I feel that I should just remind anyone reading this that I am not actually sick!! haha!
I do NOT consider myself a “Cancer sufferer”, nor a “survivor” and I am not facing Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy or any of those awful things that so many Survivors/Cancer sufferers actually do have to go through.
I am simply a very high risk. A carrier of either BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene fault has up to 80% chance of developing Breast Cancer & up to 50% chance of developing Ovarian Cancer in their lifetime. I don’t have anything wrong with me as I type this, but the chances that I might get something someday in the future are extremely HIGH. That’s it.
I DO however consider myself (and other people who are in the same spot as me) as very fortunate.
We are lucky enough to be in a position whereby we have been made aware that we are high risk and consequently we have CHOICES.
A Cancer sufferer DOES NOT HAVE CHOICES. They have to do anything / everything they can to try to get rid of it & to get better and it’s a very painful, grueling and pretty awful process in order to get them there.
I’ve noticed that alot of BRCA1 & 2 carriers like to think they are “survivors” and “previvors” or whatever they are calling themselves but I don’t see myself that way, I personally haven’t survived anything because I’ve not technically been through anything. Therefore I don’t really feel that I am entitled to call myself that…. But hey, if that works for them then that’s cool by me, each to their own, right?
What I really would like is for word to get around that this gene fault actually exists.
I feel like its one of those things that unless it happens to someone close to you then you kind of won’t ever really find out much about it.
Considering that around 1 in 8 women will develop Breast Cancer at some point in their lives & around 10% of those women are carriers of a genetic fault, I think it’s something that all of us should make it our business to know more about.
Here are some links to some more BRCA facts which might break it down for you a bit better. When you see stats like that you’ll see why I think they’re so hard to ignore.
http://brcaandme.wordpress.com/the-facts/
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/breast-cancer/about/risks/breast-cancer-genes
I think u are very brave my sweet and the fact you are trying to make people more aware and being proactive about your situation makes me so proud of you, I will help in any way I can ,just let me know much love xxx
Thanks so much Lou !! It’s quite shocking when you realise how little people actually know about the subject, weighed up against how many people it can affect. Please share and spread the word !! You’re a STAR ! xxxxxx