In July 2010 I was diagnosed with a mass in the transverse colon. I had surgery in August of 2010, where cancer was found in my small intestine as well. It had spread to my lymph nodes. I started chemotherapy (FOLFOX6) the first week of September. Shortly after that I was sent to a genetic oncologist for testing because of my age (32-young for this diagnosis). This testing revealed a genetic defect. A deleterious mutation in MSH2, but my cancer story starts long before that.
In September of 2000 I gave birth to my first child. She was perfect in every way. We named her Hadley. For 3 years she was a healthy joyful child. In April 2004, at 3 1/2 years old, she was diagnosed with a large brain tumor. She fought that beast for nearly 5 years. Cancer was never bigger than her spirit, but on December 12, 2008, it proved that it was bigger than her body. I will miss her every single moment of my life. It is believed that she inherited my genetic mutation, which caused her brain tumor. In most cases Lynch Syndrome patients don't present with cancer until their 20's or older. In some, very rare, cases it causes brain tumors and pediatric cancer. This is called Turcot's syndrome.
My husband and I also have two sons. They are 7 and 9 years old. We are currently in the process of having them tested for this defect as well. It's been a long road filled with challenges and heartache, but there's also been great joy and love.
