10/02/2026
I almost postponed this surgery.
I even considered canceling it.
Then my pathology came back. đź©·
In October 2024, genetic testing revealed that I carry pathogenic mutations in CHEK2 and RAD51C. With my mom battling breast cancer and an extensive family history of cancer, I ultimately made the decision to undergo a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy.
At the time, I did not have breast cancer.
After my mastectomy, pathology revealed aggressive precancerous changes already present in the tissue that had been removed. I was told that had I waited, there was significant concern that I could have been facing a breast cancer diagnosis within approximately six months.
Six months.
That is something I will never forget.
What followed was a 10 hour bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction, two additional surgeries, and roughly 15 total hours in the operating room.
And somehow, right in the middle of all of it, I was also opening and building The Regenerative Joint.
For most of my career, I’ve been the one standing on the medical side of the room. This time, I was the patient.
This experience changed my body. It changed me as a physician. And it completely changed what “awareness” means to me.
đź©· Know your family history.
🧬 Know your risk.
đź©ş Get your screenings.
đź’¬ Ask the questions.
🫶 Advocate for yourself.
Genetic testing gave me information.
Information gave me a choice.
And that choice may have changed the trajectory of my life.
I’m sharing the full story because if it makes even one person stop postponing a screening, look more closely at their family history, or have a conversation they’ve been avoiding, then sharing something this personal was worth it.
Because sometimes prevention isn’t about something that might happen years from now.
Sometimes you have no idea how close you already are. đź©·
TheRegenerativeJoint
