Breast Cancer Now Forum

I totally understand how you feel. I had BC four years ago, surgery, IVF (embryo storage), chemo and radiation. Was told to wait two years and in July 2015 my medical team gave me the go ahead to start trying. I've also got underactive thyroid so had to adjust my meds for that and then we started trying in the sept, ovulation sticks, callenders the works. Fast forward four months and by the end of Jan and still no pregnancy, I was referred to IVF and sent for a scan to check and old fibroid wouldn't interfere with treatment, only to be told by the very shocked technician I was around 5 weeks pregnant. Can you imagine how I was?! I was also on my own... I immediately got an GP appointment and saw him and had blood taken given my history and medical issues he was very doom and gloom, suggested I come back every 48hrs for bloods to check hgc was rising. On the third result if I hadn't heard from them everything was fine and I'd get my routine midwife appointment at 8 weeks. The day past where we expected to hear, without contact and so there I was at work... when out of the blue my gp called and asked me to go to the early pregnancy unit. He thought I was in the early stages of a missed miscarriage. In the scan we were told our baby's heartbeat was intermittent and to go home and wait for two weeks to see if it developed - 50:50. We returned and we're given the devestating news that the heartbeat has stopped. Due to my health I was given an assisted miscarriage - which went wrong at home and I hemmoraged resulting in emergency surgery. Again the same thing happened in August last year - two miscarriages within 6 months of each other to the day. I saw a private fertility doctor which we paid for to have the reoccurring miscarriage clinic. Bloods came back fine. And we started trying again. I called ivf and have opted to go down this route. However I don't currently meet the weight criteria. So I've got 10kg to lose by May (from Feb) if I meet it I'll start the treatment in June. My BMI is over 30 and the health board in our area won't take you unless your 30 or under. So check that out when you decide what you want to do. They also explained that they put you on hrt to stop your cycle before they do the transfer. (presuming you've done embryo storage here?) depending on what your ER reading for eastrogen is they will advise the level of risk. Lucky mine was low. The fact I didn't have any reoccurrences with pregnancies is a positive in there eyes, so everyone is fairly relaxed about risks. But your oncologist will along with any other Drs you still see need to sign it off. In meantime Drs suggested we keep trying naturally which we have. So you can imagine my delight four days ago when I didn't get my period. I thought finally I've got pregnant again. It's been four days of tears, tandtrums, meltdowns, three different brands of pregnancy tests (7 in total) 1 in morning 1 in afternoon and nothing no double lines... To say I'm freaking out is an understatement. I've never been this late before without being pregnant. So now I'm spiralling - wondering have I kicked back in to menopause with limited warning (my Cycle has gone from 25 days to 22 since Jan and I went through it on tax-d but my fertility did come back)? Or is my hgc low again and that another miscarriage is imminent? One things for sure is that unless I get my period, I'm not going to know until I can get to my gp on Monday and have blood tests done to try and see what's going on. I'm angry that it's bad enough having to go through Breast Cancer at a young age, dealing with a horrific miscarriage and then a second. So I can't imagine how you felt about your third. Your the first person I've come across on the forum who's in the same position as me. So thank you for sharing your story. I'd say go for the IVF consultation get all the facts. That's what we did and it helped. Good luck x ... View more

Thanks Ann, yeah can't believe I'm back here again... I know it might be nothing, but knowing so much about BC almost makes this time around worse... thanks for kind words x ... View more

I went through a meanapause and it reversed. No periods for 8 months. Had natural pregnancy earlier this year, unfort ended in miscarriage and then again in Aug, not giving up hope... I got pregnant twice naturally post chemo - praying 3rd time lucky x ... View more

My physio found and enlarged lymphnode in same place, my collar bone, last night. I rang breast unit this morning and have an appointment on Friday. Quite worried as two of my BCC buddies with secondaries discovered their secondaries in these lymphnodes. Wondered how you got on with your appointments? Trying to stay positive but also feeling quite scared. Know so much more about BC these days it's hard not to worry x ... View more

Thanks Jill, I've not been on for a while. I suffered a second miscarriage in August. So it's been a tough year. I've not lost hope just yet, it's just some days are more difficult than others x ... View more

