Interview OV31
Age at interview: 44
Age at diagnosis: 38
Brief Outline: Ovarian cancer diagnosed in 1997 in the course of infertility treatment. Treated by surgical removal of ovaries and womb followed by chemotherapy.
Background: Civil servant, married, no children.
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Wonders about infertility treatment as a possible cause of her ovarian cancer.
Wonders about infertility treatment as a possible cause of her ovarian cancer.
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I personally think that it may have been a link in my case although I also think that there may have been an underlying reason for those drugs affecting me because I was in a support group for couples who were trying to have children and having IVF and I know a lot of people and they've had IVF and yet I'm the only one that actually was then diagnosed with ovarian cancer. So statistically, you know, it may be linked but it's possibly still quite small, you know, quite a small chance of it.
Dreaded her early check-ups because she feared they might reveal a recurrence of her cancer.
Dreaded her early check-ups because she feared they might reveal a recurrence of her cancer.
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Was initially refused by an adoption agency because of her cancer but succeeded in changing the...
Was initially refused by an adoption agency because of her cancer but succeeded in changing the...
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The decision then to try adopting children really just came once, you know, we'd sort of come to terms and dealt with cancer and the fact that I wasn't going to die and so on just then. We thought well maybe we could think about this again, and so we went back and unfortunately when my medical information was put to the panel we were rejected.
While I initially accepted it then maybe another year down the line I started to think 'This is the only negative thing in my life, nobody else seems to have a problem with the fact that I had cancer, I don't, my husband doesn't, friends and family don't. You know I'm sort of back to normal and work and, you know, people are treating me now the same as they ever did. Why have we been turned down because I was diagnosed with cancer?'
So we decided then that, an opportunity came when I saw an article in a local newspaper covering a similar type of story, that I would contact this journalist and let her know what happened and we went public. And after that we were contacted by our local MP who decided that this maybe wasn't very fair and contacted the particular health Trust. And we went through an appeal procedure, we met the Chief Executive and my medical history then was gone into again, and a few years down the road the decision was overturned and it was, the policy was changed that anybody diagnosed with cancer applying to adopt children in that particular area would be free to go forward five years after diagnosis.
So I reached my five years six months ago, the medical information has gone to panel again and we've been given the go ahead to start the assessment, which that's the stage we're at the minute.
Was very active before her illness but now does even more sport and exercise.
Was very active before her illness but now does even more sport and exercise.
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Attended a 'look good, feel better' beauty session to counteract the effects of chemotherapy.
Attended a 'look good, feel better' beauty session to counteract the effects of chemotherapy.
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Had no difficulty resuming a normal sex life after treatment and felt the experience had...
Had no difficulty resuming a normal sex life after treatment and felt the experience had...
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However whenever I was diagnosed with cancer obviously that put an end to all of that and after my physical recovery from the hysterectomy my husband and I resumed a very normal and very happy sexual relationship and emotional relationship. And I would say, if anything, having been through the trauma of infertility, of IVF, of being diagnosed with cancer and all the emotions that come with that, and all the fears and anxieties, our relationship has strengthened because we came through it all together.
Described the consequences of her decision not to tell her family she had cancer until after her...
Described the consequences of her decision not to tell her family she had cancer until after her...
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When I do look back on how I spent the Saturday with my mum and didn't tell her, I don't know how I did that. And I had to put on this front of being my normal self. And obviously the conversation would have revolved around certain things which I knew this new diagnosis was going to have a terrible impact on, and yet I still, you know, decided that I wasn't going to say anything.
And I had a phone call, I had a phone conversation with my sister and that was very difficult, you know, I just, at one stage I just wanted to tell her, and at another stage I thought 'no, I'm not going to tell her until I know exactly what I have to tell her' because I just knew the impact that it would have on them.
Benefited from keeping in touch with other survivors through going to a local self-help group.
Benefited from keeping in touch with other survivors through going to a local self-help group.
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