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| Always a Leslie Knope quote for every occasion |
A few years ago my mother (aka
‘Mama Torts’) organised an impromptu family dinner. While eating
our chicken soup with Matzah balls, she casually, yet abruptly
announced that she’s had genetic testing, that it has come out positive with the
BRCA1 Gene and she’s made a date to get her ovaries taken out.
… In unison, my brother and I dropped our
jaws and our matzah balls, and somehow lost our appetites also.
To put simply, the BRCA1 gene is a hereditary disposition to female-related cancers like ovary and breast cancer. My
mother took the genetic testing as she was curious to know if their was a link, or reason why all the women on her side of the family died at a young age because of cancer and if she was at risk. Also within a short period of time my mother found out her results, her
sister had also found out she had cervix cancer (which we later found out is not
related to the BRCA1 gene).
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| Mama and Baby Torts x |
When I spoke to my mother, she explained
that was quite shocked to find out she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, even though not only her mother, but her aunt and grandmother died at a young age of cancer. However she was determined on making life changes to increase her longevity and encouraged me
to do the testing also.
Fast-forward five years later, I took
the test. Keeping in mind my mother’s side of the family history, I went in to
my first appointment (where they took blood samples) assuming I would
definitely have the gene. I mean, three generations of women on my mother’s
side of the family had it. Also being the only daughter to my parents, it’d be a miracle if the mutated gene somehow skipped me! So to ease my
nerves during the appointment, I kept cracking jokes with the doctor’s telling them it won’t be
necessary to take my blood, as I know I have the gene. They politely laughed
and said they have ethics to adhere to.
So when it came to receiving my results, it
really came as no shock when they affirmed that I have the BRCA1
gene. This means that I am at higher risk than the general public of getting
cancer and that there are precautionary steps I will need to consider in my
mid-late 30s to prevent my potential cancer risk.
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| Australia's most famous advocates and sharers of the BRCA1 gene, the Neave sisters (L-R) Elisha, Christine and Veronica To watch their story, please click on the following link |
Good news is that I have ten years until I
have to worry about this stuff. However it really does force you to have perspective, such as I am 26 years old. In ten years I will be at a higher risk of
developing cancer than I am now. I do want to have children, but do I want to
have children in the next ten years? I have absolutely no idea, but I feel like
I am forced to think about it now.
Not only that, but in the next ten years
when I am at higher risk, out of my own safety I would want to have my ovaries
removed for precaution. As for my breasts, they are my womanhood. I love having
them there. They are basically the female equivalents of having testicles. If I
ever had them removed, I would definitely feel less of a women, however I am in
awe of women like Angelina Jolie (who made the BRCA1 gene famous), who decide to
take that drastic step for their health.
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| Angelina Jolie took the drastic step of having a double mastectomy to prevent her risk of breast cancer |
I want to live a life of health and
longevity, so it’s a scary thought when you have medical professionals tell you
that that may not be genetically possible. On the contrary though, I do have a
role model mother that has already outlived the women on her side of the
family, is living a healthy lifestyle (without her ovaries) and like me, feels
fondly of her breasts, which she hopes to never remove unless absolutely
necessary. Also with medicine and technology advancing at a rapid pace, who’s
to say I can’t?
Please donate to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, or alternatively to the Ovarian Cancer Australia.
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