My Cancer is Genetic

When I was diagnosed with cancer in March, I never thought I could get cancer.  Cancer does not run in my family.  I am healthy, I exercise on a regular basis, I do not smoke, I eat my fruits and vegetables.  I never thought I was at risk until today.   I met with Twilla Westercamp at Bergan Mercy Medical Center for the second time to get the results of my genetic testing. 

I must be lucky because I fall in the top 10% of having a mutation since birth.  What this means is my mom and/or dad  is a carrier.  This increases the risk of my mom and sister to develop breast and ovarian cancer, and my dad to develop prostate and breast cancer. 

The scary part is I could have passed this down to my daughter Olivia.  Twilla did say they are doing several clinical trials on vaccines to fix mutations.  What this means is by the time Olivia is old enough (19 years old) to have genetic testing they will have a cure to prevent cancer that come from mutations.  Thank God for modern medicine!

What is a mutation?  I am not quite sure myself because I am learning all this medical "stuff" all at once.  This is what I got out of it.  Cells reproduce all the time, copy each other and die off.  So let's say my cells ABCD are copied several times then die off the correct way.  The mutation I have is causing my cells to reproduce incorrectly.  I developed cancer because B and C switched and my cells are reproducing as ACBD which is incorrect.  Because my cells are being copied the wrong way, they will not die off causing my tumor to grow.  This is how I developed cancer.

My cancer is 1/3 estrogen based which is stimulated from pregnancy which is why I can not carry a child again.  The risk of the cancer coming back is extremely high and either I stay around for Olivia to grow up or I try for number two and not be around for either one.

In some ways I am relieved to know this so I can prepare Olivia when she is older.  I will have genetic testing done on her. 

T-minus 11 hours and counting and my cancer will be removed.  I am so relieved to get it out.  I can actually feel it growing and it is pinching a nerve which sends a sharp pain down my back.  It will be so nice to know it is out.  Please pray it has not spread and the doctors can remove all of the cancer.

Thank you so much to all my friends and family who have sent me well wishes and prayers.  I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Ta Ta for now!