World Cancer Day

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 :)