It was never my intention to post super personal things here on the blog; that is not why I created it. It is one thing to post about school. It is another to post my health history. But I am going to make an exception because I can't not share my experience with BRCA testing.
Whether you are a provider, a patient, family member/friend of a patient, or (like me) have oscillated between all of these roles, this post is for you. I hope that it provides useful education and resources on BRCA testing (see links below). More importantly, I hope it empowers and supports you to make positive health decisions for yourself and that you encourage others to do the same.
My mother is a breast cancer survivor. So is my grandmother. I have worked in oncology for almost 5 years now and I can sum up my feelings about it all in six words: breast cancer is an f'i^g b!t*h.
In November of last year, I underwent genetic testing. It was a personal choice. I needed either peace of mind or a game plan. I am not selling genetic testing. I am simply sharing my experience and resources.
Normal test results take about 4-6 weeks. Mine took 4 months. Yeah. My first set of results came back inconclusive during the holidays. My doc sent another sample and I received my results late last week. They were negative. I bawled like a baby. Snot running down my face and everything.
Resources:
General info: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA
-Also available in Spanish
Risk assessment tool: http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/Default.aspx
Recommendations for counseling and testing: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Topic/recommendation-summary/brca-related-cancer-risk-assessment-genetic-counseling-and-genetic-testing
-Includes PDF of full recommendation statement (12 pages) and one page summary for primary care clinicians.
As always, this is not intended to diagnose or treat medical
conditions. See your provider if you have any questions or concerns. This is not a sponsored post.
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