Plastics and Genetics

After a whirlwind of my diagnoses and telling our family and friends I knew there would be more appointments to follow.  On our way on on Tuesday, Megan the CCC called and said she had set up an appointment with the Virginia Piper Cancer Center.  I would be meeting with a couple women whom are far too smart for their own good. 

I went to work on Wednesday thinking I only had one appointment.  Who was I kidding?  The plastic surgeon's office called and wanted me to be fit into Dr. K's schedule.  Dr. K who would soon learn is a fantastic surgeon was going on a mission trip to repair cleft pallets and lips in Peru for a week.  I felt really good about that because it gave me some more time to think about all of my options. 

Sam picked up me from work; I was scared just felt better with him with me in the car.  We could talk about things and absorb them together.  We drove to Dr. K's spa clinic and waited to patiently to see what he could offer us in forms of reconstruction.  Dr. K walked in with a warm face and a kind voice; ready to give me options on how to love myself in the mirror again someday. 

The options the breast surgeon Dr. DJ gave me where 1) lumpectomy with radiation; meaning removing the tumor and a little more healthy tissue followed by 5-6 weeks of radiation treatment 2) single mastectomy; the removal of the cancerous breast 3) bilateral (double) mastectomy; removal of both breasts.  With both options 2 and 3 there is an option to reconstruct the breasts. 

The options were overwhelming at best, but very informative.  In order to reconstruct a breast Dr. K would implant a tissue expander underneath the chest muscle.  He then would inject the expander with saline once a week until I reach my desired fullness.  After the breast reached the size I chose, Dr. K would then implant a soft implant.  After healing the nipple would be constructed and finally later in the office Dr. K would tattoo on the aereola. 

As Sam and I left we felt very comfortable with him.  We went to lunch and my mom called to get an update.  I lost it.  I cried in the middle of Fudruckers while waiting for my burger.  I cried because it's unfair.  My whole life crashed down in front of me.  Nursing school was on hold, our chances of having another child may not happen, and I will never breastfeed again.  It's unfair and I feel like I've been through enough.  Not having all of the answers was frustrating, but I dried my tears and hung up the phone. 

Sam then drove us to the Virginia Piper Cancer Center to meet with Shanda in genetics.  Piper, for short, is a calming tranquil clinic lit with dim light and kind faces.  Shanda met with us in a conference room and talked about the science of breast cancer genetics.  In short, women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer.  On my dad's side of the family there are 2 women out of 5 with breast cancer.  Nearly half. 

28 year olds don't get cancer and there has to be a reason why this is happening.  Shanda recommended I don the testing for the BRCA gene.  This is the breast cancer gene.  You can test for 1 or 2.  If I were to test positive for BRCA 1 gene, being diagnosed under 30, in the next 10 years I have a nearly 60% chance of reoccurring breast cancer and a 40% chance of developing ovarian cancer. 

If not for me I will do the testing for my sister and for my children.  I feel it's important for our family to know what they are up against so they may get proper testing.  It was a very overwhelming day, but really informative.  Sam and I were feeling closer and closer to making a surgical decision on how we would first attack this monster.