The life-changing information in my 23andMe DNA reports

- Whenever there's a new report available, you get a little notification. It said something to the effect of, "Are you sure you want to view this potentially sensitive information?" And I was like, "Well, yeah. Like how sensitive could it be? You know?" I had no idea. I did 23andMe about six years ago. I didn't realize that there was such serious things that they could screen for. - Every time one of your cells divides, it needs to make a copy of its DNA, and the DNA copying machinery is re

ally good, but it's not perfect. Every so often, it introduces an error that doesn't get fixed, and it can get passed down to future generations. - When I got my notification, I sort of felt my stomach do a tumble. They detected the BRCA1— a BRCA1 variant— there's a lot of them. - BRCA1 and 2 are what are known as ‘tumor suppressor genes.’ Their normal job is to help repair broken or damaged DNA inside our cells. If you inherit a variant in one of those genes that disrupts its function, then

you'd have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer. - There's no reliable screening for ovarian cancer for women— it's typically found when it's progressed. The best option in my opinion and the doctor's opinion, was to just remove my uterus and all of those reproductive organs to prevent any type of cancer in the future. - Women who have a BRCA1 or 2 variant have a 45% to 85% chance of developing breast cancer by the time they're 70, and that's compared to about a 13% life

time risk in the general population. - About a month or so after I had my hysterectomy was when I had my first mammogram, and they wanted to do further testing. I was so nervous, so stressed out. I had the ultrasound and they were like, "Okay, we just think it's dense breast tissue." My husband was like, "Listen, we need to have a better game plan if this is what's gonna happen every six months." These weeks that are consumed by stress and worry and anxiety. I was like, "No, you know what? Y

ou're right. What am I holding onto? It's just tissue." In my mind, it was like, "Okay, well it's not if, it's when. Why not just get a procedure that could extend my life and make me healthier in the long run?" I healed fine. I did great. Then I could see that my body was just different. I was not a candidate for nipple sparing. I don't have nipples, but I don't really care what I look like under my clothes at the end of the day because I'm here. For me to have just lumps under my shirt is a

small price to pay for my kids not having a mom. Sorry, I don't wanna do this now. - More than 80% of people with a BRCA variant don't know they have one. - You have an increased risk with the variant that we have. - And sometimes people won't be aware of a family history of cancer because it's passed down through their male relatives. We can help catch some of those people who might fall through the cracks so that they can learn their status, and then take whatever steps they need to tak

e. - I felt super fortunate that I had that information so that I could make my own decisions, and that my body wasn't gonna make those decisions for me. - It's pretty incredible that this tiny molecule that's inside our bodies can have such a huge impact on us. - You look through a microscope and you see cells— and you look even further and you see DNA. I've seen it now, and I know what's there. That is, I think, a gift.