Janet Shimabukuro shares her story of beating cancer side by side with her sister.
"When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 46, it rocked my world. This led to genetic counseling and the discovery that I had inherited the BRCA2 genetic mutation from my father. Because of this new information, in addition to chemotherapy, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy and hysterectomy to minimize my risk for future cancers. This discovery also led to my eldest sister learning that she also had stage 1 breast cancer. In March 2020, we were miraculously scheduled for our bilateral mastectomies in the same hospital, one hour apart. This was during the pandemic when our husbands could not even walk us into the hospital. We were able to recover together in the same room. My sister, also a state government employee, and I were able to get great care because of our medical benefits."