opportunist- one who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.
so i was looking at the FORCE (facing our risk of cancer empowered) message boards, (ill get back to what FORCE is in another post. but anyways i was looking at them and ran across a post of someone speaking of psychological issues with BRCA diagnosis kinda... a responder spoke about how she took her BRCA positive diagnosis as a blessing or an opportunity to do something. i started thinking after reading this post and i feel the exact same way.
i took my BRCA status and did something about it. i wasn't forced to get rid of my boobs and get foobs. i had the choice. i wasn't waiting around to find a lump, get diagnosed with breast cancer and be forced to have a mastectomy. we all make choices, for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, i had a choice and i did what i felt was best for myself as well as my future.
so as you guys know i do not have kids, but i have always wanted them, always! after i found out my BRCA status i was kinda blAh about the entire having a baby situation mostly because i know i can pass this gene on 50/50 chance, and also because i will not be able to breastfeed :( being a nurse it was always something i knew or looked forward to. i have read post about individuals that avoid passing it on by going through a dr sorting out eggs, and what not. but i don't think i would wanna do that, if i didn't have the gene i wouldn't have had this opportunity. i am no where close to saying i hope i pass the gene on to my future kid(s) i am just saying that if there is a chance, i would like them to have the same opportunity as i did. to be able to choose. if i was not BRCA2+ i would have had a 7% chance of getting breast cancer just like everyone else in the world. and have no choice for real prevention. i have decided i want to have a baby, hopefully before i turn 30 :)
when i think back at my myself before my surgery my outlook on things has changed. not saying i was a big old negative nancy, i am just more positive. after surgery i stopped breathing my ass almost didn't make it lol, i know it's not funny but i am here i am so grateful to be here, yes it was all my choice to have surgery and if i didn't have the surgery it wouldn't have happened but, i could have also got hit by a car or died from a car accident. i just pray that my outlook continues to be positive, life is so short and there are only so many things we can try to avoid. right now being positive is all i can really be, i don't have time to be sad or worried about what others think about my FOOBS, they are mine and i am thankful to have the opportunity to decrease my chances of getting diagnosed with breast cancer.
Congrats to you on your surgery!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way as you. I have always looks at the gene as a positive. It gave me the power and knowledge to prevent bc before it happened, so many women will never know their bc fate...but we did. We were able to prevent it! :) Sure...something else will take our lives at some point..but I'd be damned if it was BC or Ovarian. I refuse for it to beat me! I also feel the same way about kids (as you know from my blog) I want children and so does my husband, I do not want to pick out the ones without the gene...that is not fair. If my parents had of known and done that then me, and my brother would not be here. The mutation is nothing compared to being born with a disability, or an illness that you have no control over. The genetic mutation gives the individual power, and knowledge (if they choose to find out).
So congrats to you for living life, being positive, and using your knowledge as power! <3