I shouldn’t have gotten cancer, I don’t have a family history, I don’t smoke or drink, I exercise and I’m a healthy weight. I breast fed my baby. Sometimes bad things happen to people who do all the right things. Don’t let a risk assessment test lull you into a false sense of security, really get to know your body and if you feel there are any changes get them checked out and be assertive with your doctor. Don’t let them brush you aside because you fall into a low risk category and you’re ‘too young’ to have cancer.

I had a mastectomy and then a year and a half later had a prophylatic mastectomy with reconstruction. Frankly, I miss my real boobs. Not that they were great – they weren’t. But I liked them better than my new girls. HOWEVER, I don’t miss them so much that I regret having the lopped off.

And I just have to say – my mastectomy looked way better than the model on the magazine cover. My surgeon was always complimenting me on my “nice flaps”. That’s not something you hear every day! (It just meant there was no puckering.)

At any rate, when I was waiting for the diagnosis and everyone was trying to be positive for me (which kind of pissed me off — yes, it really did!), a lot of times they would ask if there was breast cancer in my family. “No,” was my answer and that seemed to satisfy some people, but 50% of women who get breast cancer don’t have it in their families.

Those without breast cancer in their families still need to be aware. I’m a cautionary tale, I guess.

I have had all the gene tests as you know and am part of a very big cancer study for about the last ten years. Sorry, I am not home and can not remeber its proper name. This group has kept me informed of new gene tests from time to time. They do take our family cancer history very seriously. As soon as I get home, I am due to give some more blood. At this point they are not suggesting gene testing, if an immediate family member is taking the tests and getting negative results, and if you are not 40. I will forward the study’s name as soon as I get home. They are a very good resource.

1) Three-eight makes cool smiley on SIL’s blog
2) Born in same year as Gwen Stephani and Dave Grohl, both of whom are undeniably cool.
3) Have less gray hair than younger brother, who is married to hot blogging SIL, but don’t tell him I said that, as he is big and still gives nasty wet willies.

I’d be bitter about that, but I’m strangely comforted to finally see a single mitigating factor to all this societal privilege I got handed to me at birth. God, I am a pathetic guilty liberal, aren’t I?

For me we got for the next 5 years:

* This woman (age 38) 0.5%
* Average woman (age 38): 0.5%
.
Lifetime Risk

* This woman (to age 90): 11.2%
* Average woman (to age 90): 12.4%

I don’t think this calculator is that thorough, though. There are lots of other factors that can lower your chances (extended breastfeeding) or raise them (high fat diet, fibrous breast tissue, obesity) of getting Boobie Cancer. I hunted around and found this one if anyone is interested, it covers a bunch of female reproductive cancers.

http://www.wcn.org/interior.cfm?featureid=3&risk=yes&file=questions.cfm&CFID=2333508&CFTOKEN=21229386