Fertility Options-Advise

mahonlaura02
mahonlaura02 Member Posts: 7
edited November 2014 in Health and wellbeing

Hi ladies!! (apoligies for long post)  I am really hoping for some advise and would like to here of other peoples experiences with fertility.

I was diagnoised with grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma (has been removed). but I have hormone positive DCIS.  I have been told that I will need chemo, anti hormone theraphy and radiotherapy.  I have a 4yo son already, we were 7 weeks pregnant when I was diagnoised and according to the information we got at that stage we had a termination (which I totally regret now and am depressed over).  I am longing for another child and I have been for a long time.

Anyway,  Are there any ladies here that had hormone positive DCIS that were successful in freezing eggs or were you given that option or what options were you given?  I have yet to meet with an oncologist etc.. but this waiting is making me very anxious.

TIA. Laura xox

Comments

  • ElizabethRose78
    ElizabethRose78 Member Posts: 28 ✭
    edited March 2015
    Hi Laura. I ws diagnosed with IDC carcinoma a year ago, had a mastectomy, 6 months of chemo, 6 weeks of rads, and will likely have 10 years of hormone therapy.
    I was 35 at diagnosis, with no children, and saw two fertility specialists (the first was the best, but had closures of the IVF lab over Christmas so sent me to the second)
    My advice is to find out the statistics/success rate of egg freezing verses embryo freezing. My surgeon told me the eggs don't necessarily unfreeze very well.
    My oncologist has said she would be happy for me to try a pregnancy 2-3 years post end of treatment.
    My partner and I only had 3 days to decide and we elected not to freeze eggs or embryos. I have younger sisters who said they would be willing to donate eggs.
    At this stage he and I are planning on not of having children. I love being an auntie and i love my work which gives me opportunities to be nuturing. But it's sometimes hard. In fact today I was a little teary because the girls at work were talking lots about their children and I kept on wanting to tell stories about my dog, who I've grown to love so much (we got him near the start of chemo) but realised they wouldn't really understand.
    I have heard success stories of hormone positive ladies having bubs a couple of years post treatment.
    There isa facebook group called 'surrounded by pink sisters' which is really wonderful. Private place to ask heaps of questions.
    My other comment is: make sure you go to a fertility specialist who is very experienced/specialises in breast cancer. The second one I saw wasn't and had suggested a plan of inducing multiple ovulation that my surgeon and oncologist were not happy with. Your oncologist or surgeon should be able to send you to the best one.
    Wishing you the best of luck, I'm sorry for the loss of your little one
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Hi Laura,

    It sounds like you have had some tough decisions and some more ahead :-(

    I wanted to let you know about some older blog posts that talk about IVF and fertility as I thought reading them might help -

    Also, BCNA has developed a Fertility related choices booklet that you can either download or order online - http://www.bcna.org.au/fact-sheets-and-booklets

    I hope some of this information helps.

    Cheers,Daina

  • mahonlaura02
    mahonlaura02 Member Posts: 7
    edited March 2015

    Thank you all ladies for your help and sharing your experiences.  Its grately appriciated xx

  • sillysam83
    sillysam83 Member Posts: 378 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Hi! 

    I had hormone positive DCIS and IDC 

    After speaking to my oncologist and fertility specialist hubby and i decided to go ahead and freeze embroys. We have 4 frozen which we hope to use in the future. Im currently on hormone therapy and awaiting reconstruction. After recon my oncologist is happy for me to get off hormone treatment and try for a baby if we wish. Just having her approval is fantastic for us. But we havent discussed it more as i want to recover from recon go back to work then we will talk about it... But we have options. we were newly married when i was diagnosed at 28 so we dont have any kids. But I also feel that stopping my treatment maybe a risk im not willing to take at the moment, but that may change after recon I wouldve been on hormone treatment 3yrs approx and once i have baby i have to go back on it to finish the treatment. 

