Bobsledder Kaillie Humphries Gets Back to Her Long-Term Goals

Over the years, Humphries had grown accustomed to her body responding to her will. She figured a pregnancy would work the same way: It would happen when she wanted it to.

Instead, doctors discovered an ovarian cyst when Humphries complained of hip pain in March. When she woke up from a procedure to remove it, doctors told her she had endometriosis, a debilitating disorder in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow outside it.

“It takes five to seven years in America to diagnose endometriosis, which is way too long,” Humphries said. “For most women, you get told painful periods are just a part of it, but you go in there and usually it gets diagnosed when you try and have a family, infertility being one of the big side effects.”

Doctors advised Humphries that in vitro fertilization presented her best odds for pregnancy. She underwent two rounds over the summer.

“I’ll compete this season and then we’ll look to implant and move forward with family planning next year,” Humphries said. “It’s definitely a balance. I’m not retiring. I still want to go and compete in 2026, so it’s about how can we start a family and then also continue the career path.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/26/sports/olympics/kaillie-humphries-bobsled-monobob.html