Gene Testing for Cancer

The first bit of news I wake up to today is about Angelina Jolie's preventive double mastectomy.... wow....

Well, good for her. I'm glad she's taking a proactive approach and I'm sure her coming forward with this news will prompt other people to get their genes tested for cancer too.

So far my family has only ever suffered from smaller health issues, such as migraines and urinary infections, but my husband's side has had quite a few people pass away from cancer: his father from stomach cancer, his aunt from thyroid cancer, and a cousin from leukemia. Those are just the people in his family that we know of who were officially diagnosed with cancer, as of course there is no knowing what illnesses our Hmong ancestors suffered from while living in remote, agricultural Laos. They didn't have doctors, clinics, tests, etc. Our family's medical history beyond our time in the United States, beyond our parents' generation, is pretty much non-existent.

One of my biggest fears in life is that my husband or my kids will be hit with cancer. I worry about it probably more than I need to, but it's hard not to think about it.

Does gene testing cover other types of cancer also? Something to look into...

Mother's Day

"All that I am, 

or hope to be, 

I owe to my angel mother."

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

I'm blessed to have a mom who taught me the strength of what it is to be a mother, and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be a mom to my three wonderful girls.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and mothers to be!