Double mastectomy and staying on plan

P.S. - I wanted to let Chrissy (and everyone) know that my doc suggests mammograms for anyone 35 and over. I was 37 when I got breast cancer, Stage III. So, be sure to self-examine and get those mammograms early. It may save your life. My cancer was so aggressive, if it weren't for my self-examining, I probably wouldn't have survived.

Ann

Totally agree- 

And I would like to add that if you are a women that has first degree relatives (mom, sister...) with breast cancer you are at a higher risk.  Us high risk women have different screening needs.  We should get 1 mammogram and 1 MRI each year, at 6 month intervals.  My mammogram came back ok, but my MRI didin't.  If you catch the cancer early (stage 0 or stage 1) the odds are super high that you will be around at the 5 and 10 year mark.  Catch it later, and the odds start to dwindle.  Hormone receptors are a important to learn about as well.  I am a super tall chic with tons of growth hormone in me, and that feeds the cancer something fierce.  With my skin cancer situation it would progress at a far, far faster rate than for "normal" folks as a result.  This is why the MRI is so important- catch that before it even pops up on a mammogram or can be felt.  

If you have grandmas, moms, aunts, sisters with breast cancer I strongly encourage you to have a risk assessment done.  Here in southeast Michigan Beaumont has a breast care center that I choose to go to, but nationally access to something similar is pretty easy to get to.  The assessment is not a big deal- you go in, get interviewed, possibly recieive counseling on genetic testing, mammogram... and then you will be educated on just how high your risk is.  If I recall even if you only are determined to have  a 25% chance, that puts you in the high risk category.  (I am 80% and I feel strongly that this number is low- it is not "if", but "when" for me.)  

I am determined.  I am determined to be proactive with my health and not have this take my life at a young age, or even in my 70's.  I am determined to educate my daughters about the importance of getting screenings done, and the importance of not sticking you head in the sand.  These two traits are not strong in my family- but I am going to change that for my daughters.  I am determined to show them that breasts do not define you and are not worth dying over.  I am determined to show them that the surgeries to eliminate cancer or reduce your risk are difficult perhaps, but very manageable.  

Your daughters are worth doing this for too.  Peace.