Step 1: Get out those eggies!
I have said earlier on that I am the absolute worst at keeping up on blogging and this very delayed post only solidifies that statement. I am going to break down my cancer journey into the steps that I took to overcome and make it through. The first step that I took was to harvest my eggs. I have always known that I was going to be a mom, this is one thing in my life that I am certain of. Before cancer, I had already made the decision that I was going to have children by the time that I was 30. Cancer has changed that timeline for me and the way I go about having my children.
Part of the risk of chemo was that I could become infertile, it doesn't discriminate between the cells that it kills off. So before I started my first treatment, I harvested my eggs. This was the one absolute that I had, I refused to do anything until I knew that my dream of having children was secured. Thanks to an amazing reproductive endocrinologist and loads of shots in the stomach, I was able to harvest 14 eggs, 10 of which were ideal for preservation. I was going back and forth to Billings a couple times a week and the closer it got to harvesting, I was there every other day. That's an almost 4-hour drive one way in the winter none the less! My brother and his wife thought that this was not a necessary expense and that I was being too dramatic in my desire to do this. That it was more trouble than it was worth. Infertility and even the threat of infertility is devastating. To have someone tell you that the one thing that should be so easy, so natural, may not happen is Earth shattering. My heart breaks for everyone having to go through this struggle but please have faith, it is possible.
So in addition to the chemo threat on my future babies, I also found out about the Li Fraumeni which is genetic. My chances of passing this on are 50%, so getting pregnant the natural way is out of the question for me. I could not imagine passing this on when I can knowingly prevent it. So when the time comes to fertilize my eggs, I will have the embryos screened. My adoration of science has grown so much throughout all of this and I feel so fortunate that I am able to have any of this as an option. And to those who are struggling with infertility, I pray for you! I know that you will have your baby, be it through IVF or adoption. There are so many ways to have your family and don't feel like you ever need to explain or justify your decisions to anyone! I feel like infertility is something that isn't talked about enough, as though those who struggle with it need to be ashamed or made to feel less than. I am here to say that sharing my story has empowered me and hopefully, it will empower others. I know that I still have a ways to go. After all harvesting eggs is just the first step but its a step towards the future that I want more than anything.
Part of the risk of chemo was that I could become infertile, it doesn't discriminate between the cells that it kills off. So before I started my first treatment, I harvested my eggs. This was the one absolute that I had, I refused to do anything until I knew that my dream of having children was secured. Thanks to an amazing reproductive endocrinologist and loads of shots in the stomach, I was able to harvest 14 eggs, 10 of which were ideal for preservation. I was going back and forth to Billings a couple times a week and the closer it got to harvesting, I was there every other day. That's an almost 4-hour drive one way in the winter none the less! My brother and his wife thought that this was not a necessary expense and that I was being too dramatic in my desire to do this. That it was more trouble than it was worth. Infertility and even the threat of infertility is devastating. To have someone tell you that the one thing that should be so easy, so natural, may not happen is Earth shattering. My heart breaks for everyone having to go through this struggle but please have faith, it is possible.
So in addition to the chemo threat on my future babies, I also found out about the Li Fraumeni which is genetic. My chances of passing this on are 50%, so getting pregnant the natural way is out of the question for me. I could not imagine passing this on when I can knowingly prevent it. So when the time comes to fertilize my eggs, I will have the embryos screened. My adoration of science has grown so much throughout all of this and I feel so fortunate that I am able to have any of this as an option. And to those who are struggling with infertility, I pray for you! I know that you will have your baby, be it through IVF or adoption. There are so many ways to have your family and don't feel like you ever need to explain or justify your decisions to anyone! I feel like infertility is something that isn't talked about enough, as though those who struggle with it need to be ashamed or made to feel less than. I am here to say that sharing my story has empowered me and hopefully, it will empower others. I know that I still have a ways to go. After all harvesting eggs is just the first step but its a step towards the future that I want more than anything.
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