Hi Phili,

I haven't been in this position, but I'm sure that plenty have. Discuss this with your consultant or specialist nurse, as they should be in the best position to advise.

Hopefully, someone who has had experience of this will come along soon to tell of their experience.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kindest regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Phili, I'm 26 and I had the same diagnosis in August 2020 and had to stop taking my contraceptive pill. My breast specialist said I could have a none hormonal coil fitted or use condoms... I think those are pretty much our only options :laugh: what's your treatment plan going forward? Feel free to message me if you want too!
 

Lou x

Hi Lou!

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Did you go for the copper coil? I’m trying to convince my husband to be sterilised but he terrified of needles :laugh: 

I don’t want children so would be more than happy to be sterilised myself but apparently female sterilisation is a lot more complex. 

Well, I spoke to my surgeon today and they have changed their minds and think they want to do surgery first. But, my HR2 receptor still hasn’t come back, so this could change again. 

At the minute we’re going forward as if I’m having surgery first, then chemo, then radiotherapy. 

Did you have surgery first?

how big was your tumour? They said mine is about 1.8mm .

Im here if you ever need a chat too! Hope your ok.

Pip xx

Hey! Ah that's good they're wanted to get you in and get it out so to speak haha!

I haven't had anything yet as still going through treatment and I'm a single Pringle :laugh:
I had surgery first, had it on the 28th sept, my surgeon was brilliant, he did a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal.
I've got my third chemo on Thursday so almost half way there! Then 3 weeks of radiotherapy and 8 booster sessions. 
Mine was 15mm i think, about the size of a 10p coin, crazy how something so small can cause so much trouble!!

I'm guessing you aren't doing fertility treatment if you aren't wanting children? 
haha well your husband will have to get use to them if you have to do the steroid injections during chemo :laugh: my mum still can't bring herself to watch!! 
 

take care of yourself!!

Lou x

I think that’s what I’m having. How did you find recovery?

No I’m not going to bother with fertility treatment, just another process I don’t need to deal with. Have you had it? I actually have no idea what the process involves.

Doh, I meant mind is 1.8cm haha. I’m not sure they would even see 1.8mm :laugh: so about the same size as yours. 

Oh really! I haven’t even heard of the steroid injections. That would definitely freak him out :laugh:

How are you feeling with your chemo? I’m going to be having FEC-T.

Hope your well! 

Pip xx

The recovery from surgery was a nightmare but I'm really prone to infections... and I have an enzyme that dissolves stitches so my wounds came back open!! After the infection was under control and got stitched back up it wasn't too bad!! 
Yeah if your not wanting children there's no point going through it. I did it and it wasn't too bad, just consisted of hormone injections everyday and scans etc, the actually collection of the eggs was pretty straight forward and recovery was almost none existent!

Yeah the injections are for the white blood cells I think, I have them for 5 days after my chemo infusion, they cause a bit of bone pain but it's manageable haha!

The chemo is a hard one to explain, everyone's experience really is different. For me the first week is a write off, then it's just fatigue. Feel like I've been having a bit of outer body experience :laugh: I'm on EC for 6 cycles

Have you got any dates for you surgery yet? How are you feeling about it all? 
Lou x

Oh god! You poor thing, that sounds traumatic! Thank goodness you were proactive with it and got it sorted. 

You seem to handle your treatments really well. Do you feel you do? Haha you getting a bit trippy on all those drugs? :laugh:

Do you work? I was diagnosed with M.E two years ago, and had to leave work while I recovered. It took a long time but the end of last year I was ready to get going with something again, then this ! Typical :laugh:

No dates for surgery yet. I kind of just feel like ffs, lets go then! Lol. Everything seemed to move so fast when I was diagnosed, loads of scans etc, but now it’s like we’ve just hit a brick wall and I’m sat here waiting. I don’t really feel emotional about any of it, just ready for something, anything, to happen :laugh: But I really am complaining about nothing because I was only diagnosed 22nd dec. It just feels like years ago :laugh:

Hope your well! Xx

I try too! Don't get me wrong the toll the chemo takes in your body and the mental side of it all is hard but I'm a really positive person and laughter is the best medicine! Even when I shaved my head I did it whilst laughing :laugh:  it was traumatic but I was hysterical haha!

I'm not currently working no, I'd just left my job in June after 7 years so I could have the summer off (I was a manager in a supermarket so never had a full summer off) and then got offered a new job but then got diagnosed so I'm really glad I took the summer! Even though we were in lockdown I made some great memories!! My mum has M.E so totally get where your coming from!!

I get what you mean, I felt the same way! It's like you get diagnosed and have all the information thrown at you then it's like... okay now what?! I felt like the wait for my surgery took forever (it was 3 weeks :laugh: ) then after my surgery and recovery the next wait was for the chemo, kind of wish I'd made more of that time!!

Throughout the whole experience from diagnosis to now I haven't really been that emotional either, I've had a few wobbles where it kind of overwhelmed me but I just think there's nothing I can do about it so just got to get on with it!! 
Take care!

Lou x

Definitely the best way to try and be I think. Of course, we’re always going to find that some days are tougher than others. I don’t seem to be getting emotional at the minute, but I do have this almost uncontrollable urge to run away from it all :laugh:

That’s great you has the summer off, funny how these things happen, like you were meant to have that time. Bless her, it’s tough. I’d never heard of it until I was diagnosed. The local nhs m.e rehab clinic was the best thing I ever did. I’m not sure if all areas follow a similar program (I’m in Lincolnshire) but mine was all via zoom and they taught quite a holistic approach to calming the nervous system and rebalancing. Definitely worth looking into what’s available in your area if she struggles with it. 

So good news, had a call yesterday and my surgery is booked for 28th, I’m having a therapeutic mammoplasty and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Pre op next Monday. At the minute we are still waiting for the hr2 results so it could all change but we have progress! My family keep taking the mick because I’ve hardly got any boob as it is :laugh:

Think it’s your chemo tomorrow is it? Hope all goes well 

Pip xx

I was like that at first, I think it's just the unknown that scared me the most! Like what would it be like after my surgery, now it's what will it be like after my chemo etc.

Yeah she seems to cope with it fairly well, she did all the mindfulness stuff when she was first diagnosed. 
It's so strange looking back at last year now, this time last year I feel like I was a completely different person! Definitely believe I was meant to have that time off though!

Ah that's brilliant news! What does this entail? I'm not quite sure what a therapeutic mammoplasty is? Hopefully the HR2 results come back soon and don't change anything!! Fingers crossed! You'll have to keep me updated on how you get on with it all.

Yeah chemo tomorrow for me, taking it easy today with yummy food and some cheesy films :laugh: 

take care!

Lou x