Pregnant With Cancer

Hi, everyone. My name is Liz and this is my week to contribute to the blog. There are lots of controversial topics in the news today.. But I tried to really find something that interested me.

I recently read an article in my Glamour magazine (A girl's got to keep up with things, you know.) about a woman who decided to get pregnant while her cancer was in remission. Six years ago, Erin Zammett Ruddy was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Until recently, this type of cancer was fatal for most patients. Erin and her husband decided they would try to have a child of their own before exploring other options such as adoption.

Taking Gleevec during pregnancy is not recommended so Erin had to risk her life by going off her meds in order to have this child. Since the Gleevec is what is keeping her in remission, there is a great chance that her cancer could return. Erin's doctors informed her of a type of chemo that is supposedly safe for pregnant women should her cancer return. Considering that most women are extremely careful about everything during pregnancy, even what they put in their mouths, this sounds like a scary option to me.

At the time I read the article, Erin was 8 months pregnant and her cancer was still undetectable. She's been monitored closely by her doctors throughout her pregnancy, taking blood samples frequently to see if the cancer has returned. Erin says that every woman she's spoken to that went off Gleevec to get pregnant has relapsed.

She has been called selfish by many for choosing to risk her own life to get pregnant rather than adopting. Once the baby is born she will be unable to breastfeed while on Gleevec. Even if the pregnancy goes well, going off the medication could prove to be potentially fatal for Erin.

Personally, I believe that she should have the opportunity to have her own natural children with her husband. She has said that adopting is a great option that she and her husband could possibly explore in the future. Yes, there are risks involved with getting pregnant when you have cancer. But should this woman be denied the right to be a mother? I applaud her for going ahead with this deeply personal decision despite opposition. I certainly hope and pray that everything will work out for her and her family. However, if things do not--I do not think she will have died in vain. It will be out of love and her natural instinct to be a mother.

What do you think? Did Erin make the right decision? I would love to hear your thoughts! :)