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PAHow did you handle it when your sibling or child was ready for genetic testing?
When my 22 year old little sister @camrynamore told me she was ready to get tested for the BRCA mutation, before we did anything else, I suggested we go on walk.
Long walks and deep talks have always been our thing and I didn’t want to make this moment feel more intense than it needed to with a sit down.
Even though she said she was feeling good about testing, I still felt a responsibility to prepare her for what might be ahead, in case she tested positive. I couldn’t help but think about how much my life changed after getting my results…
But when I was thinking about what I wanted to say, I realized it wasn’t my job to go over her potential risk, overwhelm her with every fact, every outcome, every “what if.”
I have learned so much over the last eight years, it’s hard sometimes to know which hat to wear. But I’m reminding myself that Cammy doesn’t need me to be an expert, my most important role is just being her sister and there is a very fine line between protecting and projecting.
To help take the pressure off me to get it all “right”, I’m helping her find the right team, starting with a genetic counselor (something I never had) and just taking it one step at a time 🤍 #brca #genetictesting
@paige_previvor
