44 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com hope is that you will find peace in knowing you are not alone and confidence as you decide what path forward to take. Let’s turn back the page and explore why each woman decided to receive genetic testing. What made them crave that knowledge? For Hicks, it was a long familial line of cancer on her mother’s side. “The gene is easy to trace down my maternal grandfather’s side from his grandmother, his mother, his sister, my grampa himself, to my mom and her youngest sister,” she explained. Seeing cancer run its course in her family gave her the courage to get tested and discover her BRCA1 gene. Like Hicks, Burns pointed to the past. “My maternal grandmother passed away from breast cancer when I was a few years old, so the fear of cancer was always in the back of my mind. In 2017, my mother was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, and through her diagnosis she was found to be a carrier of the BRCA gene. I was then tested and found to be BRCA1 positive as well.” While both of Cribbs’ parents had cancer, the news of her genetic testing still threw her a curveball. “I was at the Mount Pleasant Library when the doctor called me. I remember sitting outside and fully preparing myself (for a BRCA result). Instead, she told me I had CHEK2, and I had no idea what that was.” In those moments, each woman was given an opportunity to ask more questions and discern their next step. For both Burns and Cribbs, that entailed years of monitoring with mammograms and MRIs before finally opting for a double mastectomy. After seven years of testing and a recent suspicious result, Burns knew it was time to move forward with the procedure. “My anxiety was so high every time another scan rolled around, I knew I couldn’t keep putting myself through the stress of the ‘what if’s,’” she recalled. Similarly, it was a concerning MRI result that proved the last straw for Cribbs. “I decided I couldn’t do it anymore,” she said. “Holding my breath every six months was taking a toll on me. I wanted peace of mind.” As they separately recount their stories, it’s paramount to see the nuances involved in making a decision for yourself. These things deserve time and research until you have peace about moving forward. Let’s normalize taking the time you need and even changing your mind. Burns recollected what waiting looked like for her. “I often felt pressured to move forward with surgery when I simply wasn’t ready.” So she took the time she needed until she was ready. In 2009, Hicks was sitting heartbroken in a pre-op appointment for an oophorectomy, when the surgeon refused to operate on her. Years later she had another child. “Two more sons later, I always feel like it was written in the stars that I wasn’t ready back in 2009,” Hicks exclaimed. Her advice to others is simple. “Listen to yourself.” Remember, waiting doesn’t mean you are in denial of what’s to come. It’s an integral part of making an informed decision you are prepared to live with. While a preventative mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer, it’s still a major surgery. “Having a prophylactic double mastectomy is not the same as someone having breast augmentation. I was happy with my breasts before surgery. Now I have scars and reminders that the reason I needed to have it done was because I lost my mom who didn’t have this chance,” commented Cribbs. She added, “I basically amputated a part of my body voluntarily.” Following surgery, she had several complications which ultimately led to more surgeries, but her outlook remains positive. “I try to focus on the broader picture and the ultimate goal of becoming the healthiest version of myself.” Burns is also still processing what her body has endured. “I feel grateful that unlike my mother and grandmother, I was able to reduce my risk, but I do feel bad for all that my body has had to undergo.” Hicks expanded the conversation beyond mastectomy. “The hardest part that no one talks about is the oophorectomy – removing your ovaries.” While also riskreducing, this procedure comes with ‘life-changing’ side effects. “You’re instantly in menopause, can no longer bear children, etc.” But even amid these life changes, Hicks remains grateful. “Honestly, I feel very blessed that genetic testing was available for me.” What a beautiful reminder that the realities of loss and gratitude can coexist. Burns, Hicks and Cribbs independently provided the same advice: don’t walk through these decisions alone. Hicks found community through an in-person FORCE conference (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) and encourages other women to find their village. “Connect health & wellness
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