When my mom first had cancer 10 years ago, my thoughts were to hold off on the BRCA test. Why on earth would I want to know if I am a carrier for breast cancer? I should just live my life anyway. What difference would it make? I wouldn't WANT to know if I was a carrier..
Again--there I was hiding from the possibility. Scared! If I don't know it, I can't have it...It won't be real! Right?
A few days after hearing the official diagnosis for the Metastatic Breast cancer this time around, I scheduled an appointment to start the BRCA testing for as soon as possible. August 2 is my appointment. I am not INVINCIBLE. This could very well happen to me too. My first thoughts immediately went to my son. I had him at 31. What if I got it at 49 or even earlier? My son would be very young without me. He would have practically a WHOLE LIFETIME without his mama. I just can't have that. My health matters for HIM..But more importantly, to myself...for EVERYONE.
I have always made conscious choices that I deem as healthy to reduce my chances of getting cancer (or any other illness). If it's genetic, well, there's not much I can do about THAT--except get a double masectomy which will lower the risk by 95%.
I want to spend as many years as I can with my husband and son. Breast cancer OR NOT--This is why I am committed to living a "healthy lifestyle" and HELPING others do the same with my profession in person and virtually. So we can leave the next generation behind in a better position...and spend a long life with them.
Isn't that what we want for OUR FUTURE? I worry SOOOO much when I see how many people are overweight/obese..and why is that? because of the predisposition of catching cancer or heart disease. and SOO MANY Americans are AT RISK...which means life expectancy will drop. PEOPLE will NOT be in their children's lives as long. This makes me SO SAD-it's like people are turning the other way. I just do not want to picture my son losing me earlier than he should. I don't want him Or ANYONE's children to feel like I feel right now.
So with that---I am taking a step toward seeing if I have greater chances of catching Breast Cancer and will start mammograms sooner than I had originally planned.