Hi, i'm MJ 36 years old

Hi. your story is excitly same of my story. I am also from oversea. I diagnosed when I was 32. mastectomy then chemo, radiation at gold coast QLD. then right now Im at Melbourne having hormone therapy for 5 years now. Its been almost 1 year now. I also did IVF for freese my egg before start doing chemo.I dont have any child yet. but me andmy husband hoping to coming back my period after 5 years. I will be 37.  right now Just on the wainting list of recon surgery.

I hav been moved in Melbourne last year. Im still new here. feel free to contact me email or phone. and I would love to catch up for coffee or something with someone live close to me. 

all the best.

mimi

Hi,

I was (and still am) a public patient (i.e. I have no private health insurance) and was first seen by a fertility specialist at the RBWH Breast Clinic in Brisbane just after diagnosis. I then visited the same fertility doctor a couple of times at his private rooms but as a public patient. From what I understand, IVF is very expensive, but I was very "lucky" as a lot of mine was at a reduced cost and much of it covered by Medicare, from what I understand because it was oncology-related. At the time it was a very new programme just set up at the RBWH. I don't know what the costs are now or if the pricing or procedure has changed. I only had the one chance at a round of IVF before chemo started and was fortunate that it was successful.

The fees were something like this (in 2009):

• Medication, blood tests & doctor's appointments approx $300

• Egg pick-up (day theatre at Queensland Fertility Group) $500

• Anaesthetist fee (day theatre at Queensland Fertility Group) $500

• Embryo storage $150 per 12 months.

I've probably left something out but from what I remember all up, I think it was just under $2000.

There will be further costs if we choose to use the embryos and implant those. I think we get the first one at a reduced rate, but then pay full rate after that.

It was a lot of money for us, especially with me stopping work and not knowing when/if I would work in the future. The financial side of cancer certainly is stressful.

Our plan is to try "naturally" after I finish my zoladex (in approx 1 year) but I am not going to hold my breath. If it happens, it happens. If I don't get pregnant quickly, then we will try using the embryos. Again, if they are successful that will be great but if not, then I am not going to worry about it too much (easier said than done!).

Definitely ask your specialists about costs involved and if they don't know, get them to check. I know it is hard because there is so much to take in and so much to ask, but keep asking and writing things down. I can only speak from my own experience and it's probably different in different states and possibly even at different hospitals. If you have private health insurance, it is no doubt different again. We found that it was important to remind them that I was a public patient and it was oncology related.

Hope that helps :-)

Thank you very much . It feels me better now that im not alone. Making any decisions is very hard. My treatment is chemo and hormone theraphy and i don't know if there is a chances that i will be pregnant. Is the hair loss start at first chemo?

All the best for you.....

dearest MJ.  I was diagnosed at 33yrs.  Before my chemo, I was given the option of freezing my eggs/ovaries.  I decided against this for personal reasons and because my specialist team (oncologist etc) thought that because of my age and despite cancer, I was quite healthy, there would be a good chance that my body would recover enough to work properly again.  I had chemo, radiotherapy, was on tamoxifen and zolodex.  I ended the zolodex after 1 year because I had lost the support from my then partner and friends.  I finished the tamoxifen at the end of 2009.  I married a nice man in 2011, fell pregnant in 2012.  My pregnancy was not successful, but it did tell me that pregancy was possible.  As my fertility was not tested before the treatment, I had no idea what effect it had on my chances.  I am now 42, not menopausal yet, and still my fall pregnant. 

The only advice I can give, is that what ever decisions you make, remember that they were always the best ones you couldve made at the time for you.  I'm so glad you now have someone living near you who can give you such wonderful support.  All the best MJ.   Mxo

july 22 i will have another appointment at western hospital footscray , hope to talk to you soon, yes were close im in st albans 

Thank you very much