To all my fellows here, I know i need to share. Many of you may know my story of my sister. She is my older sister by 2 years. When i got my diagnosis of breast cancer, she covered her ears when i said i was getting a double mastectomy. I took a genetic test at the City of Hope and was found to have BRCA2 and another mutation with unknown significance. Later it would turn out to be a TP53 mutation and a 5Q deletion taking me to my bone marrow transplant in April of 2024.
I received a family letter in August of 2021. All 4 of my siblings got it. Yesterday i found out that my brother who had worked at the COH never got tested. My older sister chose not to either. My other 2 siblings tested, and both had the mutations i did. By brother told me yesterday he is going to be tested.
My sister called me two years ago crying, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. By this time both her sisters had their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. I asked her to please go to COH and see Dr. Lee. She did and at the start she was grateful. But she turned a corner. She did not like her assigned oncologist. Did not trust he listened to her. She had a complete hysterectomy with Dr. Lee, but sad to say she sought out functional medicine plans and other treatments she researched. With her husband's urging in 2024 she returned to conventional treatments. Sadly, she had GI issues, intestinal blockages and more in the last year. Never, ever did she give her siblings the whole truth. I have spent much of the last few months visiting her in hospitals. Sitting with her to support her but knowing it was not good. Finally last Thursday she got a a different hospital that is a "trauma" hospital. She passed away late yesterday. Her body could no longer keep her oxygen levels up. I had been keeping my brothers informed and my younger sister had come from NY. By my sisters passing we all were with her. The day before she was more like herself then she had been for months as i had seen her. God's grace.
My sister was private. I do not know any site like this she participated in although I told her about it, i am not sure she has looked at this one or any other.
Even up till her very last day she was checking how we were. 68 years old.