The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Community : Discussion List - Sexuality, Fertility and Pregnancy

AML and pregnancy

communityreply@lls.org — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:11:46 GMT

I was just wondering if anyone who has had AML was able to concieve and have children. I have read that chemo can affect fertility and may lead me to be unable to have children. Has anyone here known of anyone with AML that was able to have children? I specifically have AML subtype M3. I am only 26 and am not ready to give up my dream of being a mommy one day. I would think that the drugs and the dosage I am given would play a critical role in my ability to have children. I was just wondering what kinds of odds I have stacked against me. Any information or insight would be appreciated.

Infertility Caused by Chemo

communityreply@lls.org — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:26:26 GMT

Hi there. This is my first time posting to this discussion board. Actually, I just found about about today from a LLS online conversation. A little bit about myself... I am a wife of a AML survivor. My husband was Diagnosed mid year in 2011, and has undergone chemotherapy and even a Bone Marrow Transplant. He is still in recovery and in remission! My husband has been out of work for a little over a year, and still have a few months ahead before doctors will clear him.

We are a younger couple with three children between us both (1 his, 1 mine, 1 ours). We had plans when we wed of having more children (5 total). We were married two months when we were blessed with the news of pregnancy for our little one together. The nine months flew by and before we knew it we were proud parents to another beautiful baby! Four weeks after the birth of our angel my husband got ill. He was diagnosed (after two misdiagnoses) of AML. We actually were told 3 days before our 1 yr wedding anniversary and spent that celebrating in the hospital during chemo treatments. We were told that he would become infernal due to all the chemo he would receive.

Lately I have been having a REALLY hard time dealing with the fact we will probably not have anymore children. A lot of our friends and family have been getting pregnant (I MEAN A LOT!!) and I catch myself having depression spells due to it several times a day. I am looking to see if there is any support groups or people I can talk to who have been through the same situation and can help me a bit. I don't bother my husband with this information because I dont want him to worry about me... he has enough to worry about himself. I just need to know how others coup and deal with this. I know I should feel blessed because we do have 3 children already, but my heart aches daily. I want to cry every hour of every day... Any help?

Looking for a Gestational Carrier...

communityreply@lls.org — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:17:09 GMT

I was diagnosed with CML about 5 months ago at age 28. The same day I was diagnosed they told me I was pregnant. My husband and I had been obviously dreaming of having a baby, and never dreamed it would turn into this. I was a little over a month along, and due to all that was going on in my body the baby already was not doing good. Unfortunately, our sweet angel baby didn't make it and now here we are on the search for a gestational carrier. Obviously, being on Tasigna I can no longer carry a baby and after many long discussions with my doctor, specialists and my husband we have made the decision for me not to come off the medicine to try to carry a baby. For us, I think the safest option is to start on the road to finding a gestational carrier. We met with a reproductive specialist, who says my eggs are good and has an 80% success rate. So we have our egg and sperm, just need a wonderful woman willing to give us our world. Which puts us on the hunt for a gestational carrier...

Does anyone know where to even begin looking? Our doctor basically said it was up to us to find our own. Unfortunately, we have no siblings that can do it for us and I hate just starting the search on an online database. I just feel like maybe somewhere out there, there is a group of amazing women willing to help out women with cancer who can't carry their own babies. Does anyone know of such a group or how I could find out? Or does anyone know how we begin the search?

Thank you for your suggestions and help, as this is a whole new world for us. Never in a million years did I dream I would have to search for someone to carry our baby for us, but never in a million years did I dream I would have CML either...but here we are.

Anyone used banked sperm to get pregnant?

communityreply@lls.org — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:52:09 GMT

Hi All,

My husband had leukemia and a BMT in March 2011. He was unable to make a "deposit" before induction because he was just way too sick with fevers up and above 104-105 and they had to start chemo right away. He did deposit before his transplant though, but the sperm was "not great" and if I remember correctly only had a motility of like 18% or something.

Has anyone used a spouses banked sperm to get pregnant once they were better? did you use IUI, or did you have to go through IVF because of issues with sperm? We have a little girl who just turned 1 this month (i was pregnant when he was dx) and we want another one somewhat close in age (within 3 years) and are starting to get some info on the process. His sperm is really the only concern; my doc said I am a "fertile fannie" because i got pregnant on our first try when we conceived Kaya.

Any info is appreciated!

