Lisa Fasone and her partner had always dreamed of having two children.
asserted
Fasone → dream → children
When Fasone became pregnant in 2021, everything seemed to be falling into place.
asserted
everything → become → place
They welcomed their daughter in February 2022.
asserted
They → welcome → February
As they adjusted to life as a family of three, Fasone struggled with lasting postpartum symptoms, including night sweats and headaches.
asserted
Fasone → adjust → sweats
At first, she chalked it up to breastfeeding and hormonal changes.
asserted
she → chalk → breastfeeding
She also wasn't getting her period, and attempts to become pregnant again were failing.
asserted
attempts → get → period
By her daughter's second birthday, she became concerned.
asserted
she → become → birthday
"I'm like, 'OK, it's been a year since I stopped nursing, and I still feel absolutely awful,'" said Fasone, now 32.
asserted
Fasone → stop → ?
"Something was wrong, and I kind of kept brushing it off.
asserted
I → keep → it
But after a year, I put my foot down."
asserted
I → put → foot
Fasone went to her OB-GYN.
asserted
Fasone → go → GYN
Tests showed elevated prolactin levels, a hormone made by the pituitary gland.
asserted
Tests → show → gland
Prolactin influences fertility and helps produce breast milk.
asserted
Prolactin → influence → milk
Prolactin levels typically change during pregnancy — but Fasone's levels had yet to go back to normal.
asserted
levels → change → pregnancy
Her care team found a tiny benign tumor, known as a prolactinoma, on her pituitary gland.
asserted
team → find → gland
It was producing excess hormones and causing her symptoms.
asserted
It → produce → symptoms
Operating on such tumors is rare, said Dr. Stephen McGill, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern University who treated Fasone.
asserted
who → operate → Fasone
Instead, it is usually treated with an oral medication that typically results in the tumor "melting away on its own," McGill said.
asserted
McGill → treat → own
Fasone started taking the medication and quickly began experiencing side effects, including severe dizziness.
asserted
Fasone → start → dizziness
Worst of all, she said, was being unable to try for a second baby.
asserted
being → say → baby
The medication she was on wasn't safe in pregnancy, and her increased prolactin level would have made conceiving extremely difficult anyway.
asserted
conceiving → make → pregnancy
Fