BrCA Positive and New to This...

[graciemaigrace]

Hi there. I've recently been diagnosed with the BrCA gene (for those who are unsure, Angeline Jolie had this. In a nutshell, I will most likely have cancer in my lifetime occurring in my breasts/ovaries, and so measures such as mastectomy and oophorectomy are very common). IVF has been recommended to me as a means to 'cut out' the gene and stop it passing on to my children as it is hereditary. Naturally, I'm going to do this. At the age of 21, having kids isn't necessarily on my mind, admittedly, but I'm very anxious about the amount of time it takes to begin the IVF process. When do you even begin to think about this? And what happens if I want more than one child? Bearing in mind how long starting the process takes, when is it you begin to plan for a second child so there isn't a large age gap? Since I have my ovaries removed, the spontaneity gets ruined, I know. But can anyone who has been through this/going through this advise me somehow on when they began their process?

[Kat9lives]

I started seeing doctors at the start of the IVF process..before being referred to the IVF clinic about 2 years ago. I've had 1 failed ivf attempt and 1 successful and am now 10.5wks pregnant. I would give yourself 2-3 years min to conceive for the 1st time but the frustrating thing with ivf is it comes down to luck whether your perfect embryo that's been created will "embed" into your womb lining. So it's like saying how long is a piece of string... and in some terribly sad cases it just doesn't happen. The second time I imagine wouldn't take as long to get started if you wanted a 2nd child as you would already be in the system with your IVF specialists. It's all the waiting to be referred from your GP to a fertility specialist to an IVF clinic that takes time. The referrals and tests took about a year before actually starting the first round of IVF. Best of luck with your journey. Xx

[graciemaigrace in reply to Kat9lives]

Kat9lives Thank you so much for your reply and for sharing your story with me. Just hearing this from a person who's experiencing it is somewhat more comforting than a Doctor reeling statistics to me. I'll be sure to remember your advice, thank you again and similarly, good luck to you xxx

[Kat9lives in reply to graciemaigrace]

Thankyou. You're very welcome. I remember how daunting it felt when I started but I promise you'll soon be an expert and understand all the terms and processes. Just take each step at a time. This forum is amazing for advice and support so use it as much as you need to! 😊 xx