What are the chances I'll be able to have a family?

communityreply@lls.org — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:03:34 GMT

I'm 21 years old...have had chemo since I was 18. Just had a SCT (double cord) in May. I underwent intense chemo & total body irradiation beforehand. Right now I'm almost 8 months post transplant, & I'm constantly taking birth control; no period break. My doctors won't let me have a period...so i haven't had one for months, but if i forget to take a pill, (this has happened only twice) I'll start spotting...like my body wants to have a period, & that gives me hope that I may be able to get pregnant one day. I've already accepted the fact that I won't have kids, but still...I do want some of my own one day. I hear women can get pregnant after crazy treatments, but they usually fail to carry the baby to full term. I don't want to go through all the miscarriages & heartbreaks...so I've decided I'm not having kids. But I still want to know the chances. Anyone know?

pregnancy while taking gleevac

communityreply@lls.org — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:47:38 GMT

Has anyone found out they were pregnant while taking Gleevac? If so, did you decide to continue the pregnancy?

Fertility Financial Help

communityreply@lls.org — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 02:37:12 GMT

Does anyone know if there is financial help for IUI or IVF treatments? After chemo treatments my husbands sperm count has not come back up. So we want to get fertility treatments but they are very expensive.

Male Fertility after Treatment

communityreply@lls.org — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:08:29 GMT

Hi everyone

I'm new to these discussion boards and was hoping someone can offer their insight/experiences.

My husband was diagnosed with APL in October of 2008 at the age of 29 and has thankfully been in remission since November 2008. He unfortunately had to start chemo right away when he was diagnosed because he was in very serious condition, so he wasn't able to do sperm banking. His doctors told us though that the type of chemo that he would be on typically doesn't cause infertility.

He finally finished up his maintenance therapy at the end of May 2010. His oncologist initially said that we could start trying to conceive 3-4 months after treatment. She did recommend seeing a urologist though. My husband went to see him and although initial tests have come back promising, he is encouraging us to wait another 6-9 months to start trying. It is SO frustrating to get different stories from different doctors. I feel that he wasn't really able to give us a good reason as to why we needed to wait....

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a "set time" that you're supposed to wait, even if tests have come back promising? I understand that the sperm could be genetically altered, but if that's the case, wouldn't they be able to see the abnormalities in the tests that they're doing and wouldn't we not be able to conceive a child if the sperm is abnormal?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

Baby after cancer

communityreply@lls.org — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:28:27 GMT

This message below I just posted on the board I usually frequent which is the Living with Non Hodgkins Board. I just thought I'd post here too for anyone who may be thinking about conceiving after cancer.

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Hi Everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I've been busy with a new baby! On July 10th 2010 I'm so proud to say that I welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world. His name is Coleston Edward and he was a big boy at 8 pounds 6 oz and 21 inches. He's now 3 months old and is growing like a little weed!

For those who do not know, I was diagnosed back in 2006 with stage 4 non hodgkins, follicular mixed intermediate grade. I had 6 rounds of RCHOP and 2 years of rituxan maintenance. I got married just a few months after finishing up my chemo, and never knew if we would be able to have children or not from the treatment. Low and behold, we got pregnant right away after trying and now have this beautiful, healthy, baby boy that I never knew that I would be able to have. He is truly a miracle. Those just beginning their fight, stay strong! There are positive outcomes to this disease. I have not been scanned in over a year due to the pregnancy and now I'm breastfeeding, so I have my scan scheduled for December (actually I can still continue to nurse and get a CT, just not a PET). I'm trying to just focus on the good in my life and the baby, and not worry about myself, although when december rolls around I know that all those doubts will come back to my mind. This November will be 4 years remission. I hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there for those in treatment. Take Care!!

tiffany

Pregnancy after HL?

communityreply@lls.org — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:11:19 GMT

Hi, I am 21 and currently undergoing treatment for stage 2B HL. My doctor, like many others I feel, was not too concerned about my questions of how treatment would affect my fertility, but was rather more concerned with starting my treatment ASAP. So, I did not freeze my eggs or pursue any other options to preserve my fertility, I am now halfway through chemo, and the thought haunts me of whether or not in 7-8 years when I want to start a family if I will be able to get pregnant. I was wondering if others that have undergone treatment for HL would please share your stories concerning this issue. Were you able to get pregnant after treatment? With or without fertility drugs? Did undergo any fertility preservation treatments during treatment? What kind of chemo/radition treatment did you have? etc.

Thanks so much!

Fertility after GHAP and/or Stem Cell transplant?

communityreply@lls.org — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:14:31 GMT

Just wondering if anyone knows whether stem cell transplantation and GHAP or GDP cause high infertility rates?

Thanks,

Doug.