It's not just about the boobies.

The name of the gene mutation, BRCA, is somewhat misleading. It is most widely known as the BReast CAncer gene, but having the BRCA mutations also put people at a higher risk of other types of cancer, including melanoma and ovarian cancer.

The average woman has a 1.5% chance of getting ovarian cancer.  A woman with a BRCA mutation closer to a 45% chance of getting ovarian cancer. 

Because of a lack of effective screening options, 62% of ovarian cancer diagnoses occur AFTER the cancer has metastasized. So really at that point, it's a battle to stay alive. Startling facts about ovarian cancer from brightpink.org: 2 out of 3 women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will die from it.

Many women who opt for prophylactic mastectomies also have a preventative oophorectomy and hysterectomy to remove the ovaries and uterus as well. My geneticist and the plastic surgeon both recommended that I take care of those surgeries first, but my OB/GYN has suggested that I hold off for a few more years in order to keep my hormones flowing. The majority of women, even with BRCA mutations, don't get ovarian cancer until they are closer to menopause, so I feel okay with waiting until I'm 41 or 42. 

I'm a fan of my estrogen. I'm also a fan of my sanity. Being put into surgical menopause by having my reproductive/hormone generating organs removed isn't something I'm ready to do. Surgical menopause at my age could easily result in all kinds of crazy side effects, including severe depression. 

I know from the outside, it could seem a little backwards that I'm willing to have surgeries that will permanently alter my outward physical appearance, but I'm not willing to have a surgery that no one will even notice. I'm still working on making sense of that one, too.