I’m sorry to hear your daughter has tested positive for BRCA 2. What an awful thing for you both to have to deal with. I’m also BRCA 2 and have a 14 year old daughter. I was told by my genetics clinic (Birmingham) that they wouldn’t test her until she was at least 25, I see your daughter is just 21. I don’t know how to broach the subject with my daughter, at the moment she isn’t mature enough to deal with the news but I know the day will come soon when I have to tell her about the gene. Did your genetics clinic offer you any advice about telling your daughter and did they offer her counselling?
Hope you dont mind me butting in. Its not certain yet but I just found out yesterday that the pathologist who looked at my tumour following mastectomy strongly believes I will be a carrier of one of the genes. I am being referred to genetics for further testing, but I too have a 14 year old daughter so obviously it has implications for her as for your daughter. I am not intending broaching the subject with her for at least a few years - but of course if she were to ask me I would be honest with her.
If i do test positive I know for sure that I will go for mastectomy on other side and oopherectomy as I dont want to go through all this again.
Feel free to ‘but in’! thanks for your post, I hope you don’t have a BRCA mutation but if you do there’s lots of support available. Let us know how you get on.
Hello all, I found I had the brca2 gene a year ago and agonised for ages about whether to tell my daughters, aged 16, 13 and 10. I very recently had prophylactic surgery and obviously had to say something to the girls. I didn’t go into it in great detail, I think my 16 year old picked up some of the implications of what I was saying. For me it was better out in the open (as I said before within reason, with the info I gave them), and the 16 and 13 year old are both saying that they want to be tested when they are 18. I have told them that the whole situation will perhaps be very different in a few years time.
It is a tough call, good luck with your decisions.
hi i am actually dawnie 666 daughter as you already know i am 21 and have the brca 2 gene.
Im now waiting for an appointment in the new year to discuss a double mastectomy and reconstruction.
If any of you have already had this done i would be really greatfull if you could let me know the recovery time and what your breasts looked like after the surgery i have tried to find more info and pics but have not had much luck and as i have two young sons im quite keen to find out the recovery time thankyou
jade x
Hi Jade,
I haven’t had surgery yet but I’m high risk due to strong family history of BC and I’m waiting to see a surgeon. There’s a really good booklet you can order from the Cancerbackup website called ‘Understanding Risk Reducing Surgery’. It explains the different kinds of reconstruction and has information on recovery times. I have 2 young boys myself, my youngest is 4 months so I plan to go for straightforward implants - it sounds like you’re in hospital for 1 night and completely recovered in 2 weeks which is better than a c-section! (I’ve had 2).
Zoe x x
So sorry you have had to join us at such a young age. I hope you are feeling ok about it all. It is very to digest it all and can really stress you out. Do you have a partner that is supporting you through this?
I spoke to you mum recently about you.
I am 33 and tested positive for brac1 in september after my sister died in march. I am due to have a double mastectomy with tissue expanders on New Years Eve on monday. I will let you know as soon as I have had it how it all goes.
I am expecting to be in hospital from 2 to 7 days and I am expecting to be off work from between 6 to 12 weeks. I think that you aren’t meant to drive for 6 weeks and it can take time to get your strength back to lift anything. Some of the ladies I have spoken to said they were up and about not long after their op but had to set themselves small tasks each day like washing up etc as you may get very tired after. The anasthetic can take a while to get out of your system. If you are having expanders I believe you go back to hospital as an outpatient after about 3 to 4 weeks after your op and get injected with a saline liquid. I believe they may do this evey few weeks until you are fully expanded and the skin is stretched sufficiently. Then between about 3 to 6 months after your op you would have your second op and the expanders are replaced with a permanent implant. This requires 3 to 4 weeks recovery I believe. It does depend on which type of reconstruction you have and everyone reacts differently too.
What were you thinking of having?
I mentioned to your mum about the other forum I use where you will eventually be able to access some photos of ladies after their operations. If you go on that forum there are some really useful things on it and is a special section on people that are having or have had preventative surgery. They have even posted lists of what you need to take to hospital.
I really hope this helps and I recomend using both forums to get lots of info.
Fair enough but It is a legitimate forum and would have been very helpful to Jade and others.
I think the main thing is to help people that need information and help and sorry to sound rude but sod terms and conditions!!! This world gets so caught up in terms and conditions and health and safety etc!!!
Sorry to voice off as I’m sure it isn’t up to you anyway
I think the main thing is to help people that need information and help and sorry to sound rude but sod terms and conditions!!! This world gets so caught up in terms and conditions and health and safety etc!!!
Well said Katiecat we are all in this together, it’s such a shame not to be able to help others.
Sorry to hear what you’re going through. I don’t have the BRCA gene but I had a preventative mastectomy at 29 for a different condition. I had immediate reconstruction using fixed volume implants under the chest wall - because I was small busted to begin with, I didn’t need any expansion so mine is a slightly different experience from some of the other ladies.
I was in hospital for a week, had dressings off after 2 weeks (I wasn’t allowed to shower or soak in the bath with them on so I had to wash very carefully). I wasn’t allowed to lift anything for 6 weeks and was supposed to be off work for a couple of months. Unfortunately I have had some complications with fatigue which have meant I’ve been off work for longer. I have written a website aimed especially at younger women undergoing breast surgery however the rules of this forum prevent me from posting a link to it If you try the post Mcgle suggests and google for that site mentioned, you will be able to access my “Young Women’s Guide To Breast Surgery” site. I hope it answers your questions
Moderator,
There are women out there desperate for help and information who don’t always want to ring the BCC helpline. I understand that you cannot be seen to be endorsing ‘unofficial’ sites through links but what is the problem with mentioning another site? We are all adults and if we choose to browse the internet then surely we do so at our own risk.
Zoe
If you try the post Mcgle suggests and google for that site mentioned, you will be able to access my “Young Women’s Guide To Breast Surgery” site. I hope it answers your questions 
