faced a serious illness.
'You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this,' she said. 'I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me. It was such a normal, intimate time.'
And right on cue, during her interview with the NY Times, her cell phone rang and it was Hanks, 58, calling from Italy for a Facetime chat.
The double Oscar winner has just started filming his third Dan Brown movie Inferno in Florence for director and pal Ron Howard.
Phoning home: The Oscar winning actor is currently in Italy filming his new movie Inferno but keeps in close touch with his wife via Facetime chats on his cell phone
Back on set: Hanks is reprising his role as Robert Langdon for the third film based on The Da Vinci Code character. While he is in Florence shooting the movie, Wilson is in New York where she's starring on Broadway
Wilson returned to her Broadway play Fish In The Dark on Tuesday in which she plays the wife of Larry David.
Although she didn't need chemotherapy or radiation, she says she still exhausted and she's still dealing with the consequences of the double mastectomy.
'Let’s face it — it’s an amputation,' she said.
She's currently fitted with a tissue expander in her chest that over time will make room for her new breasts.
When she finally gets to the point where she can have reconstructive surgery, the actress believes that her fake boobs will 'look awesome.'
Happy to be working again: Wilson, shown here in January, returned to the play Fish in the Dark on Tuesday for the first time since her breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy in April
One of the reasons she's speaking out about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is to encourage other women to trust their instincts when it comes to their health.
She made it clear from the start that it was only because she insisted on a second opinion that the disease was discovered at all.
'For me, this is about telling people, ‘You can get a second opinion — your insurance will pay for it, even Obamacare, God bless it, will pay for it,’' she said in the interview. 'It’s so easy to say, ‘I’m just being paranoid,’ but you should trust your gut.'
Treading the boards: The actress, 58, is delighted to be back on Broadway. She didn't have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment following her surgery last month
On the mend! In March, Wilson took a medical leave of absence from the Larry David 'funeral comedy' in order to have a bilateral mastectomy after her suspicions of breast cancer were confirmed by a second opinion
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