Family History
My Grandma's sister has had breast cancer twice, the second time it spread throughout her body, she died with my Grandma by her side. Before she died she tested positive for BRCA1, a mutation that my Grandma shares. My Grandma has also had breast cancer twice but she has been lucky enough to beat it and is now all clear.
Grandma had three children, two daughters and a son. The two daughters were tested for the gene with my mother testing positive and her sister negative. My Uncle has never had children and has never been tested.
Fortunately my mum has never had breast or ovarian cancer, she had her ovaries removed a few years ago and undergoes yearly mammograms. She has decided not to have a mastectomy, preferring instead to have screening. I pray she never gets breast cancer but if she does, this increased screening will mean that it is caught early enough to be treated effectively.
I have two older brothers, one now has a young daughter and has recently started on the journey towards learning his genetic status. He has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene, if he didn't inherit it there is no chance of his daughter being BRCA1+...I hope that this is the case and that my young niece will never have to face the decisions that my mother and I have had to make.
Grandma had three children, two daughters and a son. The two daughters were tested for the gene with my mother testing positive and her sister negative. My Uncle has never had children and has never been tested.
Fortunately my mum has never had breast or ovarian cancer, she had her ovaries removed a few years ago and undergoes yearly mammograms. She has decided not to have a mastectomy, preferring instead to have screening. I pray she never gets breast cancer but if she does, this increased screening will mean that it is caught early enough to be treated effectively.
I have two older brothers, one now has a young daughter and has recently started on the journey towards learning his genetic status. He has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene, if he didn't inherit it there is no chance of his daughter being BRCA1+...I hope that this is the case and that my young niece will never have to face the decisions that my mother and I have had to make.
My BRCA1
I have always known about BRCA1, my mother has always been open about her genetic status and the fact that I could also have the gene. The gene itself has never been something that has scared me, perhaps this is because I have never witnessed its effects, but I prefer to think of the gene as an early warning, one that will allow me to take measures to change my fate.
I was tested for the gene aged 17, some were wary as I was so young but this is when I was ready. Some women will wait, others will get it at a younger age and some will choose not to be tested at all. We are the experts of our own health and there is no right or wrong thing to do in this situation. What is important is that a decision is only made when you feel fully informed and entirely comfortable with the implications of the path that is chosen.
When I got the results I didn't feel any different, I had come to terms with the gene long before and knowing that I had inherited it didn't really change anything. I didn't feel sad, or angry that I had got it, and I haven't since. At the time I was content with just knowing, I wasn't ready to pursue prevention/screening and I was in no rush.
In June 2011, two years after testing positive for the cancer gene and at the age of 19 I decided it was time to take action, this is where My Journey begins.
I was tested for the gene aged 17, some were wary as I was so young but this is when I was ready. Some women will wait, others will get it at a younger age and some will choose not to be tested at all. We are the experts of our own health and there is no right or wrong thing to do in this situation. What is important is that a decision is only made when you feel fully informed and entirely comfortable with the implications of the path that is chosen.
When I got the results I didn't feel any different, I had come to terms with the gene long before and knowing that I had inherited it didn't really change anything. I didn't feel sad, or angry that I had got it, and I haven't since. At the time I was content with just knowing, I wasn't ready to pursue prevention/screening and I was in no rush.
In June 2011, two years after testing positive for the cancer gene and at the age of 19 I decided it was time to take action, this is where My Journey begins.