Hi everyone. I am new here. Ive never been one to join groups as I've always felt that I was strong enough to deal with whatever life gave me. My mother always told me to be strong and handle situations. I love the strength that she taught me, but it also puts me in a position that makes me feel weak for needing help. Something that I am working on overcoming.
She passed away 8 years ago from Inflammatory Breast Cancer. It was a nasty cancer that, at that time, not many people had heard of. Anyway, due to her cancer, my gyro suggested to get tested for BRCA. That was back at the end of August. My results came back positive for BRCA2. During the wait for the results, I decided that if it was positive, I would undergo a mastectomy, whatever needed to reduce my risk of getting cancer.
A little about me. I am 53 years old. I have seen what chemo does to people. I DO NOT want to ever have to deal with that. Here is where the guilt comes in. I am scheduled for a radical hysterectomy and a bilateral mastectomy with expander placement this Thursday, December 17th. I am 100% okay with my decision, but as the surgery date gets closer, Im having feelings of guilt. I truly feel like I have dodged a bullet by finding out I am positive, but feel guilty that I have that knowledge and am able to stop cancer before it gets me. whereas so many women, and men, don't get that opportunity. I am just really having a time with this. My question is, has anyone else experienced this? Is this a normal emotion? What helps to not feel so guilty?
Thank you in advance!!!
Hi ReneeMarie welcome to the forum and I am so glad that you felt able to reach out. You must certainly not feel weak in any way for reaching out we all need to have help at some point in our lives and I cant imagine you are any different in that. I for one think it is a strong person that reaches out.
What has happened for you is just as difficult as any of us have faced and like you, had no choice in the matter to enable us to live a life free from risk and that's what you are doing so you should not feel in any way guilty and you can't be responsible for what happens to others it is just how it all works out unfortunately. But you have two huge surgeries ahead of you as well and will need to recover from those so I don't think the route you are taking is in any way an easy way out of this, you are going to be affected by this as well.
Good luck for the surgery this week and please do come back and let us know how you are and how you are getting on as we will be thinking of you.
Meanwhile I'm sending some huge big hugs your way for now xxxxx
gail
