The truth is I’m scared. The thought of losing all my hair is terrifying not to mention my eyebrows. I’m thinking of doing something really brave and shaving all my hair off and donating it to CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa.) It would be better than having clumps of hair fall out in my hands and feeling like I’m disintegrating. At the end of the day losing my hair is a small price to pay for saving my life. Whew, 12 days till it starts, I could feel nauseous, well on the upside maybe I’ll shed some kgs! My Dr also said I could feel weak and tired for up to 5 days! Joyful!
Miraculously I’ve survived and stayed positive up till now and I am going to remain that way, I have to! There may be some really crap days, but they will pass. I have so much love and support, from such good friends and this ordeal has even reconnected me to my childhood friends. I'm also amazed how new friends have shown up for me in ways I couldn’t even imagine. it has shown me how good and kind people are. These are the silver linings that other survivors mention. these are the moments to be treasured.
Rob (my angel) has also been amazing, messaging me and calling me every few days to check up on me since I returned to Cape Town. He is trying to make a plan to visit me. I told him, I’m going to be bald like you when you get here" and he said in his lovely British accent, “that doesn’t bother me, I’m excited to see YOU!” I felt like crying.
My mother, brother and sister went to get their results for their genetic test to see if they also tested positive for the BRCA2 gene. My brother called me after the appointment to tell me that they all had the BRCA2 gene mutation! WTF! As if this wasn’t hard enough for them. My mother who is 62 yrs old and my sister, 25 yrs old could choose to have regular screenings or a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction. My mother will have to consider removing her fallopian tubes and ovaries to prevent ovarian cancer, as the risk is much higher with the BRCA2 Gene. This is something I will have to do at a later stage, remove the fallopian tubes at age 40 and my ovaries at age 45. Thank God I froze my eggs! My brother will have to have screenings for prostate cancer, 10 years earlier than most men and also check his breast tissue as men can also get breast cancer believe it or not.
My mother came home absolutely devastated as you can imagine. Her childhood friend came over with a home-baked cheesecake that cheered us all up. My brother is probably the most sensitive one in the family but doesn’t show it. He came in an hour later and said
” I just wanna tell this family something, "We are so strong and so solid, we have been through so much that I know we will overcome this and we will come out even stronger on the other side and I will be your rock! Dans maybe this happened for a reason maybe this crap thing that happened to you was a blessing to save us all !”
All I could think was thank God for Rob, who found it when he did, or else I might not have. What an angel who came into my life to save us all!
Love & Health
Danielle
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