Miracles Do Happen

As many of you know, my sister has been going through chemo treatments since March to reduce the size of a cancer before having surgery to remove it.

The surgery took place on Tuesday morning and the pathology report has been received. After surgery, they can find no indication of cancer cells anywhere.

The doctor has told her this is next to a miracle and they all wish they could give this kind of news to all their patients.

She still has to go through recovery from major surgery -- but that isn't as daunting as it looked before. AND there will be additional preventative steps to take because through DNA testing, she was found to have the BRCA1 gene mutation which gives the indication of a much higher risk for several kinds of cancer, including breast and ovarian for women; and breast and prostate cancer for men; and skin cancer for both.

Information I received after I had the DNA testing is that family members who remain at-risk for carrying this mutation include our brother and his sons, and all cousins on both sides of our family (until it can be determined whether the mutation was maternally or paternally derived.) My note -- it could have potentially come down from both sides since all of our great-grandparents came from Sweden where there is a history of the BRCA1 mutation. My children and my grandchildren are not at risk for having the BRCA1 mutation because I do not have it. BUT this does not mean that I am immune from cancer, it just means my risk is no longer extremely high. We have additional information for any relative who may have missed receiving the information we sent out. We also have the compiled list of cancer history within the family.

For relatives, this is important information to share with your doctors as well.

And, yes -- miracles do happen!