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Jenelle

My name is Jenelle, I live in Hobart, Tasmania with my partner of 15 years Peter and our 3 beautiful children Hayley 9, Charlie 2 ½ and Ella 1 ½.

I always knew that I had a high risk of developing breast cancer because of our strong family history, but this was confirmed earlier this year when I tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. I actually feel fine with this discovery as I can now take precautionary measures to make sure that horrible disease does not claim me as its next victim.

My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1988, when I was 10 years old, I don’t remember much about this difficult time but I do remember that I got time off school to stay home and help my dad look after my younger sister as she was just 13 months old at the time. Mum chose to have a lumpectomy and then had Radiation therapy; thankfully she has remained cancer free, but decided to have a full hysterectomy several years ago to remove her chances or getting ovarian cancer.

In 1991 my Auntie lost her battle with ovarian cancer at the age of 50 and the following year my Nan also passed away. Doctors are unsure where Nan’s cancer originated, as by the time they discovered that she had cancer it had taken over her body. This was an extremely difficult time for my family, also for mums remaining 7 brothers and sisters and their families.

The next person in my family to fall victim to this horrible disease was my cousin who in 1997 at the age of 28 developed breast cancer, she also chose to have a lumpectomy, but unfortunately the cancer returned again in the same breast in 2001, it was then that she decided to have a mastectomy. This year after finding that she to also carries the BRCA1 mutation decided to have a preventive mastectomy, followed by reconstruction in the other breast to eliminate the chances of this horrible disease reoccurring. She is a very brave and inspiring person.

Bad luck struck my family again in 1998 when my Auntie aged 49 developed cancer in her breast, resulting in her decision to have a mastectomy.

Following that in 2008 my uncle, then aged 66 developed prostate cancer. Thankfully they are both doing well now.

Because of our VERY strong family history, my mum and her 6 brothers and sisters decided to have genetic testing, one brother decided against it. Unfortunately they All carry the BRCA1 gene. It was then up to myself, my brother, sister and cousins to decide whether we too also wanted to have genetic testing. So far, with those that have been tested it seems that 1 member from each family, mostly female, tested positive to carrying the gene, myself being 1, my sisters test came back negative, thankfully, our brother has chosen not to be tested.

This leads me to my decision to have a preventive mastectomy. After speaking to my breast and plastic surgeons I have chosen to have a double skin-sparing mastectomy. As we do not have private health insurance I am now on the public waiting list, so unfortunately I am unsure when my surgery will be, hopefully sooner rather than later, as I would just like to get on with my life without the stress and worry, Hopefully with 2 new perky friends (I have breast fed 3 children). I only have to look at my 3 beautiful children to know that the decision I have made is the right one.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Krystal for building this wonderful website it is truly amazing, so are the beautiful inspiring woman that use it, so THANKYOU...