Did you hear about Angelina?

“Wake up!  Angelina Jolie had the same surgery as you!” is how I like start off all of my days.   I mean, we have so much in common so it was no surprise to me.  We both have brown hair.  We both have handsome husbands (I love you, Jason!).  She has a daughter named Shiloh and I have a dog named Shiloh.  We both speak English.  Oh yeah, and we both have the BRCA1 mutation and chose to have a mastectomy  to ensure that our children won’t lose their mommy to breast cancer!

Angelina Jolie wrote in the New York Times, “We often speak of Mommy’s mommy, and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us.”  Angelina’s mom died of ovarian cancer after a decade long battle with the disease.

Jason woke me up at 5am to tell me that Angelina Jolie underwent the same prophylactic double mastectomy as me during the same time frame (January-May for me and February-April for her – technically I was first).  I love being woken up early in the morning to hear about celebrity gossip.  I may have muttered something like, “That’s great.  Copycat.” and dozed back off to sleep only to be woken up several more times by facebook notifications (“Did you hear that Angelina Jolie had the same surgery as you??”) and my mother-in-law (“Put on the news!  Angelina Jolie had the same surgery as you!”).  All these interruptions while I was trying to sleep made for a grumpy morning.  I already hadn’t been sleeping well since my exchange surgery on May 7^th, but I was still very sore and achy and had to be at Dr. Campbell’s office by 9:45am.

I was being bombarded by Angelina’s mastectomy on every radio station on the way to my doctor’s office.  People debating whether they would remove their breasts if they had a high risk of breast cancer.  Most of the women said they would do the same thing as Angelina and commended her for being “so brave”.  Every radio station was talking about Angelina’s breasts, but all I wanted to listen to was a Bruno Mars or Fun. song!

After a quick stop at the new Wawa for an iced coffee, I arrived at Dr. Campbell’s office.  Unlike other doctor’s offices that are cold and unwelcoming that resemble the hospital in One Flew Over the Cuckcoo’s Nest, Dr. Campbell’s office is very comforting and relaxing.  Classical music plays in each room (I’m not really sure where it’s coming from, it’s like the music is just in the air!) while angels are all around you making you feel safe. Dr. Campbell greeted me with a hug and asked me how I was feeling, and then asked, “Did you hear about Angelina Jolie?”  I may have muttered something ackward like, “Oh yeah, now it’s cool to have a mastectomy!”

My visit with Dr. Campbell went well.  She said that everything is healing wonderfully since my exchange.  I gave her a few FORCE brochures and my cards to hand out in case any women want to reach out for support, and she released me from her care.  It was bittersweet.  Dr. Campbell played such a huge part in my decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy.  Without her warmth and compassion, I don’t know if I could have gotten through my surgery as optimistic as I was.

As I was leaving the office I received a voice message from Linda Hurtado of ABC Action News.  I had interviewed with her before my surgery, and ABC aired my story on April 1^st.  The voice message said, “Hey, Terri, it’s Linda Hurtado.  I’m sure you heard the news about Angelina Jolie…” and so began my whirlwind of a day.

Linda Hurtado is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago.  She had a double mastectomy and has spoken out about her journey many times on the air.  In January I decided to e-mail her to see if she would be interested in sharing my story.

Linda and her cameraman came over to my house around 11:30am to do a follow up interview.  We talked about how I am feeling since my exchange surgery, and of course Angelina Jolie. 

About ten minutes after Linda Hurtado left, I received a call from my genetic counselor at Moffitt.  I haven’t spoken to her since last May when I went in for genetic counseling.  She asked me if I would be interested in talking to a few news stations about my story with BRCA.  I thought it was kind of strange.  Am I the only previvor that Moffitt has on record in Tampa Bay?  I know for a fact that I’m not!  But I agreed to speak with other news stations if it will help spread awareness.  Two minutes after I hung up with my genetic counselor, Patty from Public Relations at Moffitt called me.  She wanted to meet me at Moffitt in an hour to set up the interviews.  Part of me wanted to say no because I was exhausted (I’m still recovering from surgery!), but I’m always saying how I want to help other women in my situation and didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

