🍒 Chapter 26: Call Me Infertile Myrtle

This episode centers on Cece's journey through infertility, chronic illness, and redefining what “motherhood” means. After years of trying to conceive, medical testing, and fertility treatments, she learns that PCOS combined with lupus made pregnancy medically unsafe — especially given her leukemia treatment.

Rather than becoming parents to human children, Cece builds a family through beloved chihuahuas: Zoie, Zeus, and their accidental litter that produced the “twins,” Phoenix and Pennie. She recounts both the humor and heartbreak of pet parenthood — from the chaotic “stuck dogs” incident to Zoie’s unexpected death from severe anemia.

The chapter then returns to Cece's own health: severe anemia, a failed endometrial ablation, and her decision to have a partial hysterectomy. She describes dramatic post-surgery weight loss, the frustration of trying to lose weight with chronic illness, and the relief of finally feeling better physically — even while grieving the permanent loss of biological motherhood.

She closes with gratitude for her many nieces and nephews and a compassionate reminder to be kind to people whose health struggles you can’t see.

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⚠️ Potential triggers featured in this episode may include, but are not limited to:

• Infertility and pregnancy loss • Miscarriage risk discussion (non-graphic) • Chronic illness (lupus, leukemia, PCOS) • Anemia and iron infusions • Hysterectomy / reproductive surgery • Death of a pet

No graphic sexual content is included.