Get together for individuals facing hereditary ovarian and breast cancer

Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) UK Meeting,

Sunday 8 July 2012, 3:00 - 5:00pm

Buckhurst Hill

Essex

Do you have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer? Have you tested positive for BRCA? Are you considering genetic testing? You are not alone. FORCE exists to improve the lives of individuals and families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Would you like to learn from other people who are navigating the BRCA path or help someone else by sharing your story. You are invited to our first FORCE meeting. This will be an informal get together to provide information, peer-to-peer support and to share experiences. All are welcome, whatever hospital you are under, whether you have been tested or not, and whatever stage of the journey you are at.

If you would like to attend please email [e-mail] for further details.

[wendydee]

I would love to come to the meeting but I will be away then. If you let me know when any more meetings are planned, I will try to be there.

Love Wendy xx

[Hidden]

Hi Wendy

We will be holding these get togethers every three months. The next one will be on Sunday 7th October 2012 if you want to mark that in your diary.

If you would like to be kept up to date via email newsletter please send me a message on [e-mail] and I will add you to the email list.

love Sharon

[Didy]

Hi I am just about to see someone about this. I lost an auntie (53) and a great auntie to oc and I have just gone through it myself diagnosed at 1c. I had a full hysterectomy and 6 sessions of chemo. I have a younger sister and she has 2 girls and I have a daughter, so I have requested the BRCA test. I had to fill out a family history form and sent it to Birmingham Womens Hospital, I now have an appointment at my local hospital (Stoke-on-Trent) to see a Dr on the 23rd July 2012. Not sure what to expect. I would have loved to attend your meeting but Essex is too far for me to travel for a meeting. If you have any info you could email me I would be grateful. Love Didy.

[Hidden]

Hi Didy

Thank you for your message. I also lost both my aunt and my grandmother (they had both breast and then ovarian cancer). I was diagnosed at 48 with ovarian cancer and then found out about the BRCA genetic mutation three months later whilst going through chemo. Since then my sisters, cousins and children have all been tested.

At the first meeting with a genetic counsellor they will talk you through your family history and explain what it means if you test positive or negative for the BRCA genetic mutation. They will talk about your risk should you test positive and the risk to other members of your family. If you test positive for the BRCA mutation then there is a 50/50 chance that any of your offspring will have inherited the genetic mutation.If you test negative for the BRCA mutation then they cannot inherit the mutation from you. It is always useful to take a list of any questions with you to the meeting.

If you want to email me with your email address (to [e-mail]) I can send you some information, or have a look at our website: facingourrisk.org.

If I can help I am happy to answer any questions you might have - personal or general. Good luck with your appointment.

best regards

Sharon

[Didy in reply to Hidden]

Hi sharon, sorry its taken me a while to get back, thank you for your information, I've just looked at the website quickly, need some time to read through it all, but it seems just what I was looking for. I have my appointment with the Dr next Monday, so its good to know what to expect and its good advice to prepare my questions before hand. Thank you once again. Love Didy