Sunday, July 28, 2013

Angelina's decision: How does it effect you?

It's been a while since we all read about Angelina Jolie's extreme measures to prevent cancer. I have intentionally waited a while to post this just to see if my feelings on the topic changed.

AJ  underwent a double mastectomy because she has a "bad gene". After we heard that, it came out that she had her ovaries removed as well. I didn't follow this closely, but I did follow it enough to have some serious thoughts on it. She disclosed that she carries a precursor gene for cancer. Considering her mom died at 56 from breast cancer, her aunt since passed away, and she has a brood of kids, I think she's smart for getting tested for the gene.

But it leads me back to a number of questions. "How far do we go for our health?" Once you have this information about yourself, What do you do with it?  Once you know... does it mean you have to do something about it or live in fear of the possibility? Just embrace the fact that you're just built this way genetically? Or do you just ignore it, not get tested and just see what life deals you.

From www.usmagazine.com

Angelina and I are the same age. I don't have as many kids as she does, but it does make me think about what would I do. Her fear is one I think all moms have... Is they won't be around for their kids.

My family has a history.  My grandma had breast cancer. It was caught early, treated, and she hasn't had a problem since. My mom and her sister both have an issue with fibroid tissue, and I started my mammograms early. It is recommended for people with a family history, and I generally follow these recommendations. My theory is they are recommendations for a reason. So far, I don't have anything that would cause me to worry or have concerns. So I'm not in the arena of doing anything as drastic as what Angelina has done. It still begs the question, how much information is enough information?

Melissa Etheridge, a breast cancer survivor, provided a counterpoint to AJ. Stating in US Magazine, "My belief is that cancer comes from inside you, and so much of it has to do with the environment of your body. It's the stress that will turn that gene on or not. Plenty of people have the gene mutation and everything, but it never comes to cancer.."

AJ did what she felt was right for her and her family, and fortunately for us, she decided to share the experience. It puts these issues back in our thoughts and minds to think about our health and how it relates to our families. This can be the significant, like AJ, or it can be the everyday of getting active and eating better.

What she does may be right for her, but what does her courage do for the rest of us?

www.facebook.com/befitforeverblog

No comments:

Post a Comment