Other people’s stories

I don’t think I want children

I’m 29 and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to have children, but I’m also quite scared of having my womb, ovaries and tubes removed. I was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome when my brother got bowel cancer a few years ago, and I spoke to the genetic counsellor about what I could do.

But I’m worried about the menopause and losing my option of children

I have regular colonoscopies and take aspirin which is fine, but I don’t like the idea of going through the menopause at my age. I read that HRT can really help with the symptoms of menopause, but I am still quite unsure if I’m ready for that. I also feel quite anxious about having an operation, and the idea of losing my fertility - even though I’m not planning a family.

I want to speak to a gynaecologist

I’m going to make an appointment to see a gynaecologist as I think that will help me to talk about my worries.

I spoke to a gynaecologist and decided I didn’t want to lose my womb and ovaries

I found out I had Lynch Syndrome about three years ago, and I spoke to a gynaecologist about whether to have my womb and ovaries taken out. I felt quite stressed about the decision but in the end decided I didn’t like the idea of having the operation and that I wanted to keep my womb and ovaries as a part of me.

My partner helped me decide

I know I do have a higher chance than most people, but not everyone with Lynch syndrome will get womb or ovarian cancer so I prefer to live with the possibility and not have the operation. I talked about it with my partner, which was difficult to do but we agreed that I would just be really aware of any possible symptoms and go to the doctor if I was worried about anything.

It’s personal and I can still change my mind

I feel that one thing isn’t necessarily right for everyone and I had to think about what’s important to me. I will see how I feel about the operation as I get older and will talk to my doctor again if I change my mind.

I need to wait until I’ve had another baby

I found out two years ago that I have Lynch syndrome, which was a real shock. My son was born earlier that year and we knew we wanted another child, so I am waiting to have my womb and ovaries out when we finish our family. It’s hard as sometimes the timing just doesn’t work for you when you want to get pregnant, but I’ve spoken to a gynaecologist and we agreed that it was ok to wait until I’m 40 so we can try and complete our family.

I am worried about getting cancer

It does weigh on my mind, and I am constantly looking out for any symptoms of womb cancer. But at the same time, I know the chance isn’t too high for women my age even with Lynch syndrome, so I just try to remember that.

I also worry about how the menopause will affect my sex life

I am a bit worried about how losing my ovaries could affect my sex life. I know some people lose interest in sex after this kind of operation, and I don’t want that to be me – I don’t want it to affect my relationship with my partner. We have busy lives with our jobs and family, and sex has always been important to help us feel close. I also want to understand about other possible side effects on my health of having my ovaries removed. I asked my doctor about HRT and it sounded like that could really help, so that was quite reassuring.

My sister had ovarian cancer

At the end of the day, I don’t think I can live with the worry about getting ovarian cancer. I’ve seen my sister go through it and don’t want that to be me, so I think that I will have the operation. I don’t really like the idea of taking HRT just because I’m not used to taking medicine, but it’s good to know it can help my sex drive and reduce my chance of getting bowel cancer. My doctor says I would probably keep taking HRT until I’m about 51, and then I can start to reduce it and see how it goes. I guess by then the chance of losing interest in sex will be the same as it is for all my friends going through the menopause naturally. I feel lucky to have found out that I have Lynch syndrome now, so that I can do something about it and live a healthy life.