My father died when he was only 36 years old, and I had not had much contact with his family since his death. Thus, it came as somewhat of a shock to learn that my family had a strong disposition to cancer. I first considered genetic testing when I was told my uncle had cancer of the colon and had been tested for HNPCC. Having had irritable bowel disease for years, I felt it necessary to find out if I carried the gene because I could never be sure if any symptoms were due to my irritable bowel or a sign of cancer. It was easy for me to decide to have genetic testing; however, making the trip to Houston for the testing was not going to be easy. I live several hours away from the center that was offering the genetic testing and counseling, but fate intervened and my son-in-law was coming to Houston to pick up my grandchildren. So I went. The blood drawing was almost painless.

As a pediatric nurse for over 20 years, I knew the importance of genetic testing. I had worked with many children who had genetic testing in order to diagnose their medical condition and plan treatment. However, it was different to experience this process myself. It was hard waiting for the results, but it gave me time to think about what I would do if I tested positive. This also involved thinking about how my children would cope. During the waiting period, I chose to have a colonoscopy, as I knew I would have to have this done regularly if I did have the gene. It helped put me at ease when the colonoscopy did not detect any problems.

I would like to thank the staff who were so good at putting me at ease and answering my questions and also for listening to my rambling when I was nervous. My suggestion to anyone considering genetic testing is to have a support person nearby during the time of waiting for results. I thought about the results more than I had anticipated, and it helped to have someone to talk to.

I tested negative, thank God. But going through this did make me stop and think about how easily our lives can be changed whether for the better or for the worse.

Nora