More and more celebrities have opened up in recent years about their experience with fertility struggles as well as taking ownership of their fertility journeys and opting to freeze their eggs. Singer Kesha bravely spoke in a recent interview with Self magazine about the terrifying ordeal she went through while in the process of freezing her eggs.
'I almost died in January', the 36 year old revealed, explaining she'd made the decision to freeze her eggs last year in order to 'take my reproductive health into my own hands', adding, 'I stand by everyone doing that and [honouring] your body.'
The Your Love is my Drug singer had been performing in the Bahamas on New Year's Eve and found that she felt too weak to walk after the show. Spending a total of nine days in hospital – and then recovering at home for a couple of months – doctors found that Kesha had developed an uncommon yet serious complication from the fertility procedure due to her weakened immune system. The singer was diagnosed last year with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) which is characterised by low levels of protective antibodies and an increased risk of infections.
Side effects of egg freezing are said to be similar to PMS symptoms as a result of hormonal fluctuations. What Kesha went through may be relatively rare, but 1 in 4 women experience side effects while going through the process of egg freezing. It is also possible to experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) due to the medications which are used to stimulate the ovaries to make eggs also causing very high hormone levels. This can lead to ovarian enlargement, fluid leaking into the abdomen, and electrolyte abnormalities.
Kesha says she feels recovered now but describes the experience as 'horrifying'. In the interview she is keen to explain the reasoning behind her decision to freeze her eggs, while also keeping details of what is an immensely personal decision to herself. She emphasises that everyone should have control over when and whether they choose to give birth. While she wants to share her experience, she is also aware that it invites scrutiny.
'Everyone probably has some semblance of feeling like you share what you’re going through, and, at the same time, it’s almost inviting people to have an opinion about it,' she says in the interview. 'I don’t have that perfectly mapped out.'
While Kesha has been pictured with boyfriend film producer Ricardo Maddalosso, she is relatively private about their relationship and instead, explains that family can mean different things to different people – referring to her 'family' as 'the people I spend time with, and my actual family, and also my band, my friends, and my cats'. She does, however, add that 'he is amazing!'