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Inspiration...
TWIN
“Bonnie, women need to know what you
and your twin have gone through, show
women from both points of view, the cancer
side and the preventative side.”
By: Bonnie McIlhoney
My sister Brenda has been an inspiration for our family, friends
and especially for me, her fraternal twin. She’s shown strength,
courage, determination and humor as she’s battled breast and
ovarian cancer for the past 4 years. I decided to share our
story when Dr. Anke Ott-Young said to me, “Bonnie, women
need to know what you and your twin have gone through,
show women from both points of view, the cancer side and the
preventative side.”
Brenda was 42 years old when she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in June 2009. It was found early and she opted to have
a double mastectomy in October of that year. Our friend
Elaine, our other sister Sherri and I accompanied Brenda to
meet with her plastic surgeon. Dr. Ott Young told Brenda
she’d be able to wear a sundress or bikini after the operation
if she wanted to because she’d look so good. The thought of
Brenda in a sundress, never mind a bikini, made us all laugh.
It was suggested that Brenda have gene profiling done and the
results came back BRCA1 positive. Her doctor suggested my
brother Vinny, sister Sherri and I be tested for the BRCA gene
as well since we had a strong family history. Our mom had
breast cancer at 42 years old and died at 52 and her mom had
ovarian cancer.
In September 2010, Brenda had a preventative hysterectomy
and more cancer was discovered. The surgeon was confident
that he got it all. We didn’t tell Brenda about the additional
cancer the night after her surgery because we wanted her to
get a good night sleep. I rushed to the hospital the next morning, but the surgeon had already been to see her and I walked
in to see her staring at the ceiling all alone. When she saw me
she started to cry, which of course made me cry too. I knew I
needed to be strong for Brenda, so I said, “We’ve come this far,
we are NOT going to stop now. Let’s beat this!”
10
THE PINK PAPER
Winter 2014
The day of Brenda’s surgery, while waiting in the waiting
room, I received a phone call from Sally from the oncologist
office regarding my results from the BRCA1 profiling. I also
had the BRCA1 gene mutation. I had a decision to make and
after I talked with Brenda it was easier. She said, “I don’t want
you to have to go through what I have been going through
over the past year and half, saying to myself, ‘Will this be my
last Christmas, last Thanksgiving, my last birthday…you don’t
want to have to think like that, you have two kids to think
about, you always wanted a breast reduction, well here is your
chance!” Right then and there, I decided to have both operations.
Without the surgeries I was told my chances of getting one
or both types of cancer- breast and ovarian - was about 70%.
I used Brenda’s medical team because I think they did a
wonderful job. They helpe