Why this way
12 Feb 2007 12 Comments
in General
This question keeps getting asked of me. Why a transplant, why not IVF? The reason is simple, because having your ovaries shut down for any reason decades before you would normally go into menopause makes you lose more than your fertility. The symptoms of menopause still apply even if you were 17 or 27 or 47 when it happens, decrease in hormones, risk of osteoporosis (which I have), decrease in libido, decrease in the functions associated with having an active system. It is hard to go from being an active vital young woman to the alterations caused by this change. I am sure its hard when it happens at the age it is supposed to happen. No woman should have to go through that after a battle with cancer or some other illness that would rob her of the function of her ovaries. Dr. Silber is creating a path for women to take so they do not have to suffer this. Part of the reason for this blog is to spread the word to women who might be facing this. There is hope, there is always hope. as a cancer victor I know this better than most. even when it feels like all is lost there is a silver or in this case a Silber lining ( sorry had to do it)
When I went through my cancer treatment they told me what would happen to my ovaries, it was devastating. It was harder to face than the cancer. I knew I could win over the cancer, but I didn’t know how to win over the infertility. My amazing sisters Becky and Maeapple both offered to give me eggs so that I could have children. And that is what we would have done if Dr Silber hadn’t come along with his awesome pioneering new technique. But what he can do has given me so much more back than just my fertility. It is my connection to my womanhood, my vitality and the chance to have a family of my own. For that I am eternally grateful.
Feb 13, 2007 @ 05:02:33
When I was 21 (1999) and my sister Beckie was 19 she was told she had Ovarian cnaert, they removed both ovaries, I have always said I would love to help her have kids, be it as Egg donor for IVF, or evena surrogate. she had been in a relationship for 7 yrs and then just 12 weeks before the wedding he pulled out saying he coulld not marry someone who can not have kids on her own…..well you know what my thoughts of that man is.
I myself, have 3 kids (2boys 15/11 and a new girl 15 months)
I worry about my sister all the time in how this effects her health and have always said that maybe a ovarian transplant would benefit her…..
Feb 13, 2007 @ 05:26:13
Congrats to you & your family. I hope you remain healthy & that you soon have healthy happy children of your own. Although my situation was different than yours, I know what infertility is like. I wish you the best. God Bless and God bless your doctors too!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 05:39:16
Isn’t science amazing? This is SO cool. I hope the surgery went super and that everything heals up nicly, and that There will be baby pictures to post in the next year!
congratulations!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 07:34:58
I think technology is awesome!! I am 26 YRO and I my life dream is to be a mother. My doctor told me that because of my irregular mentration cycles, that it would be very hard to have children. Reading your amazing story, I have lots of hope now and I wish you all the best! I also hope to see some baby pics from you in the future.
Feb 13, 2007 @ 13:55:20
Wow, what an amazing & inspiring story. What an amazing sister you are blessed with having! Best of luck to you, your wonderful husband, and your future children! you are all an incrediable inspiration!!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 14:21:54
I pray you get your special blessing. I was diagnosed almost thirteen years ago with
cancer. I had an hysterectomy
about 2 weeks after I was
diagnosed. I wished I had had
the information and technology
that is so readily available
now. God bless you and your
amazing sister for such a self-
less act of love. Deborah
Feb 13, 2007 @ 14:26:31
I am so glad to hear that you were given a second chance!! You have an amazing family and I am sure that you will make an amazing mother. Keep everyone updated when you have your 1st baby. It will happen for you!!! Congrats to you and your whole family!!!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 14:27:12
Joy, I underwent a total hysterectomy last May and can totally relate to your comments about premature menopause. I truly felt that I had completely lost my quality of life until I found the Yahoo Group referenced above, SGSM (Survivor’s Guide to Surgical Menopause). This group’s moderator works tirelessly to untagle the hype and misinformation regarding menopause due to non-natural causes. The information and guidance I have received through this group has allowed me to get myself back to feeling like a normal, vital, healthy woman. I could not recommend this group more highly to you, whether or not your miracle surgery restores your fertility.
I wish you and your lovely family all the best!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 15:13:08
Congrats, guys.
I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask (I hope is ok) for completely personal reasons:
1) Why go all the way to St Lois? In CA, very close to SF, is located one of the best fertility centers on the whole world (at Stanford Medical Ctr).
2) Why not freeze the female ova (eggs) instead? This is being done for cancer patients for years, and recently many women are doing it if they are 35 or so and still single (to make sure you have good eggs to use if you want to get pregnant after 40). I’m just curious if this is something you did not want to do for some reason because I’m planing to have mine frozen soon.
Best of lucks to you guys! And that sister of yours is an angel in human form. You’re so lucky to have her!
Feb 13, 2007 @ 15:57:51
Veronica,
I know Joy or Rodrigo will answer your questions, but I feel compelled to offer my interpretation:
1) Joy comes down to the Stanford area quite frequently, and is well aware of the fertility center here. The problem is, no one at Stanford has ever done an ovary transplant, or even an ovarian tissue transplant. Only Dr. Sherman Silber in St. Louis had ever done this before in the USA at least. Stanford’s great….but this is so new, they’re not able to do it yet.
2) It’s not possible to freeze your eggs if your body is no longer producing them. The trick is, you have to know in advance. Joy’s oncologists, although wonderful people for saving her life…did not fully explain her options back when she still HAD options. A large part of the whole scope of this website is to get the word out that BEFORE a woman commences with cancer treatment, she must be advised NOT ONLY of the peril to her fertility, but of the things she can/should do to preserve her options for when she is well again.
Joy and Rodrigo didn’t choose this procedure merely because they want kids. They chose it because cancer stole a large part of Joy’s womanhood from her…and they chose it because it gives them an option to conceive naturally (and hopefully more than once, without any further surgery).
Oh, and you’re right…MaeApple is an angel. She wears her halo a little crooked, but she’s an angel through and through
Feb 13, 2007 @ 16:01:15
In Response to Veronica
I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask (I hope is ok) for completely personal reasons:
1) Why go all the way to St Lois? In CA, very close to SF, is located one of the best fertility centers on the whole world (at Stanford Medical Ctr).
Because Dr. Silber is the only doctor in the country performing this specific technique and his clinic is in St. Luois.
2) Why not freeze the female ova (eggs) instead? This is being done for cancer patients for years, and recently many women are doing it if they are 35 or so and still single (to make sure you have good eggs to use if you want to get pregnant after 40). I’m just curious if this is something you did not want to do for some reason because I’m planing to have mine frozen soon.
I did not have eggs to freeze, the treatment from the cancer had left my ovaries inoperative. At the time of my cancer treatment Rodrigo and I were not a couple. I did not have a partner at the time so no way to fertilize and freeze embryos and I was told that the techniques that they had at that time were not very good at freezing and sustaining unfertilized eggs.
If you are going to go through cancer treatment and there is the chance that you might lose the function of your ovaries consider that you will also be losing the entire functionality of your ovaries which is much more than just providing the eggs you will need to conceive. You will go into menopause and be subject to all the effects of that. This could include hot flashes, night sweats, decrease sex drive, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and risk of osteoporosis. This is why I chose to have the ovary transplant instead of just IVF.
Feb 25, 2008 @ 08:32:45
Hi Joy,
Thank you for posting this blog and sharing your story. It encouraged me to pursue treatment for my infertility and confirmed our choice to work with Dr Silber.
Our first ivf failed and resulted in no embryos for a second try but we’re hoping to try ivf again next year after we save our pennies and dimes:-)
I so hope this path leads you to a child. I never understood how great the desire for a child could be until I struggled to have a baby myself. My best wishes to you.
Amanda