I'm Going Right Into Fertility Treatment Tomorrow Morning

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GraceBer
GraceBer Member Posts: 43
edited June 2014 in Young With Breast Cancer

So, today I met with a MO first the first time (I have a lumpectomy on Dec. 20th) amongst all the other stuff I learned (most I was prepared for thanks to this and other boards), is that I need to do fertility preservation NOW!  Now, I'm very glad that I got the Fertility Hope approval and everything else lined up for the treatment, but my fertility doctor figured we'd be starting with next month's cycle (end of Jan/beginning of Feb).  Nope, my MO wants me to start my chemo at the end of Jan.  She doesn't want it to wait for another month.   

So, I'm on day 2 of my period and I'm going to the fertility clinic at 7am tomorrow to get tons of info., instruction and probably a shot.  My husband still needs to do his semen analysis and I still need to...well, wrap my head around everything.  

God, everything is just so surreal.  

Oh, and my MO really advises against trying to get pregnant until after the prescribed 5 years of Tamoxifen.  I will be 41/42  then.  Sigh. 

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited January 2014

    GraceBer - wishing you all the best on your fertility preservation!!!

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  • 1ToughCookie
    1ToughCookie Member Posts: 6
    edited January 2014

    I go in Monday - though I'm a few years older than you.  Similar boat. We can compare notes.  I am mostly worried about maintaining my fertility after chemo since I'm 39.

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  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 1,523
    edited January 2014

    Graceber-you don't list your stats. I'm wondering why your MO is in such a hurry to start chemo. Many of us have had to wait for a surgery date, appointments with ROs & MOs, second opinions. So would waiting a month really matter. Or is(just maybe) your MO doing this for her/his convenience?

    Wishing you the best with your fertility & BC treatments. I had my son at 39. I would have had another one in my early 40s if I could have. When I attend back to school nights, I'm not the only older parent & not the oldest mom either.

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  • GraceBer
    GraceBer Member Posts: 43
    edited January 2014

    I didn't have stats for so long that I've forgotten to update my profile.  I'm stage IIa, grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER/PR+, HER2 - .    I think my MO (my MO for now - I'm definitely going for a 2nd opinion) wants to get chemo going because I'm a grade 3 and my cycles are not very regular (averaging 29 - 43 days - I'm a former/recovering PCOSer) so if we waited for my next cycle, it could be two months from now.  before we could start chemo.  I'm currently 2 weeks out from my lumpectomy.   But yes, she's definitely being conservative - I think that's just how she is.   

    I will be seeing her again in 3 weeks because she ordered an Oncotype test, but before that time I will be getting some 2nd opinions.  And seeing a RO or two.  I still haven't decided whether I want to do radiation or a mastectomy.

    I asked this MO about getting off of Tamoxifen before 5 years to do the baby thing.  She said she'd very much recommend against it.  So, I'd be in early 40s.  I don't prefer this, but it is very common with my social circle and other women I work with, so I wouldn't be out of place.  But still, boo for lack of choice.  

    -----------

    1ToughCookie -  Good luck with your fertility preservation adventure.  I just took my first self-administred Gonal-F shot and took it with my estrogen lowering letrozole.  Fun times!

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  • h0pe
    h0pe Member Posts: 125
    edited January 2014

    Hi there - I just started IVF this past weekend (before chemo in a couple of weeks).  Just wondering how it went for you girls?  I just had my first u/s and blood draw this AM. How many embryos did you guys end up freezing?

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  • h0pe
    h0pe Member Posts: 125
    edited January 2014

    GraceBer - your stats are very similar to mine.  I was dx'ed on 11/21. IDC 2.6 cm, Grade 3, 0/4 nodes, ER/PR+, Her2- 

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  • Jen78
    Jen78 Member Posts: 102
    edited January 2014

    Hi H0pe -

    I did a quick round before chemo, as well.  I got really lucky. They retrieved 22 eggs and 16 ended up freezing successfully as 5 day embryos.  I just had a baby in December following 2 rounds of frozen embryo transfers.  My 2nd round was a success and I have my little miracle now.  Good luck to you!

