Boobies...I know this will get your attention!

My heart is thumping, my mouth is dry and I’m apprehensive.  Sitting in the waiting room of the Breast Unit at the hospital does that to me.  Don’t panic, it’s just a routine mammogram but telling myself that when I’m there doesn’t seem to help.  Why did I go?  Well, I’m getting ‘back into the system’ after having been overseas for a few years.  ‘Big Up’ to the NHS for their early screening system for high risk women.  Having a mother who developed breast cancer in her early 50’s and having a grandfather, (Yes, believe it or not, men can develop breast cancer.) who died of it in his 40’s puts me in the high risk category.  My mum is a 24 year cancer survivor and is one of the strongest women I know!  I’m sure I’ve inherited more than a little of her strength.  I only hope that I haven’t inherited the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene from her.  There may be many genes that can cause a predisposition to breast cancer, but there are currently two known genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2.  From the information that we have previously been given by the Clinical Genetic Service through Nottingham University Hospitals, they would estimate that there is a small chance of finding a change in the BRCA1 gene, but the chance of finding a change in the BRCA2 gene is around 15%.  If a woman has a change in the BRCA2 gene, she has a high chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime of 70 – 80% and she also has an increased chance of developing ovarian cancer of 10 – 20% during her lifetime.  I’m incredibly grateful for a healthcare system that offers me regular breast screening although I must say if men had to place their protruding parts into a vice like machine equivalent to a sandwich toaster (without the heat), then they may very well invent a kinder piece of apparatus!

At this stage, we don’t know if my mum carries the faulty genes or if she just randomly developed breast cancer as 1 in 10 women do during their lifetime. That’s a pretty high statistic isn’t it and quite a very scary thought?  How many of us can say we haven’t been affected by cancer?  It is a tragic fact that many of us have lost loved ones to cancer of one type or another.  Being the tough woman that my mum is, she is coming with me to my next appointment with the Genetics Breast Cancer specialist where we will investigate the possibility of her having blood taken so that it can be tested for the faulty genes.  Don’t ask me how they do this but there are obviously some very clever bods in a laboratory somewhere that dedicate their lives to this type of investigation.  I wasn’t very good at science at school and can only marvel at the advances that have been made in medical research over the past few years.  Should we agree  to proceed with the genetic research then this decision is not to be taken lightly as once the outcome is revealed, there is no way of going back to the unknown.  Just like you can’t get toothpaste back into a tube once you’ve squeezed too much out, there will be no putting these results back and pretending they haven’t seen the light of day.  If it is proven that Mum has the faulty genes, there is then a chance of her having passed them on.  What then?  Would I be courageous enough to have a double mastectomy as others have chosen to do?  The actress, Christina Applegate developed breast cancer in one breast when she was 36 years old.  She had further genetic testing done and was found to have the BRCA gene so made the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy. Follow this link to read more of her story.  http://articles.cnn.com/2008-10-14/living/o.christina.applegate.double.mastectomy_1_christina-applegate-breast-cancer-double-mastectomy?_s=PM:LIVING

All I can say at this point is that I really don’t know but I would like to gather more information and am very thankful that I have the opportunity to do so.  I do believe that God has already numbered my days and so I need not fear.  However, if there is something that I can do to prevent myself from the likely probability of developing a possible life threatening disease, then I feel as though I want to take the opportunity to find out more.   There is nothing like being a single mother to focus my attention on my own mortality.  I can hear some of you saying, yes, but you might walk out the door and be run down by a bus!  This is true and if I believed in luck, which I don’t, I may very well say this could be a distinct possibility given my current run of misfortune!

So, this is me at the moment, living my life with all its twists and turns.  I read a great quote recently and I want to share it.  ‘If you are depressed, you are living in the past.  If you are worried, you are living in the future.  If you are at peace, you are living in the present!’  I strive to live at peace. 

If any of you would care to share your thoughts on breast cancer or genetic testing, then I’d love to hear them.