I have returned from the land of the chronically whiny and coughing.  Went to the 50th bday party of our friend to celebrate his entry to the dark side of aging.  Finally starting to feel better and glad to be out of the house.

February 25 - Genetic results are back.  This is the moment I have been dreading.  I am BRCA2 positive.  Crap.  After an hour and a half with the genetic counselor, I don't feel that bad anymore.  But it took that long to get the information needed to make me feel that way.

The basic gist of the meeting was, for me personally it was good. Because I am also triple negative,  found it early, BRCA2 positive, all of this working together helps me to fight the disease and to come out with more positive results.

With regard to my daughter's, they now must be tested.  Its a 50/50 chance they too have inherited the gene.  They do not need to 'jump' on getting it done as they are in a very low percentage risk right now.  They do have to be more aware and need to keep up on their health.  We need to get life insurance on them, just in case, and then they will get tested.  Should they be positive, getting a decent life insurance policy at a decent cost could be a problem.

My prayer is they are both negative, but if they are positive as well, they will have all the information they need to decide how they can avoid getting cancer.  There are many options, some more radical than others.  And right now, time is on their side as well as research.  Since my mother got this disease many advances have been made.  As the years pass and science improves, including genetics, I am confident they will have more options.

My brother and sister must also now get tested.  Should either of them be positive, then their children will also need to be tested.  The gene does not skip a generation, so if my siblings are negative, their children have no more or less of a chance than anyone else of getting cancer.

We have finally come to the reason for me getting this disease.  It is up to me to save our kids from having to go through this.  If my mother would have been able to, I'm sure she would have done the same thing.  Unfortunately, there was no family history prior to her.  She was not a triple negative, which is what triggered my testing.  And genetic testing was very new.  My children, my siblings, and my nieces and nephews now have the opportunity to know in advance their potential for cancer, how to prevent it, and their doctors can help to make sure it doesn't happen.  In speaking with the geneticist, they can even take eggs from my daughter's, find ones that have positive cancer cells, dispose of them and ensure the gene ends with us.  Now that is elimination.  Expensive I'm sure, but to know they positively do not have the gene.  Wow, science.

When the gene testing first started they were testing three genes, they are up to 17.  Some of my results are included.  They are working at being able to change the H in my gene to an A, or whatever letter it needs to be normal, to change the outcome for someone like me.  Change the mutation to normal.   Nice.  Again, wow, science.

I am all about everyone getting genetic testing that has a remote chance.  If we can find out how, why, when, and prevent it, its worth it.  I would not wish this on my worst enemy.  I have given my blood to be part of testing and research, I have given permission for my records to be used, and I will continue to do so.  Being a rare breast cancer, with triple negative, and a BRCA2 if my case can help, I'm all in.  Seems if there is a low percentage of something, I've got it, so let's use that to figure this out.

For you science geeks.  

The percentage breakdown by age