Just after my diagnosis, I called our local fertility center to try and get an appointment before my surgery. I was so nervous we would need to do something prior to surgery in order to have any biological fertility options afterwards, and we were quickly running out of time. They were so fantastic and were able to get me an appointment that week. The doctor I spoke with was easy to talk to and answered all my questions. He assured me that as long as the doctors were confident that I could keep my ovaries, there was nothing we needed to rush to do prior to surgery. He mentioned if, down the line, they determine chemotherapy was needed, we may need to discuss doing IVF sooner rather than later, but we weren’t there yet. We did an ultrasound and blood test to see whether I would be a good candidate for IVF, and he said everything pointed to yes. Unfortunately, the cost of IVF is not covered by my insurance (it’s not a commonly-covered procedure) and it would be a hefty out of pocket cost. So that was disappointing, but I was reassured by the fact that it would be possible if we wanted to try down the road.
After a fast and furious Halloween with Charlotte and her cousins (she was a bumblebee, fully equipped with a stinger and antennae), Mason and I drove to UNC the next day to meet with their oncology team for a second opinion. I knew that their treatment plan was likely to be the same as my doctor’s, but I also knew if I didn’t do my due diligence before surgery and there was any chance the answer could be different, I would regret it. The doctor was great about explaining other treatment options, but his recommended treatment was the same: hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node removal. He said some of these tumors had been treated with a uterine resection, but it’s impossible to know how far into the uterine lining and muscle the tumor has invaded until you get inside, and depending on how much they have to resect, a subsequent pregnancy is unlikely. Additionally, there is a very good chance of spreading if the resection isn’t successful. He reiterated how difficult this cancer is to treat if it spreads outside the uterus. We left the office feeling both disappointed and validated that we had received the same answer. I really trusted my doctor at UVA and it would have been very confusing to get a different treatment option 72 hours before my surgery. It did feel very final, though. It was my last hope for preserving fertility, and it felt a bit like that had been ripped away. But after that appointment, I really felt like I could focus on surgery and recovery without questioning if it was the right decision. I won’t say I have fully accepted what happened to me, but that was the closest I’ve gotten to acceptance during this whole process. I spent the rest of the weekend enjoying as much time as I could with Charlotte and Mason. My mom arrived Sunday afternoon so she could come to the hospital with us and help me in my recovery. My last HCG results came through at 77 and my uterus decided to go out with a bang – my very last period started that weekend. Thanks for the memories, uterus 😊
Photo Credit: @wmw.photo
Life One Step At A Time 