Rolling the genetic dice...
Hi Friends, Here's the latest from our neck of the woods:
We spent most of the holiday break waiting to find out which way my genetic dice would roll. Tim got home from Oklahoma a few days before Christmas, and it was fantastic having him around. He put up gutters, we replaced our chiminea, ate cookies, got to see friends at a safe distance, got super hero workout gear, and enjoyed a stress-free Christmas. We figured we'd get the news about my genetic testing we were waiting for by New Years Day.
As anticipated, we got the final results we were waiting for regarding my tumor and genetics on Wednesday of last week. Good news, the cancer is HER2 negative - that means less chemo - Hooray! The bad news is that I have a BRCA1 genetic mutation. This mutation means I am at an increased risk of breast cancer, uterine, and ovarian cancer during my lifetime. My sister Michelle had a BRCA mutation, so I knew that I had a high chance of having it.
This was not the information I wanted to hear. This mutation means drastic surgery for me: double mastectomy, breast reconstruction, and other surgery to mitigate ovarian cancer occurance. I anticipate that I will have 3-5 surgeries in 2021 to take care of everything. We don't know if I will have to have chemo or radiation yet - that will be determined after my first surgery to remove the cancerous breast. They will do one mastectomy at a time to ease recovery and because of operating room scheduling. Right now, with COVID it is easier to get shorter surgeries scheduled.
We were able to schedule the first surgery on January 28th, so Tim has time to complete his initial qualification training in Oklahoma. We're applying for the EFMP program (you military folks know what I am referring to!), so hopefully, we'll get to stay in place for a while to recover from all of the operations I will have this year. We are also hopeful that we will still make it back out to McChord within a year. Prayers and fingers crossed that my care doesn't delay us too long! :)
I've spent the past few days trying to embrace the tag line of "New Year - New You!" But sometimes it feels a little too soon to jump on that bandwagon. I know all of this is a good thing, and I feel pretty bright and sassy about it most of the time. Even though this news brings many changes for Tim and me, it means the promise of a longer life to enjoy with Tim, friends, and family. This is not life-ending, this is life changing in a few negative and many positive ways.
Check back in a while; as I learn more about my circumstances, I'll add updates! I love you, and we are thankful for your presence in our lives!
Nicole & Tim
