Everyday we make choices. Some are simple, such as: What am I going to eat for breakfast? Where do I need to go today? Should I wear a sweater or a jacket? Some choices we have to make are not so simple, these choices usually have the potential to be life changing. For instance, deciding what you want to pursue in life, deciding to get married, deciding to have children, deciding to convert to another religion or deciding to move across the country or world. Some of the life changing choices we make are black or white, yes or no, right or wrong. Some of the choices we have to make in life are grey. They aren't black or white, yes or no, right or wrong.
As our society becomes more advanced and technology keeps growing and changing we find ourselves faced with more grey choices in life. An example of a grey choice is genetic testing. Today, you can have genetic testing done for a variety of conditions of which only a few have actual treatments. For instance, you can be tested for Huntington's Disease if anyone in your family has ever suffered through it. If you make the choice to undergo genetic testing for Huntington's you must accept that there is no cure and if you are positive for the mutation then you now know how you will most likely die. Grey choices. They can suck.
In my case, almost every woman on my mother's side of the family had had breast cancer. One of my aunt's lost her life to very aggressive, invasive breast cancer at thirty-two. At the time of her diagnoses the BRCA gene test did not exist. She was simply an anamoly, a freak example of cancer at a young age. Almost ten years later, my own mother received a diagnosis of breast cancer. It was a lucky catch on her part because she caught it very early. Yet, because of her family history, she opted for a double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries. At this time, genetic testing for the BRCA mutations was available and becoming more widely offered than ever before. Since she already had cancer, my mother opted for the genetic testing. Her results came back showing a deleterious mutation on her BRCA-1 gene. My grandmother then underwent genetic testing, she was positive for the same mutation. Several years later, my great-aunt would also have breast cancer and also opt for testing. She would test positive for the exact same deleterious mutation.
Throughout the years, I tried to learn as much as I could about genetic testing. I also tried to support the anti-discrimination laws that were needed in order to allow m
As our society becomes more advanced and technology keeps growing and changing we find ourselves faced with more grey choices in life. An example of a grey choice is genetic testing. Today, you can have genetic testing done for a variety of conditions of which only a few have actual treatments. For instance, you can be tested for Huntington's Disease if anyone in your family has ever suffered through it. If you make the choice to undergo genetic testing for Huntington's you must accept that there is no cure and if you are positive for the mutation then you now know how you will most likely die. Grey choices. They can suck.
In my case, almost every woman on my mother's side of the family had had breast cancer. One of my aunt's lost her life to very aggressive, invasive breast cancer at thirty-two. At the time of her diagnoses the BRCA gene test did not exist. She was simply an anamoly, a freak example of cancer at a young age. Almost ten years later, my own mother received a diagnosis of breast cancer. It was a lucky catch on her part because she caught it very early. Yet, because of her family history, she opted for a double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries. At this time, genetic testing for the BRCA mutations was available and becoming more widely offered than ever before. Since she already had cancer, my mother opted for the genetic testing. Her results came back showing a deleterious mutation on her BRCA-1 gene. My grandmother then underwent genetic testing, she was positive for the same mutation. Several years later, my great-aunt would also have breast cancer and also opt for testing. She would test positive for the exact same deleterious mutation.
Throughout the years, I tried to learn as much as I could about genetic testing. I also tried to support the anti-discrimination laws that were needed in order to allow m
