Sandy

[Guest guest]

It is not an easy decision to make. I guess I just thought ahead to

my children, and their children etc. But my way of thinking on this

subject was entirely different then as to now because of the extra

symptom I have been unlucky enough to have.

At first this illness was , to me, well, if my children have it,

hopefully by the time they are 18 or when they find out they have

it, there will be a cure, or a good prevention, and if they have to

have the same or similar surgery as I did, then my children will be

strong enough to handle it as I was. I will help them to be strong

enough.

Unfortunately, I didn't know about the tumours that one with this

illness is more prone to get. I now believe that these tumours will

be the death of me, rather than old age. Not saying that I will die

soon, but it will more than likely be these that I will die from

eventually. They don't eat away at organs like other cancers, but

they grow and grow and restrict movement, squash internal organs,

and invade the body at will. I have 3 removed and more grow in their

place or just wherever they like. Two surgeries this year alone to

remove them from different parts of my body, and I now have 3 more

growing back.

Now I am even more thankful that this testing was done, because this

is just another problem that I can accept and fight or rule out for

my daughter and nieces and nephews.

With your not knowing whether you have the mutated gene inherited

from your mum, sounds like it drives you as mad as I feel about my

daughter. But still I look at it that there is a 50% chance you

don't have it, and you can either then put your mind at ease that

you don't have it therefore, your children will not inherit it, or

if it goes the other way and you do have it, then after going

through the grieving process, which you will do, you can then accept

it and take on the fight to beat it. If one can then adopt the

attitude of..okay, I have this mutant gene, perhaps I will be lucky

enough to not ever have a tumour grow, but if it does, then I will

fight it and I will win....then of course sighing with a deep breath

after each mammogram rules out any signs of cancer.

It is scary, and I understand that only too well.

If you want to email me off the list, I'm here..and will help you in

any way you want, even if you want someone to allay your fears with

etc....me listening or helping someone takes my mind off my own

worries *L*