Finished radiation treatment, one tumour wondering if you've had similar experiences?

[ciara.e]

Hey everyone

It's literally been years since I've posted in this forum! I had a really rough time in 2010 with my ttc journey after having ectopic rupture and m/c. My relationship broke down pretty much at that point and I have taken a few years to move on and find the most amazing man that my daughter and I can not wait to spend the rest of our lives with.

In the meantime, I was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma in my breast and earlier this year I had surgery to my breasts and I completed radiation treatment in August.

Basically, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this and how it affected their TTC journey???

Xx

[AnyDream]

Hi Ciara - and welcome back. I remember your username from when you were here before!

I'm sorry to hear you've had such a rough time . In 2009 I also had a diagnosis of lymphoma and at the same time breast cancer. In my case, treatment for lymphoma was chemo and in the end I needed a mastectomy so that meant I didn't need to have rads. We had finished our family before that, but I had some problems with menopause-like hormone levels so I was concerned about my fertility in the sense of wanting relief from those menopause symptoms. It did get better but it has taken a couple of years.

My understanding is that radiation is very targeted - it only affects the area that it was pointed at. So chest wall/breast/axilla rads shouldn't have any direct effect on your fertility. But - and I think this is what happened to me - when your body experiences stress/trauma (like surgery) it can have an effect on your hormones, specifically the hypothalamus/pituitary system which helps regulate what your ovaries are doing. For me I had several rounds of surgery then chemo then a really big surgery and the total effect shunted me into a menopause-like state. My GP did blood tests & it wasn't ovarian damage as such - that all looked ok - it was the rest of the system that had switched off. You would probably know if this was the case because it comes with menopause-like symptoms: hot flushes/absent or extremely irregular periods. Over time it has normalised and I'm pretty sure I now have some fertile cycles, and I'm over 40 now so that's saying something LOL.

Anyway, as part of the journey I have connected with other young women with breast cancer via another forum, and a number of those ladies have gone on to have healthy & happy babies without assistance (one of them was a very big surprise LOL), and I also know of a couple who went down the IVF route successfully as well, even after BC chemo which is really rough on fertility. So women can and do have babies even after significant treatment.

There's a fantastic website here with loads of helpful information. In the first instance, if you haven't already, have a chat with your GP or your Onc. They should be able to run some blood tests to assess what your fertility status is like and they will be able to tell you in more detail about how your medical history might effect your TTC. It's also a really good opportunity to talk about the emotional impact your journey has had on you - and if you feel you need some extra support, ask about seeing a counsellor as well, because your whole-person wellbeing is important too. And I wish you all the absolute best in this new stage of life with a wonderful man.

[ciara.e]

Thanks Marydean. It's great to see a familiar name!!!
I will check out that link. Wow, you've had a mammoth journey too haven't you! I'm glad you're doing well now :-)
I have also had irregular periods and hot/cold sweaty flushes. Today I was diagnosed with lymphoedema which is kind of scary, but it's nothing in comparison to the experiences of other women so overall I am blessed.

My partner has no children of his own and is the most amazing father to my daughter. He wants so badly to have his own little one. Lol, I thought the odds may be against me with only one tube.... hoping that's the only thing against me haha.

You're such a strong woman! Thanks so much for your kind words and suggestions!!
Xx

[AnyDream]

It's funny you say that about feeling blessed, that's really the way I felt going through treatment as well. I feel so very lucky. The lymphodema is a bit of a nasty aftertaste though. I have it to a very mild degree on my arm and my back, and it's really important to keep on top of it. I see a fantastic physio who taught me how to do the clearing massage myself and so I can keep it under control most of the time (except for on my back because I can't reach it, but no biggie, good excuse for a back rub from DH LOL). You really need to be proactive because it can get pretty bad if it gets out of control, so find yourself a good physio or lymphodema clinic and learn what you need to do. It's a bit of info overload to start with but totally worth it.

Bummer that you're having the flushes, etc. Let me know if you want any tips - they can get quite bad during hot weather & summer is on it's way. Because you're having those symptoms and because you've lost a tube, it's a really good idea to get some blood tests done & find out what's happening fertility-wise, and maybe get a referral to someone who specialises in post-cancer fertility care. You have been through a lot and sometimes it takes a bit of time to bounce back. But keep in mind that we are our own best healers, and anything you can do to support your wellbeing helps your body to recover as well. This includes quality food, lots of antioxidants, exercise, getting loads of sleep, relaxation and finding joy in your life. You sound like you are well on your way with that last one . Your new partner sounds like an absolute treasure.