Hi Isale,
I have to say I was some of the lucky ones, although my first thought when I was diagnosed was what about children. We were trying when I was diagnosed.
I don’t think it’s fair you would be discriminated against for not having a partner. I have learnt in some circumstances you really need to push and fight for what you want.
Keeping everything crossed for you.
Rae
X
I was so fortunate that I was able to freeze some eggs before chemo -it almost didn’t happen for me.
When I was first diagnosed, they said I’d need surgery first THEN chemo, so the consultant surgeon was planning the surgical route. Im my shock on firxt day I had voiced some of my fears to the BCN re fertitly and she just nodded and said “yes, yes”. However, by the the second week, they’d decided that I would need chemo first and referred me to the oncologist that Friday. The oncologists (registrar and consultant) told me that I would need chemo within two weeks and I was too late to have eggs frozen due to the timing of my cycle. I was Devasted but felt there was nothing I could do.
The following Monday I called my BCN and asked why on earth hadn’t I been referred earlier (given that as I had just learned, these things depend on the menstrual cycle) and why was this not mentioned at all? she hemmed and hawed said said well they at trying save my life. I replied that I fully understood, but what about life after ? She hemmed and hawed a little bit more and said “I think we’ll just have to shelve the fertitlity”.
I haven’t spoken to her since that day.
Thankfully, the onoologists had made me an urgent referral, just in case. On the same monday, The manager of the Feriltity department phoned me and booked me in for that afternoon. As it tuned out, I was at the right point in my cycle if I signed the consent and got the drugs that very day. The oncologist agreed to delay chemo for one week, so it all worked out in the end. Moreover, funding was never raised, it was done on the NHS
I feel really saddened when I read about other women who are turned away because they are single or the wrong age and cannot get funding. (Im single and 33) That fact is, you might not be single in a few years time but chemo might have taken its toll.
I really hop they make some new policy nationwide where women who need chemo are given fertility preservation options as a matter of course, just like they would give a post-mastectomy reconstruction…
I am so sorry to hear about all of you who have not been offered fertility treatment. The consultant I saw first did not consider it, but luckily the oncologist did and she referred me that week.
Hymil, as you have a child already, this was probably not even a concern for you, but for us without them, it is important to know we have this option in our future . I have never considered not surviving this, so I want to be able to look forward to a future, ideally with a child in it.
I would say to all of you who are being refused funding, please get your GP onside and also find out who you should write to, if you would like to appeal. I found the e-mail address of the head of our Primary Care Trust and sent him an e-mail outlining my situation. I don’t know if this helped but it certainly didn’t hinder.
Best of luck to all of you. xxx
Hi All
It’s been a hectic day but just a quick email to thank you for your responses, you’ve been incredibly helpful!
Many thanks
Laura
I was referred to a fertility expert and saw them 2 days after my diagnosis. My breast care nurse thinks it’s a hugely important issue. Unfortunately I had a very large ER+ lump so they were not comfortable pumping me full of hormones. I was distraught. My husband and I had just started trying for children and I honestly felt there was no point fighting this if I couldn’t have the life I wanted afterwards. However, I did a lot of crying and talking with my husband and just got on with it. My periods returned a couple of months after my final chemo and I am praying that chemo hasn’t taken my fertility - but I have a few years of Tamoxifen to get through before I can find out.
It is a HUGELY important issue to us young 'UBS who haven’t had, but would like to have children.
Isale - I have PMed you.
That’s interesting, Sandy, as I’m ER+ with 4.5cm lump. However, they used letrozole in the hormone treatment and I gather that it’s sometimes used for BC
My smallest lump was 3cm - largest was 9cm - I was misdiagnosed for a while, couldn’t have surgery first, and think onc wanted to crack on with chemo ASAP and fertility guy was unprepared to take the risk.
Just re-read my post and it was meant to read young 'uns not 'UBS! Stupid autocorrect!