Northwestern Ovarian Cancer Early Detection & Prevention Program

Cancer runs in my family, specifically with women. I have always known this, but it really didn’t hit home for me until my mom died of it last year. Knowing I didn’t want to end up like her, I talked to my OB/​GYN, Dr. Melissa Dennis at Illinois Masonic, on what preventative measures I could take. Besides other things, she suggested I look into genetic counseling and referred me to Northwestern. When I laughed and said «because I’m genetically screwed?» she gave me a sympathetic smile and said, «well, genetics definitely aren’t on your side.» Great. Always what I want to hear.
It took me over a year to finally stop living in denial, suck it up, and make the appointment. They were surprisingly able to get me in within a week, which was good because it was less time for me to stress about it.
The day before my appointment the genetic counselor, Chrissy, called me and we went over my family tree’s medical history. Rehashing all of that only made me more nervous, so by the time my appointment rolled around on Wednesday morning I was a nervous wreck. Did I really want to do this? Would knowing if I carried the gene make a difference?
I arrived at Northwestern bright and early and found the office pretty easily. The receptionist immediately knew who I was, which was nice. It gave me the impression they have a small office and know their patients personally. After waiting for about ten minutes, Chrissy came out to meet me then led me back to her office.
I had done some research on genetic counseling online, but my brain tends to shut off when I read too much medical jargon. No worries though — Chrissy sat me down and walked me through the entire process, and had it dumbed down enough for me to understand. Sure, I felt like I was back in biology class looking at pictures of chromosomes and DNA, but this time I understood it. While she explained things step by step, she would refer back to my family tree that she had sketched out, so I could apply what she was telling me. Besides the BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing, they also test for Lynch syndrome which I was at risk for as well given the types of cancers on one side of my family.
The thing is… the way Chrissy broke it down for me and explained the different risk factors, I wasn’t scared anymore. Based on my family tree alone, she gave me some percentages and I felt much better. Sure, there is still a good chance that it may happen to me… but she encouraged me to keep doing the things that I’m already doing and to continue to be proactive.
I left there feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. When battling any illness the best weapon is to educate yourself, and the staff at Northwestern helped me do that. I think the things that they do here are amazing, and I am so grateful that resources like this are out there.
When dealing with cancer, early detection really can mean the difference between life and death. No matter what your history is or what your family tree handed you, I encourage you to educate yourself and more importantly — take care of yourself. The most important thing — talk about it with the other women in your family — your mom, your aunts, your sisters, etc. It may not be the most comfortable conversation in the world, but planting that seed in someone’s head may very well save their life.
Go forth and educate yourselves and your loved ones. Go!