Olivia Munn opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs in hopes of expanding her family with husband John Mulaney.
The X-Men actress, 43, revealed that she and her comedian partner, 41 — who share two-year-old son Malcom — underwent the procedure following her breast cancer diagnosis as chemotherapy and radiation can affect a person’s fertility.
‘After my diagnosis, we decided to try one more round of egg retrievals and hoped it was a good month,’ she told Vogue on Mother’s Day, after revealing she tried the procedure on three different occasions — when she was 33, 39 and most recently 42.
‘John and I talked about it a lot and we don’t feel like we’re done growing our family, but didn’t know if I would have to do chemotherapy or radiation,’ she added.
Ultimately, doctors retrieved seven eggs from the procedure, though their viability was questioned, as Olivia shared that only about one in 10 eggs typically yield a healthy embryo for women in her age range.
Olivia Munn opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs in hopes of expanding her family with husband John Mulaney; seen in March at Oscars
The X-Men actress, 43, revealed that she and her comedian partner, 41 — who share two-year-old son Malcom — underwent the procedure following her breast cancer diagnosis as chemotherapy and radiation can affect a person’s fertility
At the time, all Olivia and John could do was wait and see if any of them would successfully develop into a healthy embryo.
‘A few hours later, we got the call from my doctor. He shared that we had two healthy embryos,’ the actress recalled.
‘John and I just started crying. It was just so exciting because not only did we get it in one retrieval, but it also meant that I didn’t have to keep putting myself at risk. It was just amazing.’
Regarding her embryos, Munn expressed her inclination towards pursuing the surrogacy option in the future.
‘I don’t have the ability to carry a baby anymore, so if we want to build our family, this is our option,’ she explained.
In the same interview, Olivia revealed she had a ‘full hysterectomy’ in her ongoing cancer fight, just two months after revealing she had a double mastectomy.
The actress said she underwent the fifth surgery of her breast cancer battle last month in a bid to see more of her two-year-old son’s childhood.
‘I have now had a full hysterectomy. I took out my uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries,’ she said.
‘After my diagnosis, we decided to try one more round of egg retrievals and hoped it was a good month,’ she told Vogue on Mother’s Day, after revealing she tried on three different occasions — when she was 33, 39 and most recently 42
‘John and I talked about it a lot and we don’t feel like we’re done growing our family, but didn’t know if I would have to do chemotherapy or radiation,’ she added
‘Doing a full hysterectomy was a big decision to make, but it was the best decision for me because I needed to be present for my family.’
The Newsroom star said she took the decision after being given a choice between the hysterectomy and taking anti-hormone medicines that would have left her bedridden.
‘I did have one real moment of panic,’ she said.
‘A real breakdown. Because it’s just so strange when you’ve been with this body your entire life, had your period for so long, feel when you’re ovulating, and all of a sudden it’s gone.’
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus to treat a range of health conditions.
In some cases, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy as a preventative measure if a woman has significant warning or early signs of developing one or more of these conditions.
When necessary, surgeons may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, if these have also been damaged or are at serious risk of damage.
Munn was diagnosed in April last year, just two months after she and her sister Sara tested negative after a genetic analysis that checks for 90 genes associated with cancer.
‘We called each other and high-fived over the phone. The same winter I also had a negative mammogram,’ she revealed in March this year.
‘In the past ten months I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can’t even count and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I could ever have imagined.’
‘Two months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer,’ she revealed.
‘The biopsy showed I had Luminal B cancer in both breasts. Luminal B is an aggressive, fast moving cancer.
‘Thirty days after that biopsy I had a double mastectomy.
‘I went from feeling completely fine one day, to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next.’
The former Daily Show correspondent was up on her feet for just a few weeks after her latest operation before spraining her ankle, she revealed on Instagram last week.
She shared a brief video of her in light blue short shorts and and a matching shirt, with a black brace on her left ankle.
The video – set to the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme – shows her zooming in on her ankle, first teasing that she suffered the injury in a much more serious way.
‘I sprained my ankle jumping out of a plane today. And by plane I mean I tripped in a CVS parking lot,’ she told her followers.
‘I don’t have the ability to carry a baby anymore, so if we want to build our family, this is our option,’ she explained
She revealed her cancer diagnosis in March saying she had ‘learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I could ever have imagined’
She revealed last week that a sprained ankle had added another irritant to her cancer battle
Munn said she worried about the impact of her illness on her family.
‘I had friends try to cheer me up by saying, ‘Malcolm’s not going to remember this. Don’t worry’,’ she said.
‘But I just kept thinking to myself, ‘I’m going to remember this, that I missed all these things’.
‘It’s his childhood, but it’s my motherhood, and I don’t want to miss any of these parts if I don’t have to.’
