I hate having a BC history...

I can relate...

Everyone on my dad's side of the family died from High Blood Pressure/Stroke related causes, no one lived past age 70 until my dad, who is 72. He is only still alive and with us, I am sure, by virtue of bypass surgery, a pacemaker, and lots of medicine.

I don't have children, and, short of adoption, will never be a mother. Interestingly, my mother was given heightened scrutiny when a recent mammogram showed a suspicious area -- the reason being that she now had a family history, thanks to me! Thank goodness her biopsy was B9.

I don't have children Janis, but I know what you mean. I always used to cruise right down those little boxes checking no, no, no, no- now I have to stop and say yes at the cancer question.
And if they ask for a surgical history I need to request more paper!

Love,
g

I can relate. However, my sister, who is two years younger than me, is really really freaked out about her chances of getting breast cancer now. She wants me to get genetic testing to know how much risk she is at. She is getting yearly MRI's of her whole body to make sure she catches cancer early AND she is scheduling a bilateral mastectomy and oophorectomy... she has gone bazurko!! And all because of my breast cancer history...

Wendy A

Like TIna I don't tell except on a need to know basis. Sympathy has its place but is best given by those who really know and care about us. I don't want to have colleagues and students knowing too much about me and second guessing my every problem. That sounds so paranoid! I was raised to think LBJ had gone too far when he exposed his appendectomy scar on TV! So maybe I'm just old-fashioned. I do tell all doctors and dentists full hx since I think it goes a long way towards getting better care. I too was taken aback the first time I filled out a medical questionaire for my child's dentist and had to claim a bc connection for her. I felt so guilty for despoiling my children's relatively clean record!
My best to all,
G. Marie

Wendy, why doesn't your sister get tested herself? It makes much more sense than you getting tested.

WEll, my DDs have to fill out their own family history as they are all adults now. However, I don't believe me having bc ups their risk. I was dxd after meno. But their gyn still wanted two of them to have a baseline mammo.

There was no family hx of bc in my family either. However, how dumb was I to think I'd be in the clear!? Eight percent of women with no family hx gets bc.
Shirley

I had no history of bc, and my relatives all lived (and are still living) long lives, into their 80's and 90's. I have 2 sisters, and I'm concerned about the younger one, as the older one had a benign lump removed years ago. Fortunately, she has been very good about getting her mammos on time. Still, somethimg could pop up within that year that could get to a big size. My 24 year old daughter now says "Gee, getting old sounds like SOOO much fun!" She currently has no medical insurance that covers office visits. She just graduated from college and is looking for a job. I hate that med. ins. is tied to employment!

Well, my sister told me she went for genetic counselling and they told her it would be FREE for me to get it. So, she is pushing for me to get it.

I don't really understand her over the top anxiety. I think her family doc is fuelling some of it.

All I can do is offer her lots of cyberhugs. We live across the country from each other.

Wendy A

Ya'll know this just makes me wonder?

So just what does a mother's BC have to do with a son's eyes? So if Wendy is BRAC free what does that say for her sister - darn close to absolutely nothing. Nice that it is free but you get what you pay for. Why does everybody and his uncle need to know what my great aunts died of?

I have a great nephew with hemophilia, probably one of the most famous hereditary diseases of all time. Well after much testing - it is a mutation. His grandmother, his aunt his mother don't have the gene. It's just him. Mutations happen, it isn't all inheritance.

None of us has bequeathed our children a perfect genetic make-up - such a thing doesn't exist. People need to stop beating themselves up, family history is just information - not destiny.

Janis, I now hate filling out those medical forms and having to list my cancer history. It makes me sad. I had genetic testing done and tested negative for brac1 and 2; however, the letter I received from the genetic counselors indicated my daughters have a 30% chance of recurrence due to a mother diagnosied at 49 and aunt diagnosed at 53. I am hoping they can start mammograms and MRI's at 30. My oldest daughter is 28 and yes it bothers me that my daughters will be listing having a mom and aunt with bc on medical forms a lot in the future. I just pray that they will have good insurance for all the tests ahead of them. It saddens me that I have passed this worry on to them.

Your dentist is not trying to be nosy. Breast cancer treatments are systemic (whole body) and can affect your oral health. Also as mentioned, important to tell dentist of all your medications and why you are taking them.

Even after active treatment, you will want to watch your teeth and gums closely. Your dentist can also help if you are having trouble with oral hygiene if you suffer carpal tunnel, or joint pain from hormonal therapy.
http://www.cancerwise.org/june_2006/disp...&color=blue

I'm just hoping it stays HISTORY!

Margerie, sounds like you know a Dentist...Hmmmmm ,LOL

I hate it too. I hate that everytime I have a new dr I have to explain the whole thing. I really hate it when I meet new people - like co-workers - and I have to eventually explain it to them. I wonder at what point I won't feel like they need to know or that I should tell them. When it will be far enough in my past that I doesn't "matter" anymore if that makes sense.

Margerie, thank you for the link, that was very interesting - I have a fair bit of trouble with my teeth, lots of crowns, just had a root canal done, but it is over a year and a half since treatment - I always tell them about bc.

Linda

I hate having to list all the cancers in my family just because it really makes me feel sad, but as far as the doctor or dentist, they need to know your whole medical picture in order to give you the best medical care possible.