Eggs frozen, cancer 'gone' - now what
Hi all, You may already know that BCNA have produced this and it has been incredibly helpful for me up to this point in time.
http://www.bcna.org.au/store/products/fertility-related-choices-decision-aid
I recommend it to anyone considering their fertility options at the time of their diagnosis (even if, like me, I read it at the same time as everything else I needed to read about my diagnosis and immediate treatment options and admit that the first time I read it, it was with one eye open and the other in denial).
For me, I am at a point in time where I have eggs frozen, and I'd like to use them.
A bit about me. I'm 34 and was 31 at age of diagnosis. I have no children. I married my now husband who I met two weeks prior to my diagnosis. Yes he is a wonderful man. I had no symptoms, and decided to accompany my mother to the Sydney Breast Clinic as I had done for the past 10 or so years but finally got a referral out of my GP to have myself checked. My grandmother fought breast cancer from age 53 to 60 before she died of multiple metastisis and my mother was 42 when she had a suspicious lump that they called CAPSS - benign but fairly rare.
Anyway most of you know how it goes so I need not go into how the process works - but I was thankful that all was done there and then - and by 4pm that day I'd had an ultrasound, mammogram, fine needle and core biopsies and a cancer diagnosis. One week later I had a left mastectomy and all lymph nodes removed from the axilla. The pathology showed 18 plus tumors, ranging from 24mm to 2mm. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma grade 3. Also 3 lymph nodes affected. Also scattered DCIS no skin spared. Oestrogen and Progesterone positive, HER2 - . Later testing showed that I am not a carrier of BRCA1 nor 2.
Prior to the commencement of Chemotherapy I had eggs frozen. Even with the fertility 'boosters', injections, hyperstimulation etc etc there were 7 eggs retrieved. 2 of those are immature, so lets say 5 useable.
I then had TAC x 6 (also finding few younger women that had this type?) and radiotherapy x25. Then I had the choice (the choice!!) of either tamoxifen or monthly zoladex injections. I liked the idea of Zoladex injections better, as the production of oestrogen is stopped from the ovaries. Whereas Tamoxifen works differently. I have quarterly blood tests (at my request) that shows my oestrogen level (or lack thereof). I like that it is measurable (and is pretty much negligible).
So I have been on zoladex 2 years and 4 months. In that time I've had a bilateral lat dorsi reconstruction with prophylactic right mastectomy and immediate implants. I have had one revision and will have another revision and nipples on 5th Feb 15 (3 weeks time). I have also married my Paul, in October last year (when I had enough hair to resemble 'me' and attached a reasonable amount of hair extensions to!)
Right, now to the point of the post. I would like a child. Just one. The oncologist had already mentioned that a "pregnancy, is not for you" so my visit to the reproductive specialist today should not have been a shock but it still hurt when he said that he'd not had, nor would recommend a pregnancy for anyone with such high oestrogen positive breast cancer. Too much risk me going off hormone medication to ever carry a baby. So I need a surrogate. I need someone to 'volunteer' to do it in Australia (altruistic surrogate). Commercial surrogacy is illegal in Australia.The 7 eggs that I have frozen are ok but not really enough. I can have a test to see if I have any eggs left in my ovaries that chemo hasn't killed. Have to do it now as there's potential that I've already entered permanent menopause.
So aside from having to find a surrogate who wants to do it. I have to have a blood test to find out about the eggs left in my very dormant ovaries. If that's good he will extract some more and hopefully freeze some embryos with my husband's sperm as the conversion rate for a baby from and embryo is about 6/10 whereas from an egg (oocyte) it's 1/10. He can do this without having to take me off any medication.
Then if I find a surrogate the situation goes to a board at the IVF clinic after both parties have counselling, psychological testing & legal advice. The whole thing leaves me feeling very downhearted. It will take me a little while to appreciate all that I have and not see the glass half empty about it all. I know a baby of my own isn't everything but the very fact that damn cancer has made it such a struggle is tough. Has anyone achieved a baby via surrogacy? Has this been a friend or family member? If a friend, how did you approach it? Do women have any stories to share about either Genea or IVF Australia, or any other privately owned company?