Meet Advanced Placement Student, Paige More
Name: Paige More
Age: 24
Major: Pre-req to Breast Cancer (BRCA1 positive)
Check out Paige's interview with Cancer Grad!
Paige More found out that she was BRCA1 positive at 22 years old. Faced with the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy or to be monitored closely by her doctors for breast cancer, Paige chose to take control of her circumstances and had a preventative double mastectomy at 24 years old.
"All my options sounded terrible. I could go into an intense surveillance program and get regular checkups, mammograms, and blood work: a future that involved endless visits to the doctor. It sounded less like "surveillance" and more like just waiting around to get cancer."
411 Likes, 126 Comments - Paige More (@paige_previvor) on Instagram: "During most of my journey I have felt like I needed to be strong. That I couldn't be afraid. You..."
After testing positive for the BRCA1 mutation in 2015 (the mutation stemmed from her father's side of the family), Paige says she remained in denial for some time. She went about her daily routine, and she claims that the severity of her mutation didn't really register to her until a doctor's appointment a few months later. In 2016, Paige decided that she didn't want to live her life dealing with mounting anxiety and waiting to get sick. She decided to schedule her preventative double mastectomy.
"I would take control and kill the chance of getting cancer before cancer could try to kill me."
Paige has publicly shared her story via social media. Within a week of starting her @paige_previvor Instagram account, Paige found herself with over 1,000 followers. She started talking on the phone with several of her followers, who often reach out to her asking her for advice regarding their own difficult decisions regarding testing. She spends a lot of time talking and texting with other women who she has met through sharing her journey.
Paige says that she feels empowered by her decision to remove her breasts.
"I grabbed control of my life. I went from being a worrier to a warrior."