At Moffitt, I met with Fox news for an interview and Bay News 9.  As I was leaving I received an e-mail from Sue Friedman (founder of FORCE) asking me to speak with the Tampa Bay Times for an interview.  All these interviews, and I actually had to turn two down because I couldn’t make it to their interviews on time!  It felt really good and empowering to spread awareness of my BRCA mutation.  However, I was running here there and everywhere that I overworked myself.  I became very lightheaded and weak.  That is not good for someone who is only a week out of surgery.  I tried to relax when I got home, but I was just too excited!

I think the media did excellent jobs telling my story and mentioning FORCE.  Jason was so excited that he was mentioned in the same sentence as Brad Pitt!  “In the end, having a preventative mastectomy is a personal and family choice.  One Terri’s husband and Angelina Jolie’s husband supported.”

Before I learned of my BRCA 1 mutation last year I had never heard of having a preventative mastectomy.  At first the idea sounded drastic to me, but I soon realized that dying of breast cancer was more drastic.  I praise Angelina Jolie for coming forward and speaking of her journey.  Choosing to have a preventative mastectomy is a scary decision.  You may feel like you’re mutilating your body and wonder if you will feel less of a woman.  I can speak from experience that you are not mutilating your body, and I feel stronger as a woman who could make this life changing decision.  I hope that Angelina’s message will help inspire women who may be scared and feel alone in their journey, or who may think they are high risk for breast or ovarian cancer to speak with their doctors and know there are great resources out there to help them with their decision.

ABC News Interview:  http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/locals-react-to-angelina-jolies-decision-to-have-a-double-mastectomy-to-avoid-breast-cancer

Fox News Interview:  http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/22250193/2013/05/14/my-whole-world-came-crashing-down

Tampa Bay Times Interview:  http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/angelina-jolies-decision-draws-praise-from-tampa-bay-patients-physicians/2120976

Angelina Jolie's Op-ed:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=0

 

 

Cancer Doesn't Discriminate - One Family's Battle With Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused from being exposed by asbestos.  Often times symptoms do not appear until several years after exposure, which makes it difficult for doctors to make an early diagnosis.

I was contacted recently through my RainyGenes blog by a man named Cameron whose wife was diagnosed with mesothelioma 8 years ago.  He asked if I would share is story on my blog.  I am more than happy to spread awareness of any type of cancer whether it be breast cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer or mesothelioma.  Cancer doesn't discriminate no matter what form it comes in.

Here is Cameron's story...

How My Wife's Cancer Changed Our Lives

My wife Heather and I were an ordinary couple with an infant daughter Lily in November of 2005.  That was when our life took a most unexpected turn after Heather was diagnosed with mesothelioma.  It was a frightening time, since neither of us knew how the disease would proceed, but I did my best to stay strong for her and to support her as best I could as she began to undergo the necessary treatments.

A cancer diagnosis throws a monkey wrench into a typical life.  Instead of going to work every day, our hours became consumed with traveling to see doctors and specialists for consultations and treatments.  It was time-consuming and scary, and Heather had to endure the physical challenges of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  Meanwhile, I had to take care of her and Lily and provide her with the emotional strength that she needed in order to get through this difficult period.  My perspective changed, and my ideas about what was important in life altered radically.

Throughout the whole process, I became much more aware of how precious time with our loved ones is.  Now that Heather has miraculously come through her ordeal and is cancer-free, I treasure every moment that we have together.  I also have taken the opportunity to return to school and study Information Technology, a challenge for which Heather's illness equipped me, since I learned so many lessons about time management and dealing with stress during her illness.

I also learned that as much as I wanted to provide everything that Heather needed, I could only do so much.  That is something that every caregiver should keep in mind, especially when an illness comes up unexpectedly as this one did.  I had no qualifications or expectations that I would be assisting my wife in this manner, but it became my daily reality.  While I don't regret that for a minute, I learned that a caregiver has to be willing to count on others for support during these times.  We would have had a hard time managing if it hadn't been for all of the friends and relatives who generously offered their time and resources.  

