Breaking news — and for the first time since I got cancer, it's GOOD news! I am BRCA negative!!!

This is a HUGE relief ... for the treatment options I'll consider, for my daughter, potentially for my nieces. It means that we aren't genetically predisposed to a significantly higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because my mom and I both had cancer, the current guidelines advise that Sylvia should start getting screened for breast cancer when she's about 10 years younger than I was when I was diagnosed — so, when she's 30 or 31. Because there isn't a significant family history of breast or ovarian cancer on my dad's side of the family, there's no reason she'll need to go through the BRCA genetic testing process, herself. In other potentially encouraging cancer news, the radiologist who reviewed the ultrasound of my right breast today said the one 5-millimeter area of concern he saw didn't look too suspicious to him. The other one hid from the ultrasound machine (little pisser). I might have to get an MRI-guided biopsy on that one, as well as the second one in the left breast, which is suspected to be a different kind of cancer (dutal carcinoma in situ), which apparently can only be viewed in an MRI. If the right breast lesion turns out to be benign, I'm not sure yet whether they'd biopsy the second one. At this very moment in time, I don't really care ... because, did I mention that I'M BRCA NEGATIVE!!! One "victory" at a time — not that I had anything to do with the slicing and dicing of my mom's and dad's genes 41 years ago. I might get the best night of sleep I've gotten in the month tonight. If I don't, I'll still wake up feeling like shouting my good news from the rooftop — then head off to my root canal with a great big smile on my face. And there you have it, your moment of Team Liz cancer zen for today. :-)