WE ARE BRIGHT PINK

Julia
When I was in high school my grandmother was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. We were unaware of any history of it in my family at the time but later discover several cases. My mother’s grandmother and great grandmother both died of breast cancer. After my grandmother’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2000, her doctors initially said she had about five years left to live. After a brave six and a half year battle, she passed away. It was only after her passing that we learned she carried the BRCA1 gene. My mother and her siblings all took the genetic test. At the ages of 53 and 50, my mother and aunt found out that they carried the BRCA1 gene. In 2007 both my mother and my aunt underwent double mastectomies. In May of 2007 I also tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. Some days I would read about it for hours on end, others I was too emotional to even say the words “breast and ovarian cancer.” Soon after I tested positive, I had my first mammogram and breast MRI at the age of 24. I plan on having bi-annual surveillance exams and eventually undergo a double prophylactic mastectomy.

Thanks to organizations like Bright Pink, I don’t have to make these decisions on my own. I am amazed at the information and technology available to me that my grandmother never had. I feel blessed to have the knowledge and the opportunity to be proactive about my health.