00:04When you're faced with your own mortality, when you get a diagnosis like cancer, you
00:09think about what can I do with the time that I have on this earth because you
00:13realize how precious it is. My name is Kara. I'm from Philadelphia and I'm 35
00:18years old. My name is Cassie. I'm 47 years old and I live in San Antonio, Texas. My
00:24name is Charity Sade. I live in Washington DC. At the age of 27 I was
00:29diagnosed with stage 3c inflammatory breast cancer. I was diagnosed with
00:33breast cancer at 25. I was about 35 years old when I tested positive for the
00:38BRCA1 mutation.
00:53The BRCA mutation shows a genetic predisposition for breasts, potentially
00:58ovarian cancer. I tested positive and I received my test results when I was
01:04visiting my mother and I was caring for her after she had her mastectomy. And when
01:09she had her mastectomy they had actually found cancer. I made a decision very
01:14quickly to go ahead and have a mastectomy. I found out in April and by June I was
01:20walking into the hospital to have both of my breasts removed.
01:27At the age of 27 I was diagnosed with stage 3c inflammatory breast cancer. It was difficult,
01:34it was challenging, it was humbling, it was scary at times, but it was also a moment in
01:42my life that was rewarding in a weird way. I was brought very close to friends and
01:48other family members, especially my mom and I. It meant she shaved her head every
01:52time I had chemo so that I wouldn't have to be bald alone.
01:56It still makes me emotional now to think about and it was something that really
02:01connected us.
02:05I grew up knowing about breast cancer because when my mom died of it, it was something that
02:11was always kind of hanging over my head and something that we talked about in our family.
02:16When I learned that I was positive for the BRCA gene mutation, I was only 22 and so I
02:22was diagnosed with breast cancer at 25. I ended up having triple negative breast cancer and
02:28it was stage 1. I had surgery to remove the tumor and then I opted to have a double mastectomy
02:35so
02:36I had both of my breasts removed and then I had chemotherapy for several weeks and then I had
02:41reconstruction. It was something I guess I didn't really feel prepared to deal with.
02:48Once the adrenaline of going through all of that wore off and I kind of had to reconcile
02:56with the physical changes to my body and the things that treatment had taken away from me,
03:03that was probably the hardest part for me emotionally.
03:08I'd always lived a relatively healthy life before but I remember one afternoon when I was in the
03:14hospital recovering from my mastectomy, I remember looking out the window and I saw people just coming
03:22going and going, getting out of their cars, going into the hospital, walking around without a care
03:27in the world it seemed to me. And I remember thinking, I don't ever want to be here again
03:33because I get sick from something that's preventable.
03:39For me, journaling and writing is so cathartic. It allows me to express myself
03:45in a place that is free from judgment. I carry a journal with me all the time just in case
03:52I have
03:53an idea or a thought that I want to get out. For me, when I was going through breast cancer
03:57treatment,
03:57it allowed me to share my process with other people without having to continuously repeat myself,
04:03which was very helpful for me and reduces trauma for someone that is experiencing the journey.
04:16One really big example of how I'm taking control right now is by going through genetic testing
04:23for embryos so that I can have a child who doesn't have the BRCA gene mutation.
04:28Having the privilege to be able to do it and to be able to take control in that way
04:31where I could potentially stop this gene mutation with me so that it doesn't get passed on to the rest
04:37of the generations of my family, that's a really big way I feel like I'm taking control right now.
04:43I think it's important for people to know their bodies, talk to their doctors, because our health
04:49is extremely important. When I was initially diagnosed with breast cancer, I was completely terrified
04:56of what I was going to have to go through, the diagnosis, the outcome. I think during treatment I learned
05:03that I'm resilient. I am able to find strength in my humor. For me, comedy is something that was very
05:16helpful and hopeful for me when I was going through breast cancer and also any time in my life. I've
05:23leaned on humor to be able to talk about really difficult and scary things.
05:31I think it's really important for people to know that you can get breast cancer at any age. It's not
05:37just a disease that happens to older women or men, it's a disease that can happen to anybody at any
05:42age.
05:45Fifteen or so years later, after finding out that I had a genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer,
05:52I am living a life that is full, that is joyful, where I feel empowered,
05:59and just so grateful to be able to wake up and have today and just make the best decisions I
06:05can.
06:06And secondhand,
06:18and secondhand.
