I'll be jumping around a little bit because there's
a lot I haven't posted yet from the past couple months, BUT this is
something that deserves an interruption and me putting some other things
on the side to address.
Today is World Cancer Day. Not
something you think happy thoughts about or get all giddy and excited
about, but there's a few reasons why this day is so important. 1 in
every 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their
life. The amount of people that suffer and die from cancer is just gut
wrenching. There's many more statistics that you should know, but also
myths that are swarming around the general population that need to be
debunked!
World Cancer Day is
here to bring awareness, to bring people together, to educate people on
cancer, to honor those that have lost the fight and those that, by God's
grace have survived, it's also (maybe most importantly) to promote
prevention.
I've been wondering when, how, or even IF I
should share this, but in the spirit of maybe it could save a life I'm
going to make myself vulnerable here. I didn't know a lot. Most people
don't. But I'm going to share with you something extremely personal,
hoping maybe it could help someone else. I'll try and keep this as short
and to the point as possible...
This past summer
(august I think) My mom called me in tears telling me that she tested
positive for BRCA2. Yup, I was pretty clueless. I had no idea what that
meant and honestly didn't remember her telling me she was going to be
tested for anything and this was clearly serious. She insisted that I
get tested right away so I did a week later. It takes a while to get the
results back and while we waited my sister was getting married and my
Mom's dad (Papa) was suffering and losing his battle with cancer (mesothelioma). My family is very close. My Nena and Papa (moms parents) were living at my parents house as my Papa's battle was halting
his life. So our lives were wrapped up in other things and before I
knew it, on October 7th I received the call, that I too was BRCA2
positive.
So I'll stop here and explain. What is BRCA2?
BRCA1 and
BRCA2 are human
genes that produce
tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged
DNA and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of the
cell’s
genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered,
such that its protein product is not made or does not function
correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. As a result, cells
are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead
to cancer.
Specific
inherited mutations in
BRCA1 and
BRCA2 increase the risk of female
breast and
ovarian cancers, and they have been associated with increased risks of several additional types of cancer. Breast cancers associated with
BRCA1 and
BRCA2 mutations tend to develop at younger ages than
sporadic breast cancers.
12% of women will one day get breast cancer by the time they are
70. That risk increases to 45% automatically for anyone who tests + for
the BRCA2 mutation. That percent goes up even further if there is a
history of breast cancer in the family on either the father or mothers
side. in nearly half of families with multiple cases of breast cancer
and in
up to 90 percent of families with both breast and ovarian cancer, their
disease is caused by harmful mutations in
BRCA1 or
BRCA2.
Earlier
this past summer my mom received an email and phone calls from her out
of state family telling her of a couple of them that had recently been
diagnosed with breast cancer and the BRCA2 genetic mutation. So they
told my mom to get tested as this was clearly genetic and they were
concerned for my mom. She wasn't
expecting to test positive at all. Neither was I. But when it comes to
cancer, prevention is key. Its hard to explain this or have it affect
someone who's never seen a loved one suffer from it... and lose the
battle. You can fight and fight but so many cancers are just too hard to
get rid of once they take claim on your body. I don't know a lot about
cancers across
the board, but I will say this... If you have a history of breast
cancer in your family, ask if any of them were tested for the genetic
mutation. A long time ago they didn't do this. But now, if you get
breast cancer they automatically test to see if its genetic. If someone
tested positive, please consider getting tested!! There ARE things that
you can do to avoid breast cancer and try and stay ahead.
My mom decided to have a double mastectomy (November) and is still in the process of that. She's 50 and just lost her dad, so it was a no brainer
for her. We thank God every day that she was found to be cancer free so
she is no longer considered "high risk" for breast cancer now that shes
had this surgery. After much thought, prayer, and research I'll be
doing the same. I'm 30, done having kids, and don't want to live under
this cloud of waiting to hear bad news. That's
my choice, but its not the only one. There are other things you can do
to actively work at preventing breast cancer. Mammograms, MRI's,
and even a chemo type pill that could take the high percentage down a
bit. These just didn't seem right for me for many reasons. A double
mastectomy is going to greatly interrupt my life for a long time, put me
in a position to need a lot of care and help with the kids, and is
going to bring a possibility of many complications along the way, but I
have the most peace about this option than anything else. I want to feel
like I've done all I can to stick around for my kids and Neil. Time is
precious, we only get one body, one chance, and I don't want to have any
regrets later in life. In the beginning I was upset that I tested
positive, more upset that I knew the truth. But now after a few months
of time to let things sink in and be there for my mom, I realize it's a
blessing. This life is going to hurt, we are going to suffer, but I'd
rather suffer this way, then leave myself more vulnerable to suffering
from cancer. I'm not saying I'm convinced I wont ever get cancer after
surgery, I'm aware that my risk becomes that of the normal population
(12%), and there's
many other cancers out there, but I'll have better peace of mind knowing
that I'm doing all I possibly can knowing I'm at high risk!
I'm
open to discussing it with anyone who has questions, but I'd greatly
encourage you to do your research. I didn't even know there was a
history of breast cancer in our family! Generally speaking, there are
things we can do to try and keep cancer at bay or catch it as early as
possible to give ourselves a fighting chance. Today, look into your
family history and research what you can do to prevent these types of
cancers. Medicine is constantly coming up new and improved ways. Really
hope this was helpful as that was my ultimate motivation. I'm not sure
how much more I'll be sharing on here (this is still a little awkward
for me if I'm to be completely honest) but like I said, I'm open to
questions if you want to comment here, facebook message me, or email me :)
