Pink Story: Genetic Test

I finally went in for my genetic test.  I have never had anything like this done before so I had no idea what to expect.  I went by myself because Jason couldn’t take the day off.  It felt like I waited a lot.  I would go to one person, they would take my information and have me wait. The next person would come, then leave, then the next.  Finally, I got to wait in a little room.  Then  I waited for the lady who would take my blood.  Then I could go home and wait for the results.

I had to get genetic testing because I am a 35 year old who should not have breast cancer, my maternal grandmother had breast cancer twice, my great-grandmother had breast cancer and my paternal grandmother had breast cancer.  Even though my mom hadn’t had it, there were enough people in my genetic line to warrant a test.  Everybody has cancer cells.  All a cancer cell is is a cell that is messed up.  Typically when cells begin to degenerate a person’s body fights and kills those cells and all is well.  There is a special gene that fights these.  For breast cancer it is called the BRCA gene.  You want this gene.  When they conduct a genetic test they are looking to see if the gene is missing.  If it is, a person will just keep getting cancer.  If a person is missing this gene they have an 85% risk of getting cancer.

The nice lady who was in the room I got to wait in walked me through all the statistics.  I have a 15% chance of not having the cancer fighting gene.  I have a 15% chance of needing to remove my ovaries and breasts (If the gene is absent, ovarian cancer is extremely likely as well as breast cancer).  But, I have an 85% chance of testing negative.  I have an 85% chance that this cancer is just some fluke thing and it can easily be wiped out.  I have to wait 2 weeks for the results.  In the meantime I am a tree, in the meantime I will hold the 85% chance, remember that statistic and remember that I am in bloom, my leaves shall not fall and my Daddy charts my path.  I have nothing to worry about.