This past summer SheWired contributor and our friend Tatum de Roeck was diagnosed with breast cancer. The co-host of Cherry Bomb and of her own interview style show on SheWired T-Time with Tatum began blogging about her experience shortly after her diagnosis. Via her writing, she shares the intimate details of taking breast cancer one step at a time in a blog that is incredibly emotional and moving but always infused with Tatum's lightning-quick wit and her ability to remain positive.
Tatum has graciously agreed to share her story with readers as we embark on October, Breast Cancer Awareness month. We will be posting her blogs on SheWired throughout the month.
Pre-Pregnant– written on July 29, 2011
While I was growing eggs for the IVF retrieval, my ovaries were several times bigger than their natural size. In a normal cycle a woman might produce one or two eggs. All the hormones I took were to encourage my ovaries to mature more eggs than would ever happen naturally. That way there are more eggs and more chances. What I wasn’t expecting is that I would look 5 months pregnant. I couldn’t wear any of my jeans or trousers, so I was in dresses everyday and completed the look with a slight pregnant waddle.
With hormones raging and a large belly I decided to call myself pre-pregnant.
On Monday I went to the fertility clinic’s surgery room to retrieve the eggs. It is a short procedure but is done under general anesthesia. I had gone 30 years without being under and this it was the second time in two weeks. To collect the eggs the doctor takes a needle through the uterus wall and into the ovary to retrieve the eggs.
As I came out from the anesthesia I had apparently been telling the nurse that I was kicked out of England for being a lightweight drinker. I have no recollection of this conversation.
I found out that I had 9 eggs.
On Tuesday I got the best call possible from the nurse that all 9 eggs were mature enough, all 9 had liked the baby donor daddy enough to become embryo’s and all 9 are viable to be frozen!
It is surreal to be in the process of creating my child while knowing it’s just not just the embryo’s on ice, it is also where I have to put my motherly urges. Some doctors recommend 5 years before I try to have a baby.
I should loose my pre-pregnant weight in about a month.
You can follow Tatum on her blog here.
Follow SheWired on Twitter!
Follow SheWired on Facebook!