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  • h0pe
    h0pe Member Posts: 125
    edited January 2014

    Hi Jen78 - That is wonderful! Wow, Sixteen 5-day embryos is impressive! Did they have you on tamoxifen or letrozole during your IVF?  My dr has me on letrozole for the entire cycle...I'm wondering if that will affect my # of embryos. Did you go through a gestational carrier or did you have the baby yourself? Congratulations!

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  • Jen78
    Jen78 Member Posts: 102
    edited January 2014

    Hi H0pe - I'm hormone negative, so I didn't have the same meds as you.  My cycles came back 3 months after my last chemo.  My fertility is not what it was prior to treatment, but there was a chance I could have gotten pregnant without intervention.  I chose to use our embryos as I wanted to increase our odds of success. I was able to carry the baby myself and was watched closely as I was high risk.  After chemo, I developed tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and have to take meds for it that aren't great during pregnancy.  My son was born a month early, but he's thriving now.  I wish you all the best...know that you'll get through it and have something positive to look forward to when you're back on track!

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  • lillaura22
    lillaura22 Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2014

    I just wanted to share my experience, because like GraceBer, I had a tight timeline between fertility and starting chemo - my MO wanted me to start very soon after we first because of the time between surgery and starting treatment they don't want to be much more than 8 weeks or at least my MO didn't.

    I started fertility treatments, but my eggs never appropriately responded and it came up to the time I was suppose to start chemo - in the end it was really my decision to delay chemo and try a little bit longer with fertility treatments, but I decided I wanted to get on with treatment. The whole fertility issue caused me a lot more stress and anxiety - that is just me. In the end I decided to stop and start treatment. I got my period once after starting chemo. I just finished the other week and have not gotten it yet. I am hoping it comes back. Just wanted to share my experience since it was a difficult one.

    I was also told not to get pregnant for at least 2 years - I will be starting tamoxifen soon. I think that is pretty standard precaution that MO recommend.

    Good luck with your treatments!

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  • Srh242
    Srh242 Member Posts: 328
    edited February 2014

    When do they recommend the fertility txs , after surgery?

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  • sakura73
    sakura73 Member Posts: 467
    edited January 2014

    GraceBer best wishes for good outcomes from the fertility treatment but I wanted to share my story in case it helps.

    I was diagnosed at nearly 36, lumpectomy, 6 months chemo, radiation. Before chemo I did one cycle of egg harvesting (oncologist would only let me defer chemo for one cycle and not longer), but it was not really a success - only 2 eggs to freeze. I was devastated and thought I had lost my chance.

    After chemo finished I sought statistics on the additional benefit to be offered by Tamoxifen. As I have described on other threads on this board, the additional benefit for me was quite limited, and not nearly enough in my mind to justify losing the chance to be a mother. So I refused Tamoxifen to give myself the best chance of conceiving. My period came back 6 months after chemo ended. 2 years after chemo ended, at age 38, I had my son Arthur. This week I got my 5 year all clear since lumpectomy and I am 20 weeks pregnant with a little girl who will be born when I am 41.

    So if the fertility treatment does not work, please don't give up hope!! There are lots of options post-chemo. Our bodies are amazing things.

    I am sure having Zolodex shots during chemo to shut down my ovaries helped protect them from being damaged. I urge you to get advice about whether this is an option for you if you are having chemo.

    My fertility doctor says there is increasing evidence pregnancy is safe post-BC and even perhaps protective.

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  • h0pe
    h0pe Member Posts: 125
    edited January 2014

    sakura73 - did you try to transfer your 2 embryos or did you go straight to trying naturally? 

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  • sakura73
    sakura73 Member Posts: 467
    edited January 2014

    I froze the eggs rather than making embryos because I had so few. They are still frozen - I conceived the first time within 2 months of my period returning, and though I lost that first pregnancy it was enough to show that I could do it naturally without using the frozen eggs or the frozen ovarian tissue I had had stored.

    If I had had embryos maybe I would have used them, but the issue did not arise!

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