In March of 2010 I had pain in my left breast which led me to see my gynecologist. She sent me for a mammogram and subsequently I had a suspicious area biopsied. Because of my family history of breast and ovarian cancer, I decided to also be tested at the same time for the BRCA genetic mutation. My maternal aunt died from ovarian cancer, my great aunt died from breast cancer, and my grandmother died from pancreatic cancer. My biopsy was on a Tuesday, and on Thursday I received a call that not only did I have DCIS breast cancer, I was also BRCA 2 positive. This meant that over my lifetime I had an 84% chance of developing breast cancer (which I had already developed) and a 29% chance of developing ovarian cancer (which I had already developed). Pancreatic and melanoma are also part of the gene, but a smaller percentage risk increase. I was devestated, but not deterred. One month later I had 10 hours of surgery to remove my uterus, remaining ovary (I had my right ovary removed when I was 23 due to a borderline ovarian cancer diagnosis then--which I now know was part of the BRCA), and both of my breasts.
I chose not to have reconstruction. I had done a lot of research and the complication rate being so high and the relative unknown outcome just wasn't for me. I had read that the minor complication rate was as much as 50%, and up to 39% of patients had major complications from reconstruction. Not to mention the fact that just because you get reconstruction doesn't mean you have fabulous Pamela-Anderson boobs. Nope...no feeling, you have to have a nipple fashioned out of skin, and then tattooed to look like a nipple. Sometimes you still have huge scars. Nah, not for me.
So the surgery was awful, I bled a lot from scar tissue and had to have two units of blood. I was in the hospital from a Tuesday to Friday. Not bad, given the amount of surgery I had! Recovery was pretty brutal, but I was out of work only 5 weeks. I will talk more about my surgery and recovery in later posts. I just wanted to get this up there and maybe a few photos up to start this out.
So that brings me to my purpose here. Kris Carr, who wrote Crazy Sexy Cancer, tells us that when we get the diagnosis, we go to Cancer College. We learn all about our cancer and what to do about it. We soak up page after page of books, we google til our eyes water, and we bump into friends who have been there. And we wallow in the sadness that can only be summed up by this: CANCER SUCKS.
I wanted to create a blog with my story and also photos. Photos of me--not the prettiest, and certainly not the thinnest woman who has gone through this surgery. I'm a regular woman that you might see at the mall, not gracing the pages of a magazine. I wanted to be real here. Sometimes the real is not pretty, not fabulous, and not glamorous. But what it isn't is terribly scary--when you educate yourself and when you realize that you are not alone. We are part of a club we never wanted to join--but once we do, we can do something positive with it and help each other. I hope this blog can help you if you are searching for answers.
I might not be able to update daily, but I will try to do my best to do it weekly. Thanks for visiting, and feel free to email me with any questions.
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