NATIONAL PREVIVOR DAY 2011
Today is a very special “National Previvor Day” to me, so I wanted to honor it with a blog entry.
What makes today so special besides it being the 2nd ever National Previvor Day, it is also the start of Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year. So, I’d like to wish everyone HEALTH, HAPPINESS, PEACE & PROSPERITY for the coming year.
We have a special announcement that we have been saving just for today in honor of National Previvor Day. As of October 1, 2011 we will be providing the services that we have been so busy fundraising for here at previvorsandsurvivors.com. If you are BRCA positive and are living on Long Island, NY and are having a mastectomy and/or oophorectomy, we will be happy to provide our group’s services to you & your family. Feel free to follow the link: http://previvorsandsurvivors.com/services/ and if you have any questions, just email me at: tobeyrdh@previvorsandsurvivors.com.
Whether or not you live on Long Island, NY we would appreciate your help in passing this information along to people you know. Copy & paste our link, put it in an email to your friends, repost it on twitter and on facebook! Having a group dedicated to spreading the word about previvors and what it’s all about can save a life. There are tests out there to check whether or not you carry the BRCA gene that makes your family so predisposed to breast or ovarian cancer and there are prophylactic measures you can take to avoid cancer. Get your annual breast and gynecological exams. You can read about it at our blog: www.previvorsandsurvivors.com & our forum has plenty of good information too: www.previvorsandsurvivors.com/forum/. That’s what National Previvor Day is all about- getting the word out and saving lives.
Last, but not least, we have a page dedicated to our supporters. You can check it out at our website. We are asking for a minimum donation of $50.00 to have your advertisement there too. We are an all volunteer group and ALL YOUR DONATION DOLLARS go to our cause. Every $300.00 donation will help us help a family here on Long Island. We take donations here: http://previvorsandsurvivors.com/donate/
Be well everyone… Happy & Healthy New Year wishes… and HAPPY PREVIVOR DAY.
Thank you Newsday & Aisha Al-Muslim for your support
Long Island Now
Cancer awareness events in Garden City
By Aisha Al-Muslim
In honor of National Previvor Day and the National Hereditary Breast & Ovarian Cancer Week, three Long Island organizations have partnered to bring awareness to the issue.
Previvorsandsurvivors.com, a support group based in Oceanside dedicated to helping men and women who have BRCA gene mutations, will be part of a discussion on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island (38 Old Country Rd., Garden City). Light refreshments will be served, and donations will be accepted.
The third organization, Winthrop University Hospital, will host an evening with a gynecologist/oncologist, social worker and genetic counselors to raise awareness and support for BRCA carriers. The event will be held at the hospital’s Wellness Pavilion (1300 Franklin Ave., Garden City) on Sept. 27 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Light snacks and beverages will be provided.
The mutation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as well as increasing the risk of other cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.
National Previvor Day is Sept. 28, and National Hereditary Breast & Ovarian Cancer week is observed from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.
Genetic Evaluation BRCA Testing
It was recommended to me after finding out that yet another maternal relative had breast cancer, to go and get a genetic evaluation. Now there is a BRCA1 and BRCA2 test to see if you have a hereditary form of breast cancer or a mutated gene making you more susceptible to getting breast or ovarian cancer.
My doctor recommended that I see a genetic counselor. Not only do they draw the blood tests to get the BRCA analysis, they also counsel you on your individual risk, and treatment options if the test comes back positive. They have the most up to date information, in this ever changing field! They personalize your lifetime risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer, other cancers, counsel you on your choices, and choices you will recommend to your children. They take into affect the age that your relative developed cancer, family history of disease and your health and life style.
Myriad Labs is the lab that analyzed my test results. They have a website that might be helpful to you to get more information. Their web address is: http://www.myriad.com.
Just know, that they are a for profit company. Just go to their website and click on the BRCA Analysis, and gather your information so that YOU can make the best choices for YOURSELF.