The corporate egg freezing debate & me
Funny how 4 months ago in June, I decided to freeze my eggs and happened to set the date for October. Why October?
This would give me enough time to curb the partying as much as humanly possible for a 23 year old uni student with a deep love to party from time to time, begin a 3 month strict regimen of naturopath appointments and daily supplements to improve fertility health, more time to recover from my 2nd surgery for Endo in April (gotta get those nasty drugs and anesthetics outta the system), time to think carefully about the ramifications of my decision and discuss it with my life coach (she’s a pain psychologist really but more my life coach) and time to prepare and strengthen myself physically, emotionally and mentally for the procedure.
I began to blog about it all here and begin a dialogue on EndoActive’s Facebook page, twitter and Instagram.
Coincidentally, right in the middle of my egg freezing process and in amongst all the hormone injections, a heated debate ignited over the ethics of corporate companies like Apple and Facebook offering female employees free egg freezing as an incentive to work longer and supposedly close the gender pay gap. This has now become SUCH a hot topic just at the time I’ve started writing publicly about my experience – it’s amazing synchronicity.
Hundreds of women and girls with and without endo, a number of guys and a bunch of journos are suddenly coming to me for my opinion on the matter it’s crazy! What great fun though and such an interesting moral debate. Hard to believe I’ve become an ‘inspiration’ to some simply from publicising (what was) my private life and sharing my experiences which in reality are just like thousands and thousands of other women. Sometimes things just happen at the right time for reasons, far beyond whatever you had imagined.
You can read a whole heap of articles about Apple and Facebook paying for employee’s egg freezing here here and here.
October 29, 2014 @ 4:35 am
Hi Syl, I just wanted to say how great it is to have endometriosis in the national spotlight, finally. I was diagnosed with endo 2 years ago and have already had 2 surgeries for it, aged 23. I didn’t even know endo existed until my gyno mentioned it in 2012, it seemed like a very obscure and badly-understood condition.
I’m now having discussions with many friends and family about endo, it’s a real talking point now whereas it used to be so hidden and unspoken. I feel a lot more confident about my future of dealing with endo now that you and your mother are fighting so hard and creating such ground-swell. Who knows what options will be available in the years to come, now that people are really talking about endo on such a large scale!
I’m amazed by your strength, both physical and mental. Every pain you describe hits me right in the ovaries (seriously), it’s like I feel it with you. Your experiences echo mine so much, but at the same time there are so many differences, which just goes to show how variable endo is.
You’re brave and beautiful and you really are an inspiration, you make me want to step up and be passionate and loud and be heard and make changes.
I should stop rambling. I look forward to seeing where this all goes, and I hope that you know that there are so many people like me who are cheering you on and watching you with awe and pride.
Much respect,
Lauren
October 30, 2014 @ 7:41 am
Can I ask what the 3 months of supplements included? I’m looking at moving from iui to ivf in the next few months so would like to be ahead of the game of possible! Thanks 🙂
November 1, 2014 @ 4:34 am
Hey Cherie, there’s a photo of most of the stuff I was taking that I blogged about in my post called “my party bag of drugs”. I think it’s on the 1st page, I wrote it a while ago. Hope that helps