OVAREACTION BY TENNILLE DANIELS

I don’t know about you but reproductive health for me between my teenage and young adult years consisted of period + pregnancy. I wanted to make sure that my period arrived (not pregnant) and that my spot checks always came back clean. In my mid-20s, however, I discovered I had large ovarian cysts and subsequently was diagnosed with endometriosis. I knew nothing about ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis or any of the other reproductive health issues women may experience before menopause hits. The thoughts, decisions, procedures, and surgeries I experienced in the days, months, and years following my initial diagnosis sparked OVAREACTION - how a woman reacts - her thoughts, feelings, decisions, and actions - to a matter involving her reproductive health. The OVAREACTION podcast is a safe space for women of color to share their stories, vulnerabilities, as well as their triumphs and victories. As a single black woman who has gone through a great deal of this journey alone, I have a special place for my single sisters who experience the highs and lows of reproductive health and may have to make hard decisions on their own. Join Tennille Daniels and this community as we share our OVAREACTION to educate and encourage women to stand firm in their decisions and confidently in their story.

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OVAREACTION BY TENNILLE DANIELS

THE ROADMAP

November 03, 2021 • Tennille Daniels • Season 2 • Episode 2

On today's episode, I share the first active step I took on my fertility journey to become a single mother by choice. That step was the initial appointment with my doctor at Shady Grove Fertility. The initial appointment is a chance for the doctor to gather information and share potential options for your journey. This appointment is followed by a fertility workup which includes a number of blood and imaging tests. The fertility workup, for me, is like getting your car checked out before a long road trip. You want to make sure the car or your body, in this case, is ready for the journey. This assessment will help the doctor develop your fertility roadmap - final destination prayerfully is motherhood.

This week's song of the episode is Step by Step by Whitney Houston. I am committed to taking one step at a time on journey that can be filled with many highs and lows. Hear this song and many others that have provided the soundtrack for my reproductive health journey on the OVAREACTION playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

I promise it won't be this long again until the next episode!

~Tennille