User Post: Facing Family History

October is breast cancer awareness month. Everywhere I go, I see pink and that's a good thing. I don't mind paying a little bit extra for things that offer a worthwhile contribution with purchase. Breast cancer is a weight I carry on my shoulders.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 44 years old. That's 7 years older than I am now. Even though she survived, every day I think about it and wonder how much sand my hourglass has left.

I could get tested for the BRCA gene, but I have my concerns. To be completely honest, I think about looking into it and then the idea gets lost in the chaos of daily life. However, I have read that people who test positive are thought to be 5 times as likely to get cancer.

If I got tested and it came out positive, what would I do?

I suppose the most logical thing would be to have a preventative mastectomy, oophorectomy and/or hysterectomy, depending on what my physician recommended. All of this is not without potential side effects and what have you.

Then there's how my insurance might react. I shiver thinking about this.

Even with my family history, I've had resistance when asking for an early mammogram. The last argument I heard was that mammograms are not very accurate for women under 40. I have my annual appointment in a month and intend to push for one yet again. I am religious about self exams, live a relatively healthy lifestyle (though I admit Diet Coke and wine can be vices) and take multivitamins. However, I would love to be checked from the inside out.

So for now, I'll start there. But I will investigate getting tested for BRCA. Have you been tested for BRCA or are you thinking about it?

*Katie Dillon writes La Jolla Mom, an award winning lifestyle site about spa, travel, parenting, homekeeping, food, wine on Wednesdays and local happenings. She lives in La Jolla with her husband and preschool aged daughter, and is a proud member of the Yahoo! Motherboard.