    Happy to answer any questions however im not on this site alot. 

    please email me. or Facebook me. 

    sillysam83@****

    Merylee Punchard

  • sillysam83
    sillysam83 Member Posts: 378 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Hi! 

    I had hormone positive DCIS and IDC 

    After speaking to my oncologist and fertility specialist hubby and i decided to go ahead and freeze embroys. We have 4 frozen which we hope to use in the future. Im currently on hormone therapy and awaiting reconstruction. After recon my oncologist is happy for me to get off hormone treatment and try for a baby if we wish. Just having her approval is fantastic for us. But we havent discussed it more as i want to recover from recon go back to work then we will talk about it... But we have options. we were newly married when i was diagnosed at 28 so we dont have any kids. But I also feel that stopping my treatment maybe a risk im not willing to take at the moment, but that may change after recon I wouldve been on hormone treatment 3yrs approx and once i have baby i have to go back on it to finish the treatment. 

    Happy to answer any questions however im not on this site alot. 

    please email me. or Facebook me. 

    sillysam83@****

    Merylee Punchard

  • mahonlaura02
    mahonlaura02 Member Posts: 7
    edited March 2015

    I am glad that all is going well for you and is also great that you have the option there.  There is always going to be the fear of coming off the treatment.  Thank you so much for your email, I will definately be in touch :)

  • Bibi39
    Bibi39 Member Posts: 8
    edited November 2015

    Laura, 

    I was/am in exactly the same boat as you. same diagnosis and with a 10 month old and was 3/4 weeks pregnant when i found out i had cancer. 

    The decision making is very challenging and i find that my brain is not as astute and my energy levels not as good from i think the sheer volume of life changing events that have been thrust upon me in such a short space of time. I too started to warm to my growing embryo inside me. I wondered what my mind was doing to me playing mental games when i knew my own health was far more detrimental and survival for my 10month old baby had to be my focus above anything. This got me through, i knew i had to see the unborn as a cell and not a baby or anything more. (sorry if this sounds insensitive) and again all these new things do create massive morality issues for us, what is natural what is not natural including IVF. something i started 3 days ago. 

    My main worry at present is just getting through chemo, to have the energy to be with my baby, I've noticed changes in her temperament and her behaviour and it worries me already. I just want to be in the present for her. I almost feel greedy going through IVF as though nature hasn't intended this and i should accept it, but its an option there for me and i don't know how i will feel in 2-3 years time so I'm taking it. I couldn't bring myself to close the door as we too had wanted a brother/sister for baby.  Ive been worried sick as my cancer is hormone related and i feel i have been `processed` through so many specialists in such  a short space of time. We had a weekend to decide if IVF was for us. How can anyone make a decision! especially after having just aborted one child the friday before the weekend. My concern was my body, what is this all doing to my body. The research is very grey and there are minimal research results from women in our situation to say either way, but like you I've followed the specialists advice and my oncologist said she wouldn't have referred me to the clinic if she didn't feel it was possible. But its hard to get a grip isn't it with all the medical gumpf! Its day three of my injections and i still wonder if I'm doing the right thing and every evening i just say ok lets just keep rolling. Im not bothered by the injections themselves its not really fully understanding what its doing with my hormones that makes me wonder. The oncologist says chemo will zap anything inside me so its nothing to worry about. I keep thinking i don't want this to be bitter sweet that i end up with a successful baby then start to worry about it bringing back cancer through second pregnancy. Thats another challenge for 2-3 years down the line. but again that is going to be a major decision. not one i really want to make i don't think either. Its so hard. Let me low what your thoughts are and what you choose to do. My breast care nurse said 50% women choose it and 50% don't. its totally personal. How old are you by the way? Is it insensitive for me to ask what you think contributed to your cancer? i know everyone has their own theories in their head, but i recon mine was stress, but maybe i attribute it to that as i had a lot of stress in my life in the last few years. Ironically some say IVF causes it due to the injection of hormones. But that could be a demographic thing too. 

    Look forward to hearing from you

    Katie

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