When Amanda heard she needed to undergo chemotherapy, she had to decide within a day with regards to egg conserving therapy.
Transcript
That was like a whole, after finally, so what was it January, February, March 21st I had the surgery and then four weeks later I was in Ottawa for an egg retrieval. And that was, so much had to come together during that four week period. Because we were waiting for so long for, I had the surgery in March and then the pathology didn’t come back until weeks later. Then finally when the pathology was back it showed it was in one lymph node which meant definitely that yes, I would be needing chemotherapy and radiation and the whole shebang. And so, as soon as I found out that chemo was a thing, I knew I’d have to do the egg retrieval, and all that had to happen in one day. It was one Friday where I saw the medical oncologist and then because of where my cycle was and stuff. I had to start the fertility drugs and prepare for the egg retrieval so as to not delay the start of chemotherapy and that was another really hard day. It was really hard on the day when I found out I need chemo and I need to start the fertility drugs today before four o’clock and that was at like three o’clock so it was, that was hard.
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- Surgery – AmandaAmanda was fortunate enough to have a choice and describes how that was for her.
- Messages to others – AmandaIt helped Amanda a lot when people gave her space and let her go at her own pace.
- Relating to health care professionals – AmandaRepeating your medical history can be a taxing process. Amanda talks about how it would be great if health professionals could avoid this step whenever possible.
- Coping strategies – AmandaAmanda felt extremely well supported by her partner and family members. This helped her avoid getting caught up in thinking about worst case scenarios.
- Perspectives on treatment pathways – AmandaWhen Amanda heard she needed to undergo chemotherapy, she had to decide within a day with regards to egg conserving therapy.
- Understanding the diagnosis – AmandaEverything is worse in your mind until it actually happens. Amanda feels that you can get through it.
- Sexuality,femininity and intimacy – AmandaAmanda's partner was so supportive that she was able to overcome her anxiety about her image of herself.
- Preserving fertility – AmandaAmanda did decide to freeze her eggs despite the high cost and even though there was no guarantee of success.