CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For Trish White, breast cancer is something her family knows too well. In fact, she is the 6th woman out of 7 in her family who has been diagnosed. "I have four sisters, 3 of them have breast cancer. My mother had breast cancer, my mother's only sister had breast cancer- and my grandmother had breast cancer," she said.
It's hard to believe, but White said her family does not carry the BRCA 1 or 2 gene. "MD Anderson said we have a gene. They just don't know what it is yet."
That is why White believes knowing your family history is key to intervention. "We all have girls. So, we are worried about them."
Back in 2011, White noticed the first sign. She found a spot {while looking} in her bra, and she knew she had to be proactive. She went to see her doctor and he sent off. Her results came back positive for multiple carcinomas in both ducts. That's when he strongly urged her to undergo a bilateral mastectomy "...because he felt like with the family history and what he saw there was probably more. And I had already made up my mind years ago that if it happened to me that's what I would do".
White said it was an easier decision than it is for most because all of the women in her family had also had the surgery and are alive because of it. But, White knows that's not the case for all women and wants to normalize the surgery along with reconstruction. That's why she shares her story. "If I can help one person along the way, feel comfortable about doing something like this then I've done my job. And that's what I've set out to do...is to share. And do what I have to do to help other women," she said.
In 2019, White was named the 'Portrait of Hope' by the American Cancer Society, and August next year will mark 13 years of being cancer free. Her message to other women is to be aware and trust your judgement.
To learn about free mammogram resources in the Coastal Bend, reach out to First Friday.
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