It‘s common for those who struggle to have a child to search for deeper meaning from their plight. For Stacy, who didn‘t need fertility treatment to have her first child (and who may not need it for a second baby,) the option provided by science to freeze and store embryos for future use has added “an extra layer of security. I’m so glad to have this experience in retrospect. Taken as a whole, I’m as glad as I can be, because it’s given me an opportunity. It’s hope, for a chance…”
When Stacy was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2007, she had a one-year-old child at home. Fortunately, immediately after confirming her diagnosis, her oncologist at Georgetown referred Stacy to Dr. Eric Widra.
“My oncologist knew I’d undergo chemo right away; he wanted to get me seen quickly,” Stacy recalls.
Dr. Widra reviewed the IVF process with Stacy, explaining how she could attempt to have a child after successful cancer therapy, with the techniques of egg retrieval and embryo freezing.
Stacy, whose mother died from ovarian cancer, is a BRCA1 (Breast Cancer 1 – early onset) carrier. According to the National Cancer Institute at NIH, a person who inherits a mutated (or changed) BRCA1 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.
“My cancer was aggressive, as it’s a genetic form of cancer,” she explains. For that reason, immediately following her diagnosis in July 2007, Stacy underwent a bilateral mastectomy in August. She began injections for her IVF cycle two weeks later, and her eggs were harvested in late September prior to starting chemotherapy.
Besides the emotional and physical turmoil, Stacy and her family had to contend with related financial stressors.
“My insurance company didn’t cover my fertility treatment. We paid everything out-of-pocket. My husband is in the financial field and fought hard for insurance to cover the treatment, even to the head of the insurance company. Susan, who works in financial services at Shady Grove Fertility, fought for us; she was the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Susan Green is Shady Grove Fertility’s Fertile Hope Coordinator. In this role, she works as the liaison between patients, and accessing any resources from Fertile Hope, the national nonprofit group that provides support to those patients with cancer seeking fertility treatment. In addition to providing awareness, education, research and emotional support, Fertile Hope also provides financial assistance for patients whose medical treatments threaten their reproductive function. Shady Grove Fertility is the exclusive provider for Fertile Hope in the DC/Baltimore metro areas, and offers significant financial discounts for patients that qualify.
Stacy felt genuine caring throughout her experience. “Everyone at Shady Grove was top notch. Jen Wood (RN in Shady Grove’s DC office) always answered my calls. Dr. Widra was fantastic: professional and to-the-point!”
Since both a neighbor and her best friend had babies with the help of Shady Grove specialists, Stacy felt confident about her oncologist’s recommendation to seek fertility services there.
“The level of care here at Shady Grove was warm, loving and compassionate.” Stacy relates, “They treat you like a sister or family; you don’t feel like a stranger. They took a personal interest in me.” Even when her fertility preservation treatment required the use of multiple SGF offices, she found the level of concern and professionalism to be consistent.
Stacy finished chemotherapy in January 2008, and is happy to report that her hair is growing back! While her journey through this trying time is unfinished, for now she has a flexible plan.
Stacy and her husband believe that there is a 50/50 chance that her ability to conceive and carry a child, after chemo, will return, and are planning on trying to get pregnant “on their own.” If they are unsuccessful, then Stacy will return to Shady Grove Fertility to make use of her frozen embryos. Later, as a preventative measure, she will undergo an additional surgery to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to reduce the risk of the cancer returning (strongly recommended for women with the BRCA-1 gene who have developed breast cancer).
Like many people who endure life’s extreme experiences, Stacy is modest when asked how she manages to cope. “I’m doing what anyone else would do. I want to be here for my family. My mom was my hero; she was 38. I remember people telling her that she was remarkable, but no, you do what you have to do.”
