“The Odds of Breast Cancer Diagnosis…”

The breast cancer journey brought Albert Einstein’s quote to life for me when he said “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

Like many employees, my job requires that I use statistics and probabilities. Lucky for me that I enjoy playing with numbers and the patterns that emerge. Probabilities and possibilities emerged with my stage two breast cancer last year too.

My great aunt died of breast cancer and my mom had both breasts removed for her successful fight with breast cancer. I had no question but that my breast cancer was genetic because look at the family I thought. It is a given.

My surgeon thought otherwise. Thank goodness.

After a negative experience, I found a brilliant breast surgeon I adore. I easily trusted her with my life and told her I would do whatever she told me to do. Describing her as a patient advocate is an understatement. She personified the concept of working with me as a team.

She then told me to get genetic testing. Great, I thought. Genetic testing was not needed because cancer ran in my family was my response. Genetic testing would give her additional data in treating me she explained. Off to genetic testing then to confirm what I knew was my conclusion.

Two waves of genetic tests were conducted and I was called with the results.

For each of the numerous tests analyzed there was no genetic link. Forget my possibilities and probabilities. Zero, zip and zilch to nature and one point for nurture it would appear.

There was no genetic link to my breast cancer.

I remain in awe of how wrong I was with my truth of genetics. I remain in debt to the amazing surgeon who with kindness and care did not listen to my statistics of breast cancer in my family.

I do know the odds of finding such a caring and brilliant giant. To her, I will always be grateful for teaching me what I don’t know about breast cancer. I won the lottery.

The more I learn about breast cancer, the more I realize how very little I know.