To be honest, when I was diagnosed with cancer, the possibly of becoming a mother was so far down the list of things I was concerned about. At 30 years old and newly married, it was my life first. Being so vulnerable – literally in survival mode. What an awful place to be. So to even think of Becoming a Mom After Cancer wasn’t on my mind.
How could I even imagine bringing another life into the world when mine was balancing in such a fragile state?
How is it even possible to conceive a child after ovarian cancer?
I had one ovary completely removed. My left ovary was engulfed inside a cancerous tumor the size of a football (21 x 10 cm). But my other ovary remains. With one ovary, I still ovulate and it has compensated for the loss of my other ovary so I no longer even get hot flashes (bless!). Turns out, you really can put all your eggs in one basket.
I had 4 cycles of intensive chemotherapy. It completely knocked the wind out of me. The fatigue was all consuming – a victory to move from my bed to the couch. But my fertility remained. Not all chemotherapy impacts fertility.
Once I recovered from chemotherapy – which was a long and tumultuous road – my husband and I decided to try to have a baby. With a suspicion that I was pregnant, we took an at home pregnancy test. After all the lows and struggles of cancer, I wanted to give a moment back to my husband that was full to the brim with happiness. I let him check the results. He stood in our bathroom, picked up the test, and looked like he had hit the jackpot.
On St. Patricks’ Day, we welcomed a very happy little boy, Maximilian. He laughs like there is joy shining from right down in his heart. He is one lucky little boy.
Amy Morris is an Oncology Pharmacist – Cancer Survivor – Clinician – Educator – Mom Follow and connect with @amydeepharmd in the War On Cancer app
