Genetic test results... not what I wanted to hear.

Thanks PJ.  I know my oldest daughter read the book after my test results came back positive last year.  Thank God she tested negative.  She has a 3 year old son and is pregnant with her second baby boy.  She was determined to have surgery immediately if she'd been positive.  She's the kid who has always over-reacted... can you imagine the sleepless nights she gave me as a teenager!

I don't know if my youngest has read the book yet, but I'll make sure she gets a copy.  I watched the PBS special about Jessica Queller... as I was recouping from my mastectomy.  Not exactly light comedy.  I've sent my daughter the Facingourrisk.org (FORCE) website as well as the BRCA Umbrella website http://brcaumbrella.ning.com.  I hope she'll connect with the young women facing the same thing.  My first cousin's two daughters were tested several months ago... one is positive and the other negative.  My uncle is waiting for his test to come back to see if his kids and grand-kids will need testing too.  There were five siblings in my Dad's family.  We know he and his youngest sister were BRCA1 carriers for sure.  I'm glad he never knew...

Can't imagine having both BRCA1 & 2.  That's a double whammie.  I found the FORCE website a while ago and get notices of local chapter meetings.  Unfortunatley they are in Seattle at rush hour and I'm in the suburbs... the traffic is so ugly I've not made it to a meeting yet.  I also checked out the BRCA Umbrella website and that is helpful too. 

Oh dear... I really feel for you.  I hope you're getting rest and letting people take care of you.  It's so hard to be the one who's sick.  Women are usually the caregivers so we feel a bit out of our element when we're the one that needs care.  Please let the people in your life help... it's how they cope with your illness.

Well, it's one year after my surgery and I'm glad to be looking back from this vantage point.  I imagine you're about to get your drains out and check back with your doctor to decide the next step.  Hope your pain meds are working well.  I felt like I was wearing a steel wool shirt for about 8 weeks.  This too shall pass, but it wasn't a heck of a lot of fun at the time!  Waiting was the hardest thing to do... and wading through the reams of info to make a treatment decision was overwhelming.  Pray about it and trust your gut instinct.  No one knows as much about you as you do.

I'm not really a particularly brave person, I just put one foot in front of the other and kept plugging along.  Writing about the whole experience helped tremendously because the friends and relatives I sent updates were so supportive.  Friends I hadn't heard from in years came out of the woodwork.  That was such a surprise and marvel to me.  It makes me grateful for every day and every person I meet.

Keep in touch and know that there are a lot of people who care about you.  It helps to tell your story here because we've all been there and we know exactly what you mean.  Best wishes for a long and heathy life...  Melanie

Hello Melanie  ~ Thank you for responding.  it is so true what you said on letting people help you because it is their way of helping you.  It actually feels kinda wierd.   

Making those decisions is so frightening, not know if you made the right one.  Second guessing yourself - is so exhausting!

thank you for your kind words and wishes!  Oct 14th is my big day :)