I was diagnosed with BRCA2 gene mutation at 26 yo

I was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene mutation when I was 26 years old.

In October 2013, my mom found a lump in her groin and went to have it checked out. The first Doctor she saw said she had a 75% chance of it being cancer and referred her to a different Doctor. When she saw the 2nd Doctor, he said he believed that she only had a 10-15% chance of it being cancer.

My brother and I were in the car on the way to the hospital (it was 2.5 hours from where we live) so we were excited to get there, see her and celebrate the good news. Because of the scare, she decided to have her 2nd and last ovary removed even if it wasn't cancer. On October 31st she went into surgery to have this removed. The Doctor told us if it was a short surgery, around 4 hours, then she more than likely didn't have cancer, however, if it was a longer one then it probably was cancer. My brother, grandma, grandpa, great aunt & uncle were in the waiting room all day. After a few hours, with no updates we were getting worried since it was going on longer than the Doctor said it would if it hadn't been cancer. After about 7-8 hours, we received the bad news. It was cancer - Stage 3C (which, from what I understand, means the cancer spread into her abdomen). I don't fully understand it myself, but the Doctor said that 3C was a better diagnosis than a regular 3.

Because it turned out to be cancer and because of our prominent family history for cancers, it was recommended that she get a genetic test done to see if she had the mutation. After speaking with Geneticists, we found that only about 10% of women actually have this gene. Lo and behold (our family should win the lottery every day with the luck we have!) she tested positive for the BRCA2 gene. Because this gene has a 50% chance of being passed down through generations, I decided to take the test.

I never really had a gut feeling that I had this gene until my mom and I were in the car on the way home from the Doctor. We started talking and all of a sudden it hit my mom and I. We are way too much alike for me not to have this gene. Growing up in a small town, where she grew up as well, I was always told 'you look exactly like your mother!'. As a teenager, I got sick of hearing this, now however I take it as the best compliment in the world. People even say we laugh exactly the same and it's scary when they think that mom is next to them, but look to see me there instead! I know physical traits don't factor into this, but we just got this feeling at the same time.

Needless to say, when I received the phone call and the Doctor told me the diagnosis, I was not surprised in the least. From there, I started going to Doctors and looking into my options. They went over medications that I could take (though they didn't have much data on how/if these medications really worked with women under 30-35) and optional surgeries I could undergo to decrease my chances. I was overwhelmed with information. I decided not to go with the medication as they didn't have the data proving that it really did anything in my case.

Surgery sounded scary and I wasn't sure what I was going to do at first. Finally, after speaking my mom and some friends, I realized that I would much rather drastically decrease my chances of developing breast/ovarian cancer now, rather than go to the Doctor and always wonder 'is this going to be the time that they tell me I have cancer?'

They let me know that it's recommended to remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus when I'm 35-40, or after I've established my family. I didn't realize, though, that they were more than happy to do the double mastectomy ASAP! I figured it would be a few years and then I would have this surgery done. When we were going over dates (thinking for few years in the future) I let them know that I wanted to do it sometime in December, due to my work schedule. I was surprised when they started looking at dates for that December.

My mom and I talked about this more often than not, since it is a huge decision to make, and I decided that surgery was the best option for me. We scheduled the surgery and about 8 months after being diagnosed with this gene mutation, I had a prophylactic double mastectomy. Most of my family thought this was extremely drastic and thought it would be better if I just kept an eye on things with regular screenings. Even with most of my family thinking this, on December 3rd, 2014 I had the surgery.

I was discharged on December 4th and started the ride with mom to her house so she could take care of my while I recovered. On our way home, we stopped at my grandparents since it was on the way. I was happy to tell them, even though that was the worst I felt throughout the entire thing so far (the car ride didn't help) that I did not for one second regret my decision to have this surgery. The rest of my family heard me say this a few weeks later, and now they understand that it was the best decision for me even though it was drastic.

Before the surgery, I can honestly say that I loved my breasts and never wanted to change them. They were perfect to me! Now, 4 months after surgery, they may not be perfect and may not look like they used to, but I can say with 100% certainty that I would make the decision to have this surgery a thousand times over. While it may not be the best option for everyone out there, it was certainly the best option for me.

I'm sorry for the long novel, but it feels good to share my story with others. Of course, my family and friends know all about it, but they don't fully understand as they do not have this gene. If my story even helps 1 person with this gene, it'll be well worth the time it took to write it! If anyone has questions, I am completely open and willing to answer anything! Here's to us women out there surviving with this gene, we are more than pwerful!!