BRCA2 - just a big vent.
Ahh what a journey. Just looking to vent I don’t know if I want reassurance or just people to relate.
Mum died in April 2025 of numerous cancers. Ovarian, uterine, lymph nodes, etc etc. found out she carried BRCA2, got tested myself and came back positive.
I’ve alwaaaays considered myself a healthy person. I eat home cooked food 90% of the time, never sick, never even broken a bone. Now I’ve tested positive for this and it’s like my health has gone from 100 to 0, or so it seems.
I lived in the UK most of my life, and if there’s anyone in here from there you will know how absolutely appalling their healthcare system is. I’ve since moved to Texas start of last year, got tested for the gene in February and had my result back in march. My siblings haven’t even been tested yet but have found out it can apparently take 9 months to come back. So that just paints the picture of the difference in healthcare now.
Anyway, my PCP here in the US has of course sent me for all sorts of testing. Ive ultimately already decided to go down the route of having a bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction which will be taking place at the end of the year. Mammogram booked for next month for that specifically. But that’s not what I’m worried about.
2 weeks ago i had a transvaginal ultrasound carried out. They’ve found I’ve got a huge cyst on my right ovary (5cm x 5.5cm x 3.4cm) and it has a papillary growth on it nearly 2cm wide. Because of this and the BRCA they want to not only remove the cyst, but are taking my entire right ovary with it. A referral has now been sent to oncology and from my doctors reaction I think she suspects the growth on the cyst is cancerous, although she didn’t specifically say so. I’m 27 years old.
This brings me back to the NHS in the UK. Every single month I went to the sex clinic to get my contraceptive pill, they would take my vitals, every single time I told them that I was experiencing a blinding pain on my right side, especially during periods and ovulation. Always dismissed. “Take some ibuprofen or paracetamol. Use hot compress it’s just period pains”. Golf ball sized cyst. Never investigated. Never listened to. 27 and now having a whole ovary removed. The anger inside me is like no other. The empathy for all the other women constantly belittled, sent away, never heard out, never looked into.
Listen to your body ladies. Anyway, if you’ve read or got this far- thanks for staying. If anyone’s had anything similar or if you just want to vent back I’m all ears. My husband understands but I don’t know how many other people do get the gravity of the situation. Well. It is what it is.