Confronting Cancer: BRCA1 & BRCA2 Gene Mutations

About three years ago I was found positive

for the BRCA Gene 1 mutation.

And that means that my likelihood of

getting cancer is higher than the average woman.

So it's very scary, it's very overwhelming.

Just that feeling that I was going to get it

is just outweighing everything else.

So I have chosen to go through with a double mastectomy,

preventitive double mastectomy.

My first thought was no, no you can't do this.

You can't mutilate your beautiful body.

They're gonna remove up to here, here, and then here.

My boobs are getting cut off.

Just super nervous, I'm biting all my nails.

And I don't want to change my decision,

that's the thing, everybody keeps saying

you know you don't have to do this.

I'm Caitlynn Bodnik.

I don't have to do it, but I want to do it.

I just want to do it like tonight.

And I'm 28 years old.

I like don't want to wait a week.

It's almost the week is like the worst thing.

I live in New York City with my husband

and our puppy, Falcon.

I work at a law firm, I'm the Day Receptionist,

with my comedy partner Lisa,

who's one of my closest friends.

And so we put together this show

and I do comedic storytelling.

It is like a second full-time job after my full-time job.

It's what you do from 6 PM 'til Midnight.

(upbeat music)

I've just totally fallen in love with New York.

My husband will never leave New York.

I love our wedding pictures, yes.

I love our wedding pictures.

When she tells the story it's way funnier,

'cause I'm like well, you see,

we met, and then we hung out

and then I moved and then she didn't

and then she came up here and we got together

and finally we were a couple

and then I asked her to marry me

and then we got married and now we're here.

That's how it went.

Her version is like a lot more.

Yeah, you like speed through it.

Impressionist.

Plus, it's boring.

Yeah, that's why I said your's is way funnier.

We met in college, we had the same major.

After graduation we had actually met.

That was, yeah, seven years ago.

We've been married together for two years now.

Obviously.

I didn't cry, I just was like.

You did start crying.

After I said yes and you put on the ring.

No, you were crying immediately.

I don't remember, because I love you.

You were tears with a human attached.

You were more tear than person.

Well that's okay.

Well then let it be.

I'll never make anyone that happy again.

I peaked.

That's it.

Caitlyn is the funnniest person I've ever met, for sure.

She just has this spirit that's just,

you can't contain it.

This is Cait, McKenzie, my dad.

Caitlin, this is high school.

My dad is in my life every day.

I talk to him every day,

he's one of my most favorite people in the world.

And he had his entire,

he's lost his entire immediate family from cancer.

This is my sister Iris.

My family has all died of different cancers.

Mother breast cancer, sister breast cancer.

This is my mom.

You know parents you expect to die,

even though they died too early.

And it was hard to see my parents

go through my sister's death.

But Caitlin actually saved my parents' life,

because my sister died December 12th,

and then on Christmas Mag found out she was pregnant.

My husband tested positive, Cait's dad,

for the BRCA 1 gene, the breast cancer gene,

which was a shock because he's a man

and you wouldn't think that a man

would have to worry about that, or even consider it.

So, we went to the girls and said look,

it's in our family, you need to get tested.

[Caitlin] My sister was negative for the mutation,

but I tested positive.

Based on the statistics that I was given,

my risk of getting cancer is very different than

a person who doesn't have the mutation.

[Allen] This is the analysis kit, a specimen collection

and transportation kit if you want to find out

if you have the gene.

Even though I don't have cancer

it felt like I was always about to get it.

It just was very scary.

I went to maybe one or two doctors

that weren't exactly specialists in the field,

and they just told me right away,

we're cutting off your breasts,

and it was just so harsh.

So, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are genes that everybody has.

They have normal functions in the body,

largely to repair damage that's done to our DNA,

and sometimes people will inherit

a abnormality in one of those genes

that causes it to malfunction,

which makes them suscpetible to breast cancer

and ovary cancer and, to a lesser degree,

to certain other kinds of cancers.

My risk of breast cancer by the age of 50

can go as high as 50%,

where the average population is at two percent chance.

By the age of 70 I have between 56 to 87% chance,

and the average person has a seven percent chance.

So, that's enough to freak me out.

I realize that her whole family sort of had this,

kind of black cloud over them in terms of cancer,

and how much it had affected them.

It always followed her around a little bit, that fear.

She sort of knew that she had it,

so there was no real panic.

I think she was nervous, I think she was already planning.

what is our life going to be like post-diagnosis?

(dial tone)

just calling to check in, see how you're doing.

I wanted to talk to you because

I decided that I wanted to go ahead

and do the preventative double mastectomy.

I just, I think right now is a good time.

But call me back, no big deal,

I love you a lot.

Okay, Bye.

Today is six days until the surgery.

[Woman] It is very scary, though.

It's very scary.

[Woman] Are you okay?

Um, yeah.

No.

I don't think I'm gonna miss the breasts too much.

The scars are gonna be large,

they're gonna be from here to here.

They have to remove my nipple too,

because they won't be able to save it.

Caitlyn's parents found this guy in Maryland

who is famous for giving nipple tattoos.