Yesterday was day one of the FORCE conference – which is all about hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. So far, it has been an awesome and sometimes overwhelming experience. Most everyone attending the conference is a cancer previvor or survivor and there are 750 attendees this year! It’s been really nice to meet so many people who have the same genetic mutation that I do, it’s an instant connection you feel.

I’ve learned so much about the mastectomy itself – prep, potential complications, things to have handy around the house (think dry shampoo and hella DVDs). I attended sessions about mastectomies for prevention and treatment, psychosocial aspects of surgery, and fertility and planning for BRCA carriers. I also went to a “show and tell”, where I got to see/feel all sorts of boobies and ask questions about implant types, reconstruction types, and more. I will definitely be blogging more about what I’ve learned throughout the upcoming week. Follow me on Twitter for live-tweeting from the conference.