SOFIA: Hey, Syd. You got a minute?
SYDNEY: Yeah, sure, mom. What's up?
SOFIA: I know you're busy getting ready for your move, but, well, before you go.
SYDNEY: Mom? Is everything okay?
SOFIA: Well, I, I learned some things recently that could really help you make better decisions about your health as you go through life.
SYDNEY: Oh. That's not what I was expecting you to say, but, okay.
SOFIA: Okay, so, you know we've had people in our family who've had breast cancer. Your Aunt Nicole. My cousin, Jenny.
SYDNEY: And Grandpa.
SOFIA: That's right. Your Grandpa too. Remember, when he got diagnosed, we talked about how it's rare for a man to get breast cancer, and we wondered if, maybe, it runs in our family.
SYDNEY: Um, mom? Where are you going with this?
SOFIA: Well, fortunately there are tests now that your doctor can order to find out if your chances of getting cancer can be passed on in your genes.
SYDNEY: Yeah. I've, I think I've heard about that. I just never put together that it might be something our family would need to do, y'know?
SOFIA: I hadn't either, until your Grandpa got tested and found out that one of his genes is different. He was born with a mutation that probably caused his cancer. So, he suggested that I get tested for the same mutation, and I found out I have it.
COACH: “Fortunately, there are tests to find out if risk can be passed on” was a great way to stay positive. You gave Sydney the facts without making it sound dramatic or scary.
SYDNEY: Are you telling me you have cancer?
SOFIA: I don't have cancer. And Grandpa's still doing fine after his treatment. What we both have is a gene mutation that makes it more likely to get breast cancer and some other cancers, including, for me, ovarian cancer.
SOFIA: And since your genetics are half from me and half from your dad, you have a 50% chance of having this gene mutation, too. Does what I'm saying make sense?
SYDNEY: So, it's not that anyone has cancer now, but, (scared) I don't want to think about getting cancer. I just don't.
SYDNEY'S THOUGHT: This isn't happening. This can't be happening. Not now.
SOFIA: I don't want you to worry at all. It's good I have this knowledge and I want you to have it too. That way, you can feel in control of your life.
SYDNEY: You mean that?
SOFIA: I do.
SOFIA: This isn't a cancer diagnosis. I have a gene mutation that makes it more likely to get cancer over the course of my lifetime. And, now that I know, there are things I can do to help prevent cancer, or make sure, if I do get it, it's found early, when it's easier to treat.
SOFIA: As hard as this is to swallow, yeah, it's better than not knowing.
SYDNEY: Yeah, that makes sense. Like better than finding out too late. Right?
SOFIA: That's right.
COACH: Good job staying positive. You focused on how this knowledge can help the family instead of how scary it can be.
SYDNEY: But, what,
SYDNEY: What about you, mom?
SOFIA: What d'you mean?
SYDNEY: This is a big deal for you too. What's, like, what's going on with you?
SOFIA: I'm feeling confident and, if anything happens, I'll be more prepared.
SYDNEY: How can you be so confident? People still die from cancer all the time.
SOFIA: Well, to start with, I've talked to my doctors and I'll be getting screened for breast cancer more intensely. That way, even if something were to happen down the line, we'll catch it early, maybe early enough that I won't even need chemo or radiation. There's also surgical options that can help prevent both breast and ovarian cancer. So, knowing all that, it makes me confident, yeah.
SOFIA: You okay to keep talking about this?
SYDNEY: Yeah, yeah. (sighs) This is just a lot, y'know?
SOFIA: Believe me, I felt the same way.