I'm adding this here as a public service. If you have a history of cancer in your family, you should look into getting tested. I probably should have done it 3 years ago, after legislation passed that protects you from health-insurance discrimination (GINA, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act - http://www.genome.gov/24519851). Note: but not from life-insurance, disability, etc. discrimination. If you already have them, you're fine. There are strategies to get coverage and then get tested.
This is a copy of what I wrote for my family.
Here's a very important subject that should be of interest to everyone in my family: Yesterday Richard and I went to an appointment for genetic counseling, then I gave blood to be tested for BRAC1 and BRAC2, the two breast-cancer genes they've identified so far (well, there are others, but don't apply given our background).
There's lots to say about this. So much info. So many implications.
Results in about 2 weeks, and of course I will tell you all about it. [Delay if insurance doesn't want to pay for it - it's $4,000 each test! But when family members go to get tested, it's much, much cheaper, because the lab knows just where to look - they don't have to sequence your whole DNA. By the way, there's only 1 lab in the US that does the testing - Myriad Genetics in Salt Lake. - tell family later - M]
Here's a link in the meantime:
http://www.swedish.org/Services/Cancer-Institute/Services/Cancer-Genetic-Counseling-Tests
It has info and shows a video of the guy we met with, Bob Resta.
He was excellent - and funny!
Here's a book that Resta recommended and we got to look at in his office. Swedish also has it in their lending library. If you want a copy, I will send you one (we get free shipping from Amazon).
Positive Results: Making the Best Decisions When You're at High Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer
http://www.amazon.com/Positive-Results-Making-Decisions-Ovarian/dp/1591027764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295621792&sr=1-1
I am also going to bank my DNA, so that when they learn more about genes, you will always be able to access it. It only costs $150 to bank it in perpetuity.
More to come ...
In Eight Steps to Happiness Geshe-la says "'Self' and 'other' are relative terms, rather like 'this mountain' and 'that mountain ... 'This' and 'that' therefore depend upon our point of reference. This is also true of self and other. By climbing down the mountain of self, it is possible to ascend the mountain of other, and thereby cherish others as much as we presently cherish ourself."
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