Kaitlin C. tackled a difficult diagnosis with support from PEBB benefits.
"In the summer of 2021, I received a message from my birth mom that changed my life. We have stayed in contact off and on over the years and I hadn't talked to her much since the start of COVID. In 2020 she found out that she had three progressive cancers (ovarian, cervical and uterine) and the beginning of breast cancer. After receiving treatment and having multiple surgeries, they ran some genetic tests and found she was a carrier of the BRCA-2 gene, and I had a 50 percent of having it too. I immediately contacted my doctor for advice and she sent a referral to the local cancer center. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of what I would find out, but I knew knowing was better than being left in the dark questioning, 'What if?' for the rest of my life. After waiting for around 6 weeks to get my test results back, I received the call to come into the center to meet with the specialist. I was BRCA-2 positive and had choices I needed to make.
"Unfortunately the day before I received my test results, my job had abolished numerous positions, including my position. I was so terrified that I wouldn't be able to seek medical care without having insurance. While looking for a new job, one of the requirements was access to good health care benefits because I knew I would need medical care down the line. The weight lifted off my shoulders the day I started my new job with great benefits, but it also meant I had to start making the choice about my treatment options. Based off of the minimal family history I have, which mainly consisted of multiple generations of breast cancer, I made the hard decision to have a double mastectomy and a complete hysterectomy in the hopes of preventing cancer. I had my first procedure 359 days after receiving my diagnosis because I have access to life saving health care.
"I truly feel I wouldn't be able to feel a sense of 'peace of mind' without the PEBB Program. Every day I think about how this could have been a detrimental life-changing diagnosis; now it's manageable and I feel confident that I can tackle any medical issue that comes my way."