When I found out about my BRCA2 mutation, I toyed with the idea of creating a blog for months. It seemed that resources for women like me were very limited; everything out there was for people who already had breast cancer. After waking up from my double mastectomy on March 13th, I realized that there was nothing holding me back from writing about my experience–both before and after surgery. I hope that this blog will not only shed light on the nuanced issues that high-risk women face, but that it will help those women to make informed decisions regarding their health.
The backstory of this blog begins in October of 1999, when my mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer. To catch you up to speed without making you do tedious searches, I’ve created a timeline of relevant blog posts.
- 1999:Twelve years ago
- 2000-2004: Mom goes for a walk
- 2005-2009: Rachel does the 3-Day
- September 2011: How it all started again
- October 2011: It’s in the genes
- November 2011: Mom’s mastectomy
- 2012: Why a mastectomy–for Rachel?
Ticking Time Bombs 
Hey Rachel,
Just wanted to thank you for this website. I’m 52 and just had a mastectomy with expander and I have 2 lovely drains attached to my right side! I really thought they would be out by now (9/9/12) since my surgery was on 8/28/12! I happened on to your blog when I was researching “the twins” as I like to call them…haha. I really wanted to take a shower and my surgeon’s stand-in who saw me following my discharge was so flippant about it, “uh yeah”. Didn’t like his lack of conviction. So I googled “shower jackon-pratt” and there you were, top hit….
Anyway I did try the plastic with duck tape, failing miserably…….but I’m workin’ it out. Whatevs.
The worst is wondering when the drains come out, because I really need to return to work. Following your posts about your own experience with their removal and the frustration you felt, is really carrying me through right now. Just wanted you to know that. I’m a casemanager in a drug and alcohol rehab in upstate NY and don’t have time off benefits yet! I’m going to advocate for myself to get back to work with “cheech and chong” tucked into some article of clothing that I don’t yet own…..How do you keep them incognito at work? I may have to get some stretch pants and dress them up for work, maybe that will hold them in check for 8 hrs……
Anyhow……..thank you for being such a smart and wise girl. You have made a big difference in this gal’s journey with drains 🙂
Lora Montalto
Hi, Rachel–Thanks for the blog! I recently found out about my BRCA2+, and had my ovaries removed about a week ago (I’m almost 45)…it was a tough decision, and I do know in the end it was the right one…am deciding now what to do w/ my breasts….It’s always nice to know I’m not alone!
Thanks for the comment, Laurie. I’m glad you found my blog.
You’re right, these decisions are very tough. Hopefully when I have daughters, they will have other options! But for us…well, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do, you know?
Keep in touch! You can always email me. My email is rachel@tickingtimebombsblog.com
Happy new year.
Ladies, I’m 45 and brand new to this whole experience too. My emotions are up and down. I’m hardly showing the grace of our friend Rachel but maybe soon. Please feel free to contact me directly at abbykusnitz@cs.com. We can take this journey together! Best of luck to you!