@Gizmo I had the gene test and it came back negative. The counselor told me that I am still considered to be at higher risk for BC than the general population, but nowhere near the risk that it would be if I had one of the genes they test for.
My breast surgeon still asked me if I wanted to opt for a double MX rather than just remove the cancerous boob but I had already decided that I didn't want to go through unnecessary extra surgery, and she concurred with that decision.
The explanation given as to why my mother and I were both diagnosed with breast cancer in our early 40s was that there is likely to be some combination of genes at play. A study is underway, of which I have agreed to be a part, so in future they may know more, but in the meantime it is somewhat of a mystery, and not something I dwell on.
I'm glad I haven't got a faulty gene as that would have had implications for not just me but also my two sisters, my neice, and potentially my brother.
As it is, my sisters are advised to have yearly rather than biannual screening, and I will be followed up and monitored as per all women who have had breast cancer, and as you will be.
