I am my mother's daughter

Ansley and I inherited our mutation from our mother, Tracy.  (Not sure who she got it from, though we suspect it was her father.)

Mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 48, in 1998.  She died in 2002, when she was 52.  She had the BRCA test before she died, but by the time she knew she was a mutant, it didn't matter.  She was already in deep trouble.

I think about Mom all the time, but especially with everything that's going on with me.  I think about what she would say to me - not only as my mother, but as a mutant herself.  And after thinking about it, and talking to her friends and family, there's one thing I'm sure of - Mom would have had the mastectomy.

She was a really practical person.  If she only knew about her BRCA status before she got cancer, I'm completely sure that she would have done exactly what I'm doing.  Taking care of it before it becomes a problem.  Of course, she would have been exactly like me - terrified, emotional - but she would have done it.

I often think of myself as my Mom, one generation down the line (yes, I know that's literally true, but I think of it figuratively too).  Science was too late for her, but it's not too late for me.  I'm going to take care of this "little problem" before it becomes a bigger problem and threatens my life.  If Mom knew about BRCA, she could have done this too.  And then she would still be here today.

So, in that way, knowledge really is power, and this is the most positive thing I can do for myself.  I know she's proud of me.