CAN WE HAVE A BABY AFTER CANCER?

nubis
nubis Member Posts: 98
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
My husband 32 years old was diagnosed with small lung cancer on october 2007. I am 28 years old. And this notice was very scary at the beginning. Now we are figthing together and God is with us.
He got quimo (carboplastin and etoposide) 6 cycles. He just finished radiation to reduce the tumor on his lung. We are waiting the results. God is with us all the time and I'm sure we will have good news because my husband is better. The pain on the chest is gone and he tolerated very well the radiation. Our concern as a young couple is pregnancy. We will like to have a kid and we don't know if is safe to try or we need to wait. If somebody has a similar experience please I really will appreciate any information. Thank you, Thank you with all muy heart. Also I pray for all of us facing cancer. The best for all of you.

Comments

  • nubis
    nubis Member Posts: 98
    #2
    Thank you for any comment.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #3
    Well, the big problem I see is that god is with you all of the time. If you have a spare bedroom he/she can sleep in once in awhile, that would probably improve your chances significantly (JUST JOKING!!!!). Otherwise, I don't know why it would be a problem.

    If there IS a problem, I would think that it would have to do with your husband's physical stamina or perhaps psychological issues related to his self esteem, but if he is up for the task, then my bet is that you ought to go for it.

    The rads and the chemo should not adversely affect his ability to reproduce, given the location of his cancer.

    It should be noted that cancer appears to have a fairly certain genetic aspect to it, but if so, it has been true for more than 10,000 years and hasn't stopped anyone to date, to my knowledge, from having children.

    Good luck to you and your husband in this regard, and best wishes for his complete recovery!

    Take care,

    Joe
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #4
    nubis said:

    Thank you for any comment.

    An oncologist could tell you how long it takes to clear the effects of his chemo and radiation treatments from his sperm cells so that his contribution is healthy. Men constantly produce more sperm cells unlike women who are born with all the eggs they will ever have. Another concern will be up to how many healthy sperm cells he can produce. Only one is needed to make an egg fertilized, but greater numbers help better the odds that you will get pregnant. Meeting with a pregnancy specialist might be beneficial. The pregnancy specialist can tell you tips to increase your chances of getting pregnant quickly and also research what, if any, effects the treatments your husband has had might have on your probability of becoming pregnant with a healthy baby. I know that mothers with breast cancer do go on to have healthy pregnancies without added cancer risks to themselves though they do have to work closely with their doctors to avoid treatments that might negatively affect their babies' health. Of course, having a baby doesn't guarentee that cancer is forever gone (though I pray it is gone for your husband as well as every other survivor I know). So see the doctors about making a healthy baby and balance all that excitement with a "Plan B" of how you will support the baby if something takes a turn for the worse. Hopefully you will never need such a plan, but better safe than sorry.
  • nubis
    nubis Member Posts: 98
    #5
    cabbott said:

    An oncologist could tell you how long it takes to clear the effects of his chemo and radiation treatments from his sperm cells so that his contribution is healthy. Men constantly produce more sperm cells unlike women who are born with all the eggs they will ever have. Another concern will be up to how many healthy sperm cells he can produce. Only one is needed to make an egg fertilized, but greater numbers help better the odds that you will get pregnant. Meeting with a pregnancy specialist might be beneficial. The pregnancy specialist can tell you tips to increase your chances of getting pregnant quickly and also research what, if any, effects the treatments your husband has had might have on your probability of becoming pregnant with a healthy baby. I know that mothers with breast cancer do go on to have healthy pregnancies without added cancer risks to themselves though they do have to work closely with their doctors to avoid treatments that might negatively affect their babies' health. Of course, having a baby doesn't guarentee that cancer is forever gone (though I pray it is gone for your husband as well as every other survivor I know). So see the doctors about making a healthy baby and balance all that excitement with a "Plan B" of how you will support the baby if something takes a turn for the worse. Hopefully you will never need such a plan, but better safe than sorry.

    Thank you Cabbott for your feedback. I will ask my doctor about it. It's just that our doctor is kind of cold. She is like very short answers and the last time she only said "Don't try to have a baby please" She is very cold. But I know, I have been reading and I know we have a hope of having a baby. Thank you for your support.
    Nubis
  • nubis
    nubis Member Posts: 98
    #6
    soccerfreaks said:

    Well, the big problem I see is that god is with you all of the time. If you have a spare bedroom he/she can sleep in once in awhile, that would probably improve your chances significantly (JUST JOKING!!!!). Otherwise, I don't know why it would be a problem.

    If there IS a problem, I would think that it would have to do with your husband's physical stamina or perhaps psychological issues related to his self esteem, but if he is up for the task, then my bet is that you ought to go for it.

    The rads and the chemo should not adversely affect his ability to reproduce, given the location of his cancer.

    It should be noted that cancer appears to have a fairly certain genetic aspect to it, but if so, it has been true for more than 10,000 years and hasn't stopped anyone to date, to my knowledge, from having children.

    Good luck to you and your husband in this regard, and best wishes for his complete recovery!

    Take care,

    Joe

    Thank you Joe for your support. I will ask the doctor for advice to know when will be safe because quimo and radiation.
    I will let you know how is my husband and what is the opinion of the doctor about it. Thank you
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #7
    nubis said:

    Thank you Joe for your support. I will ask the doctor for advice to know when will be safe because quimo and radiation.
    I will let you know how is my husband and what is the opinion of the doctor about it. Thank you

    Cabbott gave you EXCELLENT advice, nubis, while I merely cheered you on :). To be honest, yours is an excellent post, but one people should read (along with Cabbott's advice) BEFORE they start treatment, so that they can let it be known then that they are strongly invested in the idea of having children in the future. Docs CAN help with that in the way they administer treatment IF they know about it and can plan for it. Not always, but probably in your case.

    In any event, as always, a lot of anything is in the WANT TO. Good luck to you and the hub!

    Take care.

    Joe
  • gerelmaa
    gerelmaa Member Posts: 3
    #8
    nubis said:

    Thank you for any comment.

    Dear Nubis...
    My name is
    Dear Nubis...

    My name is gerelmaa. I'm writing from Mongolia. A have same problem with you. I' m very happy that your husband's pain has gone.
    I don't know what to do to cure my husband. We had many times chemotherapy. First we were in Beijing. At that time result of the chemotherapy wes very good. Then after 2 years the cancer has spread to his lungs. Now he has chemotherapy again. but here in Mongolia the hospital is not so good. I'm trying to go another country but we don't have much money. I'm really don't know what to do....
    Also we want baby... But I think it is possible.
    Now I'm trying to find financial support to cure him in other developed countries... At now it is not successfull...
    If you have any information how to find international finacial support please tell me...

    Thank you,

    T.Gerelmaa (Mongolia)
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #9
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

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