Love, Life, and Chicken
The delicate juggling of marriage, motherhood, and our life's mission: chicken!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Fallopian tubes... who needs them?
Monday, January 19, 2015
An Amazing Chance Encounter
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Finding my "pink"
When I was diagnosed with the BRCA 1 genetic mutation that elevates me to a "high risk" individual for breast and ovarian cancer--and then had a risk-reducing double mastectomy-- I sort of felt like I was on an island of my own. I had tons of support from friends and family and I wasn't the only person in my family with the gene mutation. Where it got weird was how did I fit in to the "pink" community? Did I fit into the cancer community?
I hated the word label: previvor. It just seemed weird and awkward. The bottom line was I choosing to proactively handle my cancer risk based on amazing advances in technology and research. I didn't have breast cancer. I don't know what it is like to receive the results of an abnormal biopsy, or tackle rounds of chemo and radiation. I don't know the intense emotional and physical pain that cancer patients face. So-- I felt alone. The likelihood that I would be diagnosed with breast cancer in my lifetime was 87%. The likelihood that I would be diagnosed with ovarian cancer (the deadliest gynecologic disease) was elevated to 54%. The numbers are just scary and they are REAL!
I received amazing care at MD Anderson and I was surrounded by many women who were really fighting a battle for life. I felt guilty for having access to testing that allows me to make big decisions to travel down a different road then the one my genes had in store for me.
Those amazing women deserved to wear the pink. My grandma, my aunts, and several 2nd cousins who fought the fight deserve to be "pink ladies"... not me.
This weekend I discovered my shade of pink. This weekend I found the community I belonged in and a way that I can share my journey to save women's lives. I found Bright Pink!
For the next 24 months I am on a mission to reach 50 women per month and present the "Brighten Up" Workshop, a dynamic presentation that teaches breast and ovarian health basics, early detection strategies, risk reduction strategies, and then give participants real tools and resources to assess their risk and make proactive decisions. I am on a mission to save young women's lives in my community!
Join me on this journey! Help me reach the women that are important to you. This free 20-minute workshop was created by a group of medical professionals but designed to be delivered my women like me. It can be presented to social groups, church orgs, businesses, community orgs, etc completely free of charge! If you know of a local group who would be interested in this workshop please reach out to me by email at ericajohnston23@gmail.com.
I want to help all women become BRIGHT PINK!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
2 Years and more to come!
June 5, 2012 I had a double mastectomy and two years later I still say that it was THE best decision I could have made (See this previous post to catch up on the story). Nothing is easy and nothing drastic, like surgery, comes without some changes but to live free from worry about developing breast cancer at some point makes it all worth it! I couldn't live thinking that I was going to be in the 20% of women with my gene that don't develop breast cancer. We don't do Vegas vacations and you can probably see why.... I am not a gambler!
So... what's next you ask? Well, I'm not out of the woods just yet. Part of being BRCA-1 positive is also having an increase risk of ovarian cancer which is actually the more scary of the two cancers. Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. And here is a disturbing fact: Ovarian cancer accounts for about 3% of cancers among women, but it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. :( My ovaries must be removed but I am too young to put my body through the HUGE, RIDICULOUS changes (menopause) that would cause. It is not even an option on the table until I am 40. So the plan as of just a year ago was to "wait and see" until I was 40.
My appointments with the MD Anderson Ovarian Clinic are twice a year now since turning 30. The goal is to catch anything early. I just had my first appointment with a new high risk doctor who told me briefly about a NEW research study that I qualify for-- and the game might be changing! I am so excited about this I can barely type! If I believed in former lives, I can confidently say that I would probably have been a lab rat because I love participating in these various research studies.
I will find out more in 6 months when I follow up with her and she lays out the whole plan for me to consider, but here is what she told me briefly. There are several studies that have been done that are indicating that ovarian cancer in BRCA gene carriers originates in the fallopian tubes which are the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus. They are looking for 30-somethings to opt for a "salpingectomy" (aka fallopian tube removal) which is done through laparoscopy so it is a much less invasive procedure. By taking the fallopian tubes it is thought that I might be able to "hold onto" my ovaries past 40 which is fantastic. Naturally I qualify because I am a gene carrier, I'm 30, and we are 100% done having babies! Needless to say my new doctor was very excited to have me as a new patient. I can't wait to learn more about this whole procedure and I love that the data that they will collect from me over the next decade will help them learn so much more about the BRCA gene and ovarian cancer.
I am so thankful for this journey that the Lord has brought me on. He has equipped me throughout with the strength I needed to get through it all. This day always makes me reflect on the many family members and friends that helped my family as well. If it wasn't for the meals, notes of encouragement, and occasional visits, it would have been much harder. Thank you for blessing my family back then and now!
There is more to come folks so stay tuned.... :)
Monday, February 10, 2014
Our job as parents
Life isn't a simple formula and even the parent who tries their hardest and loves them some Jesus can still produce a child who will stray and make bad choices. That's one of those questions to ask Him when we reach those pearly gates one day. What I do know is prayer is powerful and we are in this parenting thing together so let's pray for each other, build each other up, help each other, and most importantly shine the love of Jesus to those sweet babies that He has trusted us to raise!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Hard to Believe It Has Been a YEAR!
I am one of those personalities where once an event has passed (especially a major event) I have trouble remembering what life was like before the event. For instance, I really have a hard time remembering life before my kids. To be honest I have a hard time remembering parts of last week so maybe I just have a bad memory :) But I know moms will relate that have had friends that said, "Just give it 6 months and you will forget the pain of child birth and want to have another one..." And it is true-- time goes by and you forget. So, I have a hard time remembering what life was like before I was physically "altered"! Work with me here on the cryptic speak because I am trying to make everyone comfortable as they read this :) I am mean you would think having lived a certain way for 28 years that I would remember vividly and almost lament about life before surgery. It is such a God thing in my opinion! I thank God everyday that He has erased those memories and made me very content with the way everything has turned out. Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY!
The appointment was very positive and very quick! She still did a "breast exam" and encouraged me to do the same thing as if I was natural because remember I still have that tiny little 1% floating around out there. But generally our conversation was very short and sweet and she was so happy that I was doing so well.
After my appointment I reported for one of the research studies that I am a part of at MD Anderson. That is one of the coolest parts of being treated at MD Anderson is that it is a research hospital. I believe I am enrolled in 4 or 5 research studies currently. Some are simple surveys taken online and some are blood draws, but this one was pictures. I am in a study for the plastic surgery side of things to develop a program where patients undergoing mastectomies and reconstruction can view their bodies at the different stages of the reconstructive journey. The doctors want to be able to upload the patient's photo and walk them through what changes their body will go through and how they might look post-surgery. I was so excited to be a part of this program and I can see the real value that it can have especially as more women are electing to have this surgery done after genetic testing reveals the BRCA gene. Snap away I told them :)
Of course, I can't reflect on a year post-surgery without saying THANK YOU once again to the many friends and family that helped along this journey. Thank you for the meals, childcare help, emails, facebook posts, smiles, hugs, and visits! It was all so helpful and my family felt very blessed by your love. I have the best friends and family in the whole world :)