Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.
 

Today is October 1. I can't ignore Oct 1 for two reasons: it is the start of breast cancer awareness month with pink everything everywhere we turn and,  it is exactly  1 year since I had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. This was quite a drastic step and an extremely difficult choice for me to make but when you are a ticking time bomb with an 87% risk of getting breast cancer, you make extreme choices.

Two years ago I recieved the news that I was positive for a deleterious mutation.    I knew immediately what I had to do.  Paul and I started researching the options, visiting doctors and attended the FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) conference in Florida. There we heard the latest research and options from the most respected breast cancer doctors and researchers in North America. We also met many strong women who were "the same as me"...high risk for breast and ovarian cancer based on an inherited gene mutation.  But, not all of them were "the same as me"...many had cancer already; many would die from that cancer. In fact, in this high risk group of women with inherited mutations only 1 in 10 of us would not get cancer. Scary odds.  I was never a gambler. I prefer the safe, sure route.

Testing positive for BRCA1 mutation and the knowledge that I gained from FORCE gave me the strength that I needed to dodge the bullet that was surely aimed at me. The relief that I felt after my surgery when my pathology showed multiple precancerous cells was worth having the mutated gene. I was forewarned. I could investigate, take action and  make life-saving choices---my own choices. I no longer had to just sit back and wait for the inevitable(that I always truly knew that I would get breast cancer like my mother, my grandmother, my cousin, my aunts).

I am happy with my choices and, even in retrospect, would do it again.
 

Paul and I support many charities but have never actively raised money for one.       I couldn't ignore this opportunity to help FORCE  because, except for Paul, it has helped and supported me the most through this journey. FORCE is the only non-profit organization dedicated to people at high risk for hereditary cancer.  Researchers often rely on this community for their studies. FORCE is there for all women with breast and ovarian cancer. I haven't found any other source that provides the wealth of information and support that FORCE provided me in my battle against breast cancer. I will forever be grateful to this non-profit.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support.