Yesterday, I took my BRCA test. Aside from my anxiety, the test was a breeze! The nurse invited me back and we quickly went over my family history. If you are getting tested, I would highly recommend being organized during this process, as the greater family history you can show, probably the more likely your insurance is to spring for the test. While the test is very expensive, Myriad, the testing company, works with your insurance company getting prior authorizations and arranging payment. When testing, you sign a waiver stating that if the out-of-pocket cost is $375 or less, then Myriad will go ahead and run the test. If the out-of-pocket cost exceeds that, then Myriad will contact you before they run the test. I pray that insurance will cover my test (my sister hasn't received a bill yet, but didn't get a warning call, so her bill will be less than $375), but honestly, I will need to have the test ran either way…
To take the test, the nurse simply opened up the BRCA test kit, gave me a little bottle of Scope mouthwash and told me to swish for 30 seconds and spit the contents into this little specimen container. I had to do that procedure twice. That's it! Not much harder than your morning mouthwash routine!
Now we wait… The nurse said I should give it about 10 days. My sister said it took her about 3 weeks to get her results back.
I was so glad that Richard was able to come to the appointment with me. While it was a quick and painless appointment, it was great to know he was there. I must say, while I am still a little anxious, my anxiety has really decreased after taking the test. It just feels good to know I am not in a 'holding pattern' any more. I've done what I can do at this point. The ball is rolling. Today is a good day, and I KNOW that God can see around corners that we cannot. No matter how all this turns out, it's a blessing. At least for today, I am at peace knowing that no matter what the outcome is, everything will be okay. Even the worse case scenario, it will be okay.
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