Published: November 26, 2008 11:13 am      

Freezing eggs proves to be quite difficult

DEAR DR. MONA: My sister has cancer and does not yet have any children. We have heard that some women have their eggs frozen for future use. What do you think about this process and where can she have this done? — Amy

DEAR AMY: My prayers go out for your sister. Now with regard to freezing the eggs, it is possible to do that, however it is quite difficult.

Before exposing your sister to cancer treatment, her doctor may discuss with her the options for preserving eggs or in-vitro fertilization. Both of these are options depending on her particular situation.

If she is married or in a stable relationship, the freezing of a fertilized embryo is the simplest and most likely to be successful.

If she is not, then freezing eggs is a possibility that will preserve her fertility; however it is often unsuccessful. Only a small number of births have been achieved worldwide using this technology. The difficulty of freezing eggs is due to the large size of egg cells and the large content of water. Thawing frozen eggs is difficult and leads to cell rupture and loss of the eggs. Therefore, in managing successful freezing of eggs it is important to avoid ice crystals that could damage the egg.

Freezing eggs is done in a few major teaching or research centers that focus on assisted reproductive technologies. So Amy, I would suggest that your sister checks with University of Iowa reproductive endocrinology department to see if this is done there. A web search can probably provide her with additional information if this is her choice.

There is some exciting research being done now that holds some promise for the future. Frozen segments of ovarian tissue have been shown to produce ovarian follicles and hormones. There is testing to determine whether these tissues when re-implanted in the body have the capability of also producing eggs. So perhaps the next generations will have more options to choose from!

Good luck with your decision-making!

DEAR DR. MONA: I have a real tough time with chapped lips and sometimes my lips bleed and I am not sure how can I manage this. Please advise me ASAP. — Tiffany

DEAR TIFFANY: You are not alone. Chapped lips affect many people especially during the winter. Lips dry out because of exposure to the elements (sun, dry air, wind), breathing through an open mouth, dehydration, licking the lips, or use of irritants such as cosmetics and skin products.

So pay attention to what you are doing. If you have the tendency to lick your lips, stop! Licking your lips adds more salt from saliva and irritates the skin leading to more dehydration. To prevent this, avoid using flavored lip balm that you like, or maybe use something that has a taste that you hate, to help you stop licking.

One more important issue is to stay hydrated and have a humidifier at home to add humidity to the air and help hydrate your lips. I should also mention that drinking tea or coffee or pop is not considered hydration. I am talking about water and low sugar juices and drinks, which contain a lot of water.

To protect the lips you can use lubricating creams or lip balm containing oil, petrolatum, or beeswax. Apply those products on your lips before going out, and use products that contain sunscreen. Reapply more products when you are going to be outdoors for awhile.

If your chapped lips do not respond to those treatments, you should see a dermatologist as this might signal a more serious problem requiring more intervention.