Negative Nellie

I have never been so happy to be "negative" in my life!

I'm pretty sure - ?? - that I mentioned back in December of 2011, that I had detected a lump.

Also around that same time, my Aunt Sharon was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer.

She decided to undergo genetic testing - known as BRCA1 Testing - and they found that she carried a mutated cancer gene.  This particular gene IS genetic, and, as a carrier you have an increased chance for developing breast and/or ovarian cancer if you are a woman (or if you are a man: breast, prostate or pancreatic cancer)

As well as a 50/50 chance of passing it down.

Being a carrier means: having an increased chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer; passing it down to your children and further perpetuating the cycle and facing the choice to take pre-emptive measures...yada, yada, yada...

It also meant that certain lifestyle choices puts you at a greater risk (smoker's with the gene have a 70% increased risk of pancreatic cancer).

Soooo...basically not the most fun things to think about when you've found a lump!

Fast forward: since Gramma had already passed away 10 years ago, my Grandpa elected to get tested and help Aunt Sharon eliminate which line it was carried through. 

(This is serious stuff after all - and the rest of the family needs to know so they can make better informed decisions about whether to pursue testing or not.)

Grandpa was positive.

I made the choice that I'd only get tested IF my Mom was a carrier.  I mean, why shell out the money if Mom's not a carrier?  If she wasn't, then there was a pretty good chance I wouldn't get it, unless my Dad was a carrier too. 

Then Mom turned out to be positive.

So after finding this lump - and knowing there was a 50/50 chance I could be a carrier - I got tested.

I have to mention though - that even though all this was going on, when I fasted and prayed about it, all I felt was peace.  It was one of those rare occurances where my mind was at ease, and I knew that NO MATTER WHAT THE ANSWER WAS, I would be okay with the outcome.  My Dad was freaking out - "Why doesn't the doctor just take it out?!  Just take it out already!"

A little on the paranoid side, my Daddy.

But there was no need to worry - I am a Negative Nellie!

And truth be told, I expected to be positive...and was thanking Heavenly Father on a daily basis that I was unable to pass this mutation on to my sons....(I have NEVER been so glad that they were adopted as when I was going through all the testing - and the uncertainty!)  But thankfully I now have the same chances of developing Breast Cancer (7%) and Ovarian Cancer (<2%) as the rest of y'all.

And I am TOTALLY framing these test results!