Hi Michelle I get mammograms yearly and have done since I was 28. The theory (according to my doctors at the University of Michigan) is that women who have had a direct relative (mother/sister etc) with breast cancer should start mammograms 10 years BEFORE that relative was diagnosed. I skipped three recent years in a row because I was pregnant three years in a row and last year’s mammogram wasn’t much use because I was exclusively breastfeeding which makes it hard to read. Now I’m four years behind. I just had a breast check done by a doctor and am making my appointment for a mammogram this week. And as always, I hope to get that letter a week later that tells me I’m ok. I wonder – am I at more risk because my mother had breast cancer when I was growing inside her (answer – no) or am I at more risk because she had aggressive cancer that spread quickly and she was my mother (answer – yes, maybe). I don’t have the luxury of ignoring my family history and focusing on the ‘bright side’. My bright side is that I am informed and continue to educate myself on preventative and detection methods (don’t forget breast MRI’s and ultrasounds in addition to mammograms) and that I am my own best cancer detector because most women find the lump first. As morbid as this sounds- I have also thought about what I’d do if I do get that phone call and I DO have breast cancer. Never mind treatment, what about all the practical stuff? We have no relatives here to help out and our friends have jobs and families of their own. However, we WILL call on them to help out, as well as some of our great neighbors. Cancer organizations have large rosters of volunteers who can run errands, bring meals and help with house and child care. Although money will be tight, we can temporarily hire a part-time babysitter who can help when I’m throwing my guts up or picking chunks of hair up from the bathroom floor! And I have thought through what I will tell my small children. A problem is only a problem if there is no solution. Solving the problem before it arises gives a woman more time to focus on her treatment, and less time stressing about everything else because cancer affects EVERYONE. This sounds fine, like I’m all calm and prepared. But I know I’ll be terrified if I get that call. Who wouldn’t be? The best thing I can do is take care of myself and have a game plan ready just in case. Other than that, I’ve known for a long time that I could get what my mother got but ‘maybe’s’ cannot overtake my life. Life is too good to let the ‘what if’s’ take over. I’m aware, I get tested, I test myself, and my contingency plans are thought through. And on I march.