Dramatic, moody, self-absorbed, rebellious. These are all words I’ve used to describe my teenager. I have to admit that the teenage years have been a roller coaster. My cute little snuggle bunny who used to put his head on my shoulder while I read him a bedtime story, now communicates with grunts and eye rolls. I tell myself it’s all part of growing up. Then the bomb is dropped - a parent diagnosed with metastatic cancer.

Remember your first glance in the mirror after you were told you had cancer or after you started chemo? You held your breath, your heart was racing and your stomach was in knots, and when you finally opened your eyes, you saw the person staring back at you is different. Your hair might be thin, if there is any at all, your skin pale and your eyes wide. This version of you is the one fighting cancer. Meet the “temporary you.”

My mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when I was eight years old and she was only 43. She had no idea that the BRCA1 gene ran in our family, but when she was diagnosed, she found out she had a 50/50 chance of passing it along to me, her scared 8-year-old daughter.

While most breast cancers occur sporadically (usually linked to environmental factors such as smoking cigarettes and hormone replacement therapy), up to 10% are hereditary. Hereditary breast cancers are caused by DNA mutations that are typically passed down in families for generations. Features of hereditary breast cancers include a young age at diagnosis (under 50 years old), multiple affected relatives in multiple generations, individuals with more than one cancer, and relatives with related cancers such as male breast cancer and ovarian cancer. But how do these DNA mutations cause cancer?

Human papillomavirus. It’s a mouthful. HPV for short. But what is it?

As a nonprofit professional, daughter of a breast cancer survivor and myself a papillary thyroid cancer survivor from the age of 35, I experience the power of a supportive network of family, friends, and health professionals every day.

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2011, I was just 31 years old. I didn’t know what my future held, but I knew I wanted to be a mom.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, there are a thousand things going through your mind. If you see pregnancy in your future, choose a treatment plan that can accommodate you.