Interview Section : YouthHealthtalk

Interview 17

Age at Interview: 26

Sex: Female

Age at Diagnosis: 17

Background: Educated to university degree level; works part time for a cancer charity. Single; lives in her own flat and parents live nearby. Participates in the activities of TOPS support group.

Brief outline:Diagnosed in 1996 and 1999 with a brain tumour (medulloblastoma). Treatment 1996: surgery and radiotherapy. Relapse in 1999; tumours found in the brain and spine. Treatment 1999: chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. Having hormone replacement therapy. In remission.

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Knows that she is very unlikely to be able to have children and says that fertility is one of the most important issues that girls that have had cancer talk about.
Print Now lets talk about, a little bit about long term effects of your, either having had the tumour or the treatment itself and did they told you about that it might possibly affect your fertility? Yeah. That was, I think its, in, in females, and I'm not sure about males because I haven't really talked, but its, its one of the most important things that you want to know when, well it was the most important thing I wanted to know when I came out of my chemo and everything. And because my, my endocrinologist put me on two lots of oestrogen and all my other hormones and I actually asked her if I could actually see a fertility specialist to find out whether I could actually conceive or, or what the situation was. And, and it looks as if it, I can't have children at all but he said that when I'm ready to have, he's going to give me some very expensive drugs apparently [laughs] to help me conceive but he, he thinks that they won't work anyway but he's going to try them anyway. They, they will help try and then.

full list of topics

Discovery :

Hospitals, doctors and treatments :

Side-effects, feelings and coping strategies :

Self-image and fertility :

Living with it :

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