In episode six, Alisa goes with Ashtin and Alix to meet with a genetic counselor to learn more about their personal risk and what it would mean to have inherited the gene mutation. “This is really a situation where knowledge is power and the more information you have, the better,” Ashtin says. “When we met with the counselor, she told us that there were 70 other types of gene mutations that could also lead to a high risk of different types of cancers, so we were able to get tested for all of those.”
The episode closes out with an emotionally charged scene showing the sisters having their blood drawn and getting real about their feelings. “I’m really happy that we’re doing this together and that we have each other,” Alix says to Ashtin. “Either way though it’s going to be okay.”
In the next episode, the Earles’ genetic counselor shares that both sisters tested positive. “It came as a massive shock,” Alix says. “It wasn’t just that one of us had it; both of us had it.” But neither sister is dwelling on the admittedly scary aspects, instead choosing to take a page from their mom’s playbook and focus on the positive. “I wanted to be positive and strong for them,” Alisa says. “[I] try the best [I] can to have a positive attitude because I think that helps with everything in your life, physically and mentally.”
The sisters are also grateful to have this potentially life-saving information so they can take action. “We have an upper hand by knowing, so we can get ahead of it instead of finding out too late,” Ashtin says. While Ashtin still has about two years before it’s recommended she start breast cancer screening, she’s currently focused on following a healthy lifestyle and doing everything she can within her own control to feel her best, like eating a balanced diet and working out.
Alix Earle, on the other hand, at 25 years old, falls within the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines for a clinical breast exam every six to 12 months as well as an annual breast MRI. Annual mammograms are recommended beginning at age 30. “My first step was finding doctors, where I’m going to get my routine screening, and then from there, implementing little things into my life that are able to maybe be preventative or just healthy and good for the long run,” Alix says.
Another area that’s top of mind for Alix and Ashtin is their future family plans. “Something that was a bit of a pain point for me when we were finding out this information was just the next phase of my life and wanting to have kids and [wondering what that may] look like,” Alix says, adding that a future salpingo-oophorectomy isn’t off the table for her. The surgical procedure involves removing both ovaries and the fallopian tubes, and is recommended for BRCA2 carriers to undergo between the ages of 40 and 45 to decrease the risk of ovarian cancer. “It’s definitely scary, but also there are so many different options now, [like] freezing your eggs, so I am grateful to just know this information and to be able to have some time to plan out what would be best for me going forward,” Alix says. Ashtin adds that she learned from the genetic counselor that future embryos can be genetically tested for the mutation. “That served a lot of peace of mind for me,” she says.
