BRCA 2 positive

Check out the force website www.facingourrisk.org/

you wil find good info there. 

My view is a little different. 

I grew up hearing from my mom that "cancer is in our family".  Last year we found out why - both her and I (and proabably my sister who is gone) have a BRCA 2 mutation.

When I look back on my life I've asked myself if I would have done anything different if I had known when I was 20?  The answer is no.  It so happens that I did follow many of the guidelines that reduces the risk of BC such as having two children, breastfeeding, maintain a slim figure through healthy eating.  But over the last 30 years I've also seen a lot of recommendations come and go.  At one point it was coffee.  Don't drink it!  Then they decided it was OK.  Well, I wasn't going to give my coffee anyway.  And broccoli.  No way am I going to give up broccoli!  But they decided that was OK, too.  And yes, I've had my share of alcohol.  Too much at times when I was youg, but it's been moderation for many, many years now.

If I had followed all those guidelines from years past would I have avoided BC?  Who knows.  But what I do know is that I never lived my life in fear.  If I eat healthy and exercise in my garden it's because I want to.  Not because I feel I have to.  A life of fear and guilt isn't worth much.

But (and this is a big "but") I do believe that knowledge is power.  My recommendation is to go to a cancer center that provides genetic counseling from doctors who explain all your options and considerations.  Not only the items that best reduce your risks, but also cover potential treatment paths for the future.  In Seattle, at SCCA, the have a program where you talk with a gynecologist onc, breast surgeon and oncologist who either specialize in genetic cancer or have an emphasis in the field.  They discuss with you the pros and cons of survelliance, oophrectomy, estrogen depletion, etc. 

My daughter is 30 and just started high risk survelliance.  She has chosen not to be tested at this time and I respect her decision.  But she knows that 35-40 is when she needs to be prepared, if she tests positive, to consider an ooph, possible hormone therapy, use of an AI or just continue survelliance.

I'm sorry that you tested positive.  But you still have a lot of life ahead and should have every reason to believe that you will become a "cranky, crabby old lady"!  

I have to admit  - I'm envious that you have a mother who is a holistic nurse.  I would imagine that she has insight into a lot of the physical and emotional things that we go through.  Does she have a particular area of expertise?

I also got a chuckle about how how your mom and you have something to share.  It's sad why to have it happen, but this has brought my mother and I much closer.  Like you said, we have something in common.  Mom has gone through two bouts.  The first one was stage 0 with DCIS at about 50.  The second was stage I about a month before my dx when she was 80.  The irony is that she has been taking Femara and doesnt' have any issues.  I, on the other hand,  have been taking Aromasin and recently stopped.  My next visit with the onc is tomorrow to talk about starting on Tamoxifen.  I have a competitive streak and it bugs me that my 82 year old mother can handle an AI better than I can!

SCCA is Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.  It's an affiliation of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Children's Hospital and the University of Washington.  I'm sure that you have cancer centers in your area.  The National Cancer Institute (NCI website) is full of great resource information and lists the cancer care center associated with NCI.

http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-names.html

Another good website for the genetics side is Facing Our Risk at http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/cancer-centers-names.html

They deal with the issue of hereditary cancer.  It contains a lot of information that pertains to younger individuals, such as yourself, who have to live with the knowledge that they are in a high risk category.  This website is more about the women (or men!) who have actually been diagnosed with breast cancer.  And the women who frequent the site are often the women that are having issues, whether emotional or physical.  So it's not necessarily representative of breast cancer.  There are other women out there (such as my Mom) who handle it quite well and move on with their lives.

I hope this helps!