Preventive Mastectomy

Hi,

I wanted to let you know that I am 32 years old, in a relationship with no children and I have the BRCA1 gene. Both my mother and my grandmother passed away very young from secondary breast cancer.

I was diagnosed in 2010 with the gene thanks to mum undergoing testing and have been having regular MRI's and ultrasounds ever since. It was always my intention that once I had had children I would have my breasts and ovaries removed. However in November 2013 during my routine MRI they discovered a lump, which thankfully has turned out to be nothing, but it got me thinking. I am a ticking time bomb and although I desperatly want to breast feed, my life it more important. I have therefore made the decision to have a preventative mastectomy this year. I have spoken to my breast doctor at the hospital and have an appointment on the 26th of May to go through everything and set a date for the procedure. For me, this decision feels right.

Watching my mum die of secondary breast cancer was one of the most heart wrentching things I have ever experienced, and losing her has caused an ache in my heart that words cannot describe. I will forever be thankful to her for being the pioneer in the BRCA1 mutation discovery and I know that she completely agrees with my decision. If there is something, anything, I can do to prevent my loved ones going through what my family has gone through watching mum fight and lose her battle with breast cancer, then I need to do it.

Trust your intuition, it will tell you what is the right thing to do :)