Today show star Jill Martin has been diagnosed with breast cancer. On 17 July, the 47-year-old lifestyle contributor revealed on Today that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, just one week after she tested positive for the BRCA gene – inherited gene mutations that can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. In an essay shared to Today.com, the TV presenter explained that she learned of her diagnosis on 26 June. Her doctor had recently suggested she get genetic testing due to her family history with breast cancer, which revealed she had tested positive for the BRCA2 gene. Martin elected to undergo preventive bilateral mastectomy, because she had a 60 to 90 per cent chance of developing breast cancer. However, less than a week later, an MRI scan revealed that she had already developed breast cancer. “I am telling this story now because I couldn’t go through months of operations, and start to recover both physically and mentally, without shouting from the rooftops telling everyone to check with their doctors to see if genetic testing is appropriate,” Martin wrote in her essay. The BRCA genes – an abbreviation for “BReast CAncer gene” – are two different genes that have been found to impact a person’s chances of developing breast cancer. There are two BRCA genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which normally help repair DNA breaks that can lead to certain cancers. However, when there is a mutation in the BRCA gene, it can no longer be effective in preventing breast cancer. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the carrier of the mutated gene can also pass a gene mutation down to their offspring. It’s been found that people with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s estimated that 55 to 65 per cent of women with the BRCA1 mutation will develop breast cancer before age 70, while approximately 45 per cent of women with a BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70. Martin revealed that she will be having a double mastectomy, which will then determine her treatment plan moving forward. After her surgery, she also plans on having her ovaries and fallopian tubes as part of the preventative surgery process, because her chances of getting ovarian cancer are now 20 per cent higher, Martin said. “By the time I recover from my first surgery, I hope that many of you will know your results and can make proactive decisions with your doctors, families and loved ones,” she said. “That is the silver lining to this mess for me. It is what is keeping me going and giving me strength.” The Today show contributor explained that, although she had a clear mammogram test back in January, her mammogram still missed the presence of breast cancer that was later picked up by the MRI scan. “I am talking about this not to scare you, but to raise awareness so that maybe you can be tested and identify a BRCA or other genetic mutation earlier,” Martin wrote. “If I had known I was BRCA positive, I would have gotten screened more regularly, with an MRI alternating with my mammograms.” “What I didn’t know before this experience was that an MRI can pick up cancers that mammograms miss,” she continued. “So while my mammograms missed the presence of breast cancer, an MRI might have helped me catch it earlier.” Mammograms miss one in eight breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. For those who test positive for the BRCA gene, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendeds screening for breast cancer with an MRI starting at age 25, and mammograms at age 30. Martin added that earlier testing might have allowed her “the opportunity to have preventative surgery,” she said, “which is something I had planned to do only days before I found out that I actually had cancer.” She wrote: “Different people cope in different ways; for me, I am not hiding under the covers crying. Instead, I want to do everything I can to beat this and protect my family.” Read More Sarah Ferguson says late Queen’s corgis were unimpressed by her post-breast cancer surgery recuperation Country star Morgan Wade reveals plans for double mastectomy after testing for breast cancer gene Former NBC anchor reveals she underwent mastectomy after testing positive for gene that increases cancer risk Sarah Ferguson says corgis were unimpressed by her post-surgery recuperation Sarah Ferguson sweetly honours Queen Elizabeth’s memory amid cancer diagnosis Sarah Ferguson says breast cancer diagnosis was ‘scary’ for Eugenie and Beatrice

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Bode Miller has revealed that his three-year-old son, Asher, was hospitalised for carbon monoxide poisoning. The US Olympic alpine skier - who shares sons Nash, eight, Easton, four, twin sons Asher and Askiel, three, and daughter Scarlet Olivia, 19 months, with wife Morgan Miller - shared in a since-deleted Instagram post on 27 July that the incident came after a construction crane was parked in the driveway of their home. “Earlier this week we had a crane parked in our driveway for a few hours. Despite keeping the kids inside for obvious safety reasons, the little ones got really sick from it,” he captioned the deleted post, according to People. “Asher ended up in the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning,” Miller said. “All are well now, but passing along as a reminder to all parents of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Reminder to go test your CO detectors.” While Miller’s post has since been deleted, his wife Morgan shared her own Instagram post about the incident on 28 July. “Receiving a lot of messages so addressing it here,” she captioned her video, which showed her three youngest children wearing oxygen masks in the hospital. “Two weeks ago, we had a crane at our house to remove our broken hot tub. Asher, Aksel and Scarlet innocently stood on the front step of our house to watch the action which resulted in them getting carbon monoxide poisoning due to the lack of airflow in our driveway landing them in the ER,” Morgan revealed. “They were on high flow oxygen for over four hours. It was a terrifying experience but thanking my lucky stars they are okay.” When asked by an Instagram follower how she recognised the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, Morgan explained that Asher “was complaining of an upset stomach” and he appeared as “white as a ghost”. Asher then began to pass out, which prompted her to rush the toddler to the emergency room. While his tests came back normal, Morgan instructed her nanny to check if her other children were having any symptoms of poisoning. The nanny informed her that Aksel started to have the same symptoms as his twin brother. “I notified the nurse and she said if there’s ever more than one with the same symptoms then they check for carbon monoxide poisoning and sure enough that’s what it was,” Morgan said. “They had us clear the house and bring everyone down to get tested and they sent the fire department up to check our home.” In a separate comment, the professional beach volleyball player revealed that the family has carbon monoxide detectors in their house, but none of them went off. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when too much carbon monoxide is in the air, causing the body to replace oxygen in red blood cells with carbon monoxide. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, blurred vision, drowsiness, loss of muscle control and loss of consciousness. The recent health scare comes after their son Asher was rushed to the hospital following a febrile seizure in December – a convulsion in a child that’s caused by a fever. “Yesterday, Asher had a febrile seizure which scared us half to death. We took that same ambulance to the same hospital we took Emmy to but this time we got to leave with our child,” Morgan wrote in an Instagram Story at the time, alongside a photo of her husband lying down on a hospital bed with Asher asleep on his chest. Their daughter, Emmy, died in an accidental drowning incident in 2018 when she was 19 months old. In a separate Story, Morgan also shared a picture of the pro skier cuddling with his twin sons on the couch after they had brought Asher home from the hospital. “He’s home and back to his normal self,” she said. “I am reminded to slow down and realise life’s little gifts during this crazy holiday season because we already have everything we need… our loved ones, our health, and more time”. “Because time with the ones we love is all we could ever ask for,” she wrote over the final photo, which showed Miller looking affectionately at his three-year-old son. He is also father to daughter Dace, 14, and son Nate, 10, from previous relationships. In June 2018, their daughter Emeline died in a drowning accident at 19 months old. The child was found unconscious at a neighbour’s swimming pool in southern California. Miller, who has won six Olympic medals in alpine ski racing, shared at the time that he and his family were “beyond devastated”. “We are beyond devastated. Our baby girl, Emmy, passed away yesterday. Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this,” he shared in an Instagram post, which featured a picture of his daughter. “Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest every day. Our family respectfully requests privacy during this painful time.” Read More Bode Miller reveals three-year-old son was hospitalised after seizure Olympic gold medal-winning skier Bode Miller's 19-month-old daughter drowns in swimming pool Bode and Morgan Miller urge other parents to remain vigilant at pools after their daughter drowned The two best exercises for lowering blood pressure, according to study Experts reveal the most unhygienic things in your kitchen – and how to get them clean Hepatitis B and C could cause ‘significantly higher cancer risk’ than smoking daily pack of cigarettes

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