my facebook statement

My response to Melissa Etheridge's comment about Angelina Jolie decision..I know many don't care but I wanted to get it out.

 August 2011, I was diagnosed with LCIS, a non-invasive form of breast cancer, 60% chance of turning into invasive in 10 - 15 years My daughters at the time were 6, 8 and 14. .

My mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 35, I was 5, I lived my life with cancer and that cancer eventually killed my Mom when she was 50, I was 20. At age 6 or 7, I started making very conscious choices in how I lived my life, extremely healthy, food and exercise wise. So much so my Mom was concerned about me doing this at such a young age.

It didn't matter, at age 48, I was positive, the docs said don't worry we can monitor heavily, 0% chance reduction, take tamoxifen 50% chance prevention, double mastectomy with reconstruction, 95% chance of prevention. After 10 months of heavy research and worry, I choose the last option since I had no desire to put my daughters through what I had gone through as a child and I didn't want to go through what my mother had gone through.

I ended up choosing double mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction (my own flesh), 2012 was a difficult year, but now on the latter end, I feel so much better and stronger. It was the right decision for me and my family. I support AJ and her decision, it was a brave decision and a courageous decision based on the circumstances of her life. Though I doubt she cares little about what I or anyone else thinks since she did what was right for her family.

I personally feel much better since the operation, and I am glad that AJ made such a decision public, it makes it easier to talk about. Before her announcing what she did, I told very few people what I was doing, but now her announcement has created a platform for me to talk about my last 1 1/2 years and that has been healthy for me.

I am a school teacher thus felt the need to stay quiet since it was a relatively unheard of procedure in my local small town...now everyone knows of it because of AJ, and it seems to be accepted with ease as well.