After watching my mom and aunt battle bilateral breast cancer, which included chemotherapy, radiation, mastectomies and all the physical and emotional anguish that accompanies it, I learned that I carry a BRCA2gene mutation. It runs in our family.

I was told that my inherited BRCA2 mutation means that I have up to an 87% chance of having breast cancer in my lifetime and up to an 18% chance of having ovarian cancer. At age 43 I had a naive sense of invincibility when it came to my health. “Athletes don’t get cancer!” I reasoned.  Receiving this news felt like a curse! I was angry!