Jess

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer about three years ago, and thankfully, she's in remission now. Through her diagnosis, she learned she had the BRCA2 mutation, something neither of us had ever heard of before..

My brother and I got tested right away, and we both tested positive.

It was a lot to process, especially after watching everything my mom had gone through. Suddenly, something I'd never heard of was going to shape my future and decisions I never imagined having to make at 29.

Outside of my family, I didn't know anyone who had been through anything like this. It was scary, overwhelming, and honestly, pretty isolating.

I'm the type of person who doesn't like to put things off, whether it's something health-related or even something at work. Once I know something needs to get done, I want to take care of it.

So I went straight into action mode. I started regular MRIs and mammograms, met with doctors, and kept moving forward.

Looking back, I don't think I gave myself much time to process what it all meant. I was so focused on what needed to happen next that I didn't stop to think about how I was feeling. In a way, taking action helped me feel in control of something that was completely out of my hands.

## How I Thought About Risk

For a while, the risk was just a number on a page and appointments on my calendar.

Then last summer, something suspicious showed up on an MRI. I needed a biopsy, and thankfully, everything came back normal. But the anxiety of waiting for those results was enormous, and that feeling stayed with me long after.

That's when it really hit me. It wasn't just about what might happen someday. It was the reality of living with that uncertainty every time I went in for a scan.

There were two big decisions I was navigating: family planning and whether or when to have a preventive mastectomy.

In early 2025, my husband and I went through IVF and froze embryos, including genetic testing. We did one round, and it was a whirlwind. Honestly, it still is.

I don't think people always realize how much a BRCA diagnosis can affect family planning. You're not just thinking about your own health, but also your future family and decisions you never expected to face so early in life.

The other decision was the mastectomy. I always knew it was something I'd likely do, but I kept pushing it down the road because life kept happening. After the biopsy scare, I remember telling my mom in September that I wanted to do it soon. I just didn't know when.

November 5, 2025, is a date I'll never forget. I was laid off from a job I'd been at for three and a half years.

A few days later, I remember thinking, maybe this is a sign that it's time.

I'd spent so long trying to figure out how to fit surgery into my life. Suddenly, I had the chance to put my health first without everything else competing for my attention.

So I scheduled it.

It's strange to say, but I'm genuinely grateful for how things worked out. What initially felt like such a setback gave me the space to make one of the most important decisions of my life.

I had my preventive double mastectomy in early January 2026. After surgery, the pathology revealed stage 0 cancer in my left breast.

It was something I never expected to hear, especially after choosing to have surgery preventively. I felt so many emotions at once. I was incredibly grateful I'd made the decision when I did, but also scared, confused, and sad. It was a lot to take in.

I had expanders placed during my first surgery, followed by reconstruction on March 4. And because life never really slows down, I started a new job on March 2, just two days before my second surgery.

Recovery had its challenges, both physically and emotionally. There's so much you can't fully prepare for until you're actually going through it. But through it all, I kept reminding myself why I'd made this decision.

One of the most meaningful parts of this experience has been connecting with Sharsheret, an organization that also supported my mom.

Through their peer support program, I was matched with another woman who'd gone through a similar experience. We talked for hours before my surgery, and it meant so much to connect with someone who understood what I was about to go through and could offer reassurance along the way.

Now, almost a year after surgery, my husband and I are preparing to run the Miami Half Marathon in January with Team Sharsheret.

Going from surgery and recovery to training for a half marathon, while supporting an organization that's meant so much to my family, feels incredibly full circle.

I'd absolutely make the same decision again, and I don't regret moving quickly. I just wish I'd had more resources that felt personal and practical, not just medical.

Sometimes it's those little things that make an overwhelming experience feel a lot more manageable.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that everyone's journey is different. We all have our own circumstances, timelines, and ways of processing things. What feels right for one person might not be right for someone else, and that's okay.

Give yourself the grace to learn from others while remembering that this is your journey, too. You can feel confident in your decisions and still be scared or overwhelmed along the way.

More than anything, this experience has made me want to be there for other women who are where I once was. That one conversation with someone who understood what I'd been through meant more than I can explain. If sharing my story helps even one woman feel a little less alone, that would mean everything to me.