Author: clmarcus

If I Can Make the Decision to Do It So, what does a person with an 87% lifetime chance of developing breast cancer do with that knowledge?  I have been asking myself this question since I first learned of my BRCA mutation last spring. Right now, I am doing enhanced surveillance. As described in my […]

In my last blog, I wrote about where I am now.  What lies ahead for me? With my ovaries and fallopian tubes gone, the focus turns to breast cancer risk reduction and screening.  Unlike ovarian cancer, there are reliable screening methods for early detection of breast cancer.  Current American Cancer Society Screening Guidelines for a […]

A lot of the entries I’ve written go back to treatments and procedures from the spring and summer.  What’s going on with me now? I’m still healthy, thank G-d.  My ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus are gone and showed no signs of malignancy.  I still have my breasts.  I went for a skin cancer screening […]

Back in April, when I first learned of my mutation, my gynecologist immediately scheduled me for my first ever breast MRI.  However, I had to delay it because I had just received my second COVID vaccine. The vaccine sometimes results in swollen lymph nodes which can be mistaken for a mass on a breast MRI, […]

There is a lot of terminology associated with cancer, but one idea that was new to me is the concept of a “Previvor.”  Although I’d seen the word frequently over the past several months, it came to the forefront last week.  September 29 was National Previvor Day.  What is a “Previvor?” A previvor is someone […]

I know I’ve spent a lot of time on genetics, genetic testing, and family history.  The reason for that is because my official diagnosis is Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC).  Therefore, it is extremely important to understand how heredity works, how this gene is passed on to a child, and whether it can […]

Moving Beyond the Obvious In previous blog posts, I discussed some reasons why I did not find out until recently that I carried a BRCA mutation.  In this entry, I want to discuss in greater detail why I was not tested until now.  The bottom line is that I did not meet the criteria for […]

Yesterday I attended the unveiling of my friend Dana.  Dana died last year of metastatic breast cancer.  She was 51. At the unveiling I introduced myself to her heartbroken parents.  I mentioned that I had just learned of my BRCA status and I often thought of Dana as I processed the information I had received. […]

Everyone Needs a Lila (but you can’t have mine!) First off, thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to me after my last blog entry.  Your responses and well wishes are very much appreciated.  I now realize how few people knew about my surgery back in June.  I hadn’t given it much […]

My surgery was scheduled for Monday morning, June 21.  I had never had surgery before.  All right, that’s not entirely true. I had Lasix on my eyes when I was in my 40s, and I had cataract surgery about 9 years ago.  Those were done using local anesthesia/light sedation.  I’ve had colonoscopies under general anesthesia, […]