July 1, 2008: Met with the genetics counselor. Was referred due to cancer diagnosis at age 37, family history [mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002] and Ashkenazi heritage – all red flags apparently. She told me that there’s a 12% probability of me having a hereditary cancer gene, based on family history. I [...]
Two weeks after the lumpectomy surgery, I went in to see the genetic counselor for my test results. She told me that my blood test came back positive for carrying the BRCA2 gene mutation. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t think it would be so. I thought my cancer was just an [...]
My cancer saved my mom’s life, even though it almost killed her. That’s how she feels, anyway. She does, however, have a valid point. She was diagnosed in 2002, at 52 years of age. No one talked about genetic testing then. No one talked about red flags. Because she was diagnosed after 50, it was [...]