Everything Happens for a Reason

I was a Facebook this morning and saw someone comment on Giuliana Rancic saying she has breast cancer. My first thoughts were, oh my gosh, she has been trying to get pregnant for such a long time. Okay, I am not friends with the woman, but she has been very vocal about her struggle to have a baby and IVF. Having had fertility issues for many years I related with her story and like Giuliana I always talk about my road to motherhood, adoption, IVF, etc. but I am not famous and I think it is very commendable that she has chronicled her experiences to share with other women. I am a strong believer that it is easier to go through the whole ordeal when you talk about it...at least it was that way for me.

Well, today when she went on the Today show, her news wasn't about her pregnancy, but about her new battle with breast cancer. The way she found out was amazing and very important. Before she started her latest round of IVF with a doctor in Colorado she was told to get a mammogram. The doctor explained that he would not go through IVF with her if there was any chance she had any type of breast cancer. The hormones in the pregnancy would accelerate the cancer and would speed up the disease. Reluctantly she did the mammogram and it was not good news.

She is in the early stages of breast cancer. When I went through my final round of IVF, the one that gave me Sam, I also had a sonogram (the doctor said that with "young breast tissue" sometimes a sonogram was better) and I also had the blood test to check for the breast cancer gene. I have a strong family history of breast cancer (unlike Giuliana) but thank goodness all was okay and the IVF was a success.

But I remember thinking I wish all doctors were this thorough and honest. I am so proud of Giuliana to go public with this very personal story. The moral of the story is that you are never too young to be vigilant against breast cancer - check yourself monthly, ask your doctor about a sonogram or mammogram, be informed. If you catch it early, you will most likely be okay and live a full life.

On my recent 3-day walk for breast cancer I met many young girls (ages 25 - 45) that had breast cancer young and as survivors they almost had one thing in common...early detection.

So Giuliana thank you for keeping us informed and aware! We are sending prayers your way for a speedy recovery.

In the end you see everything happens for a reason. She mentioned in this interview: "This baby saved my life. If I had never gone through this process of IVF I would have probably never found out about the breast cancer until later and maybe by then it would have been too late. I found it early and I AM GOING TO BE OKAY."