Young and positive
hi! this is my first time posting here, and i just joined the community. i just turned 21 in the last month, and got my first pap smear. my gyno/womens care is super supportive and involved in prevention care. i mentioned family history of some breast cancer, and some brca positives. i was told about the tests and i decided to do one through the doctor, which she very much suggested.
fast forward to yesterday. i got the results and im positive for a mutation in the brca1 gene. i finally got my dad to tell me more about his side of the family. i always knew there was some cancer, but oh boy. one of his sisters is positive, and so is her daughter. both have had breast cancer, but caught it very early on. my cousin is like 34 and has two kids, and i’m just finding out she’s had cancer in the last 5 years. they’re both doing great and are cancer free, but i don’t know why im finding this out now lol.
my dads mother and her mother also both had breast cancer. again, both had no issues and found it early enough. i guess my dads logic is that “well no one’s died of cancer” so it wasn’t a big deal. i wish i had known a little more about this history earlier. i always knew there was some, and i might be crazy but i feel like i always had a feeling i was positive.
anyways, reading about everyone’s stories and experiences on here have helped a ton while accepting the fact that i have a pretty high chance of getting cancer at some point in my life. and i know people always say”there’s a chance you don’t though”. i just don’t want to sugarcoat it and get my hopes up. the odds are not in my favor but so what. i’ll just be expecting it when the time comes.
i’d also love and accept any advice, especially on yearly checkups, self checks, and anything else. i’m really looking forward to being a part of the community ❤️