Family planning, fertility and CLL

As I read comments to my blog, I see many people are being diagnosed with CLL younger and younger, and doctors are starting treatment sooner and sooner. Family planning is a major issue, and I wanted to share my experience with you. Luckily, no one questioned why we went ahead and had children. We never really talked about having kids and when we did it was postponed for the usual reasons: We need a bigger house, we just bought the house, you just started a new job, we need more money in the bank, etc. Then Bob was diagnosed so we felt like this was it – now or never. We tried for a year unsuccessfully, and I was very depressed. We were talking about IUI, but before we could make a decision Bob’s oncologist said he needed treatment and wanted to start FCR. I asked about banking sperm, no one actually recommended it to us. The doctor did say that it was a good idea. Right before treatment started, the time was right to try IUI, so we went for it. I was on a course of the fertility drug Clomid, which causes a women to produce more then one egg to be released during ovulation. It took. We still have sperm on ice, but now we are trying to have another child the “natural” way. We are going to reevaluate the situation in October when I go for my checkup and may consider IUI again, although I will not take any fertility drugs again. Don’t get me wrong, I love my twins, but I would not wish them on anyone, especially in a situation like this with one sic...
Source: Life with CLL - Category: Cancer Authors: Tags: cancer Source Type: blogs