BRCA: My Story of Hope and Healing: Hysterectomy, my first step...

Tuesday

Hysterectomy, my first step...

Right now the recommendation for a woman who tests posative for the BRCA mutation is to have a hysterectomy and total mastectomy, reducing both ovarian and breast cancer significantly...down to the risk of an average woman.

I took these recommendations hard. I feared dealing with hormonal problems and depression as my mother did after her hysterectomy at the age of 23. I wasn't sure if the risk of potentially facing mental instability was worth the procedure.

Choosing hysterectomy, for me, was a combination of logic, fear of cancer and lots of prayer.

Logically, it all made sense. With six children...I was not planning on any more babies. Likewise, ovarian cancer does not have very high survival rates as it is not usually found until very advanced stages. In addition to reducing my ovarian cancer risk, a hysterectomy also would cut my breast cancer risk in half by reducing the amount of estrogen my body would produce.

Fear of cancer played a large role as my mother had so recently passed away in my home and in my arms. I was committed to doing everything in my power to prevent walking down the same path as my sweet mother.

And of course, prayer and personal revelation. I felt strongly that I was moving in the right direction. So...without haste, I scheduled my procedure for the end of march...just 3 months after finding out my positive test results. The decision carried with it a large emotional burden as I was still grieving my mothers passing and now I had added to my life fear of the same fate, fear of not being able to grow old with my husband or see my children and grandchildren through their lives. I wanted to live a long and fulfilling life and now I was facing my own mortality in a way that i don't think anyone could prepare for properly.

I shed lots of tears, even up to being wheeled into the operating room. I didn't know what to expect and now I was just operating on faith.

Now I am 2 1/2 months down the road and I feel great. I have not had one single regret. Recovery was tedious, mostly because I felt great and was having a hard time with the physical restrictions by my doctor. With six kids it was almost impossible to refrain from lifting my baby, vacuuming, mopping, laundry and other heavy household chores.

One hurdle down...one more to go. With my appointments at the Huntsman Cancer center secured, anxiety continued to mount looking forward to the next potential and far more invasive procedure.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story...

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

My name is Cami, I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I have six beautiful children and an amazing husband.

In December 2010 my mother passed away at the age of 53 of breast cancer. Two weeks later I found out that I am a carrier of the same genetic mutation, BRCA 2, that my mother had.

I have taken some steps medically and naturally to beat my odds of cancer. I am sharing my journey here to benefit those seeking knowledge and information about cancer, genetic mutation and good health in general.

What are my chances for developing cancer with a BRCA gene mutation?

According to estimates, about 36% – 85% of women with a BRCA gene mutation will develop breast cancer. In other words, women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are 3 to 7 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without a BRCA mutation.

Having a BRCA mutation increases your lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer from an estimated 2% (general population) to between 20- 60%. Note that these figures are estimated ranges that may change with more research.

A woman's lifetime chance of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she tests positive for a BRCA mutation. If you have a BRCA mutation, you also have an increased risk of developing these cancers at a young age (before menopause), and may have an increased chance of developing colon cancer.

This mutatuion is passed down through a mother or a father. If your mother or father tests negative, the children need not worry about the genetic mutation.