IMAGINE THIS!… You are 10 years old, and your nanna gets diagnosed with Breast Cancer (BC). She is under 60 and losing your pop to airway cancer that had metastised just a couple of years before (different side of family I know).

I had lost an uncle to reanal cancer a few years before also,he was closely related to my nanna (he brother), one of my aunts had passed from cancer also (Melanoma, before I was born).

Then  you are watching your nanna fight the disease, though she won this fight, she was told that it was hormone responsive. You are taught the importance of breast health, and family of breast cancer, as nan hada significant number of Aunts and 1st and 2nd Cousins that had all fought and lost the disease.But by Beautiful Nanna, my world fought the disease, and was on of the lucky ones to beat it. Only a short time later her cancer came back, this time in her uterus, again,hormone related. She was lucky the cancer was contained, only because of the medication temoxifan (for hormone responsive breast cancers), which clumped it together and prevented it from becoming invasive.

Then imagine helping nurse your nanna, look after her, love her and keep he company and positive, giving her something to fight for. I still have my Nanna with me to this day, but it wasn’t withougha fight.

Skip another 6 months, then an Aunty (maternal side) gets diagnosed with BC, you are still young, and then a year later another 2 get diagnosed with BC within a short time, and then another one as well as an uncle diagnosed and losing fight to metasticises lung cancer, and one of those Aunties, Allunder 60 (some under 50). You watch them all struggle, fight, you love and support them, and some you have to say goodbye to, You are still in your a constand reminder of thteens, then in early 20’s, The cancer is still there, haunting, goading you…

All whe while, on your dads side of the family, you have an uncle that had lost  a very brief and agressive fight to bowel cancer, and your dads ONLY sister gets diagnosed with breast cancer. As if my Mum/ Nan’s side of the family wasn’t enough, It’s on the other side of the family too. You have lost soooo many close loved ones, not to mention there is a cousin that at 29 lost her 11 year  battle to bowel cancer on your mums side, along with other extended cousins as well as more aunts and uncles.

Now, on the other end, back to the tender age of 10, you suffer gynae issues. You go to many drs and no help because of cancer risk, then have surgeries, miss out of going to activities and lack the energy to do stuff as you are heamorraging profusely for years, with no end in sight. You see countless Doctors and surgeons as well as see all alternative and holistic medicine avenues, changeyour diet and lifestyle, you keep fit and healthy.. nothing works…

Then from 23 you start finding lumps in your breasts. Having multiple tests and scans,  over and over. Gynae issues still going, at 27 getting told you need to decide to go on an oestrogen pill and pretty much open the door to breast cancer, or have a hystorectomy by the age of 30. Still finding lumps, still having tests. Then getting told you have a suspicious lump, the stress you had with other lumps, was nothing comapred to this. The waiting for the hospital to get back, then more tests. Being told there is a significant lesion, but noone wants to operate as you are 26/27 with no kids.

             “What if you want to breastfeed” they say…. “What if I just want to live and be able to be a mother” I respond simply and swiftly…

Then the back and forth fight, changing doctors, not knowing your options, living in constant fear of not just cancer, but the unknown. Then through all this, your Grandma on your dads side gets diagnosed with Terminal BC, mets in lungs and ovaries, 

Imagine waiting your turn for cancer.  My Grandma was diagnosed After you make the decision to have you breasts removed… This, a reinforcement that you are making the right decision.

I am now 15 months post prophylatctiv bilateral mastectomy, my histology results came back at advance stages of cellular mutation, Apochrine metaplacia, atypical ductal and lobular hyperplacia too. I was only days, weeks, or months away from a Breast cancer diagnosis.
I am 29, single, no children still, still going through complications post mastectomy, It isn’t a fun journey, and is DEFINITELY not an easy one, I am still going through the angst ofit all, as I have had andam having a few bad surgical complications. It is NOT a “Free Boob Job” and my breasts will never be the same again, they will no longer be an erogenous zone, I will NEVER be able to breastfeed my children if and whenI have them.  But I do not regret a single thing.
BTW, I don’t have a known genetic mutation, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have one, Scientists just have not discovered what ours is yet.  

So please, before you demonise me,and people like me. Look at the WHOLE story, not just the part you canbase your opinions on. 

Oh and YES, I will be havingand Oophorectomy (Removal of Ovaries) and/or Hystorectomy (Removal of Womb) at some stage, after I have had my family.ImageImageImage