Allow others to help in a time of crisis is not weakness.  It is merely a part of being human.  As terrible as Heather's cancer was for both of us, it brought us a deeper appreciation for the bonds of friendship and love that exist among us and so many other people.  Despite the terrifying odds that come with a mesothelioma diagnosis, Heather is still here, healthy and cancer-free over seven years later.  She refused to take her diagnosis as a death sentence, and because of that she has been able to see our baby daughter grow into a beautiful little girl.  We are so thankful for everything we’ve been blessed with, and we hope that our story of success over cancer can be a source of hope and inspiration to all those currently fighting cancer today.

 

For more information on mesothelioma:

http://www.curemeso.org/site/c.kkLUJ7MPKtH/b.5610103/k.9477/Mesothelioma_Treatment_Help.htm

http://www.mesothelioma.com/

 

Heather, Lily and Cameron

Cameron, Lily and Heather

 

Happy BRCA-versary

April 16th marked my one year "BRCA-versary." I don't think being BRCA positive is really a means for celebration, but it was a moment in time that changed my life. I used to pretend that I was invincible from getting breast cancer. If I didn't think about it then I wouldn't get it. That is a very dangerous thought process and quite ignorant for someone with a strong family history of the disease, but it's how I lived prior to April 16, 2012.

 

After I received the news (over the phone!) that my BRCA results were positive I immediately went into a confused and sad frame of mind. Why is this happening to me? How did this happen? My life is over! 

 

I had very little knowledge of what my options were to prevent myself from getting breast cancer. Sadly, this happens far too often. Women receive their BRCA results from a doctor rather than a genetic counselor and their mutation isn't explained to them. All my doctor told me was that I have a mutation and I should have a preventative mastectomy with expander placement as soon as possible, before I have any more children.

 

I'm so glad that I didn't rush into making any decision right then. Instead, I began researching. I called my OBGYN who referred me to speak with an oncologist. Then I called Susan G. Komen to find local support groups. They directed me to FORCE (www.facingourriskofcancer.org). That is where I found an abundance of support. I learned that speaking to a genetic counselor could give me unbiased information on my options with surveillance and surgery. I began talking about my BRCA mutation to just about anyone who would listen - FORCE message boards, Facebook support groups, friends, strangers, my dogs (okay, maybe not the last two, but you get my point).

 

I did my best to cover all of my options to find what was the best decision for me.

 

Eating a healthy diet and exercising - it's important to do this anyway,  but could I prevent breast cancer by eating broccoli and cutting out junk foods? Probably not and there is no guarantee.

 

Surveillance - I was really leaning towards surveillance at the beginning of my journey. Most doctors would recommend alternating a mammogram and MRI every 6 months for high risk patients. After my first MRI, which showed a suspicious spot, and an ultrasound (everything was fine), I realized that early detection is key to beating breast cancer, but prevention is even better.

 

Prophylactic Mastectomy - it reduced my risk of getting breast cancer from 87% to about 2%. I would rather have a mastectomy and reconstruction while I was young and healthy rather than waiting to get breast cancer and have to go through surgery AND have chemo or radiation.

 

I waited nine long, anxiety-filled months before having my mastectomy.  It's been 13 weeks since underwent a surgery that forever changed my life and my perspective on life.  I could have easily been diagnosed with breast cancer, but God gave me a chance to take my destiny into my own hands.  Not many people get that.  So I've made a vow to cherish every moment I have with my little boy, my husband, my family, my friends and my dogs.  I won't take things for granted anymore, especially life because it's too precious and can easily be taken away from you in the blink of an eye.  Watching my little boy splash in the waves at the beach or laughing at Mater as he watches Cars for the 50th time or staying awake to watch his angelic expressions that he makes as he sleeps are what makes my existence meaningful.

 

My life was so different a year ago.  I didn't think I would have the courage to face the toughest decision of my life, but here I am.  I made it.  I survived.  I am stronger than ever.