Hi Hannah, I was told to wait 2 years (32 when diagnosed) then my onc gave me all clear. I also went through menopause during tax - which reversed about 8 months post chemo. My first pregnancy took about 8 months of trying 6 seriously trying (bloods, fertility sticks etc) just as I started investigations for having IVF (I did embryo storage) I got the biggest shock of my life when the technician at the ultrasound told me I was in fact 5 weeks pregnant naturally. Unfort due to other health complications I found my pregnancy wasn't going to plan and at another scan at 8 weeks our babies heartbeat had stopped. We tried again 3 months later and this time I got pregnant in a month - unfort for me again at a 8 week early scan ( because of my other health issues) the babies heartbeat had stopped again... so it is entirely possible to get pregnant after chemo. I'm aware my story might not bring you much comfort, but I have other health issues where miscarriage and still birth can be common... I hope the fact I got pregnant twice naturally helps you. I can only pray from me and my husband that it will be third time lucky when we find the strength to try again. Good luck! X ... View more

I had rib and should pain like you more severe at night, about 5 months after my chemo, maybe 2/3 after radio, I was stage 3 when I was diagnosed as it had spread to my lymphs so have every right to worry about bone mets. But was refused a bone scan by my medical team, they think my pain is a result of the radio therapy, here's hoping they're right. I know it's worrying waiting for the results but try and take some comfort from the fact the team are doing the tests to confirm.My mum's best friend was diagnosed with bone mets in Oct last year (secondaries) and we thought the prognosis was bleak, it's not well documented that it can be controlled for long periods of time (decades even) while getting the news is awful we took comfort in some of the positive stories we were told.  I'm curious, can I ask how you managed to persuade them to give you a bone scan? I had to fight with a nurse just to get an appointment who kept telling me to take paracetomol for the pain... eventually I demanded to see a consultant but he didn't seem too concerned. I'd have rather had another scan just to be certain, but I didn't push it because I felt like I'd cause enough hassle getting the appointment in the first place. Good luck with the results. I hope it's good news, it's the worrying and waiting which is the worst and nothing any of us can say can lessen that. But we can listen and understand what you are going though your in our thoughts, please let us know what happens x ... View more

She is utterly amazing and inspirational. I'd like more Kelly's in my life - I follow her on twitter now she's fab x ... View more

Hey peanut89 might be too late on his post but I ended up in a wheelchair on morphine every hour while on tax. Because it was so bad my onc allowed me to have the pig injections daily rather than that big dose and it helped, maybe see if you can too? I was pretty severe, I couldn't walk without holding on to the kitchen units/walls and went through paractomol, ibru, tramadol, codeine etc before I was put on oramorph - I ended up neutroehinic (spelling) which prob made things much worse. Point is don't suffer in silence tell your onc as there's more they can do for you x ... View more

Thanks Horseslave, I totally agree about removing the negativity, after a 18 months of feeling pretty crap I want to embrace life and be positive. I was lucky enough to witness a talk from @Kelly_talks and she said be a radiator not a drain, it totally resonated with me... I'm not saying I don't have the odd dark day, of course I do, but I try not to have too many x ... View more

Hi Skinnyminx, Thanks for replying. I just feel I was given an allotted time to get over it and that she thinks I'm milking it now. believe me I wish that was the case. The thing is by not speaking to her in over a month I can't say I'm missing our conversations. Each time I heard from her it was all how awful her life was... So seriously has no idea what us BC patients have gone through. I want to surround myself with positive people, know one knows if or when the cancer could come back or how long or short my life may be, but I just feel it's too precious to waste it on people or things that make me feel miserable or bad about myself. X ... View more

I took part in a focus group about this last Sept/October - brilliant to see it being published thank you to all at Breast Cancer Care who made this a reality x  ... View more

Jenny065 sometimes you just need to put it out there... So type away. Mrs Angry is right things do get better with time, but sometimes it can be hard to see the wood from the trees and sometime you just need to say what you are thinking to others who can empthaise or understand what you have gone through and how you are feeling. As for Huggles - I love it and I'm going to start using that one. With regards to being a lucky one, none of us are lucky to have experienced this journey but I do feel lucky that I have learnt from it, although some days are darker than others I try my best to find the light each day. Good luck with the op - your in my prayers x  ... View more

Peanut89, the dots are so tiny I struggle to find mine now, I'd say go for the permanent. I've got them either side of boobs and one in the centre. I'm the only one who knows theyre there x ... View more

I love that idea about the badge, I reg feel bad when older peeps are getting on the bus and no-one gives them their seat, I want to say I can't stand because i've had my lymph nodes out and my arms still bad!!!! ... View more

Hi Marion, so am I! PM me if you want x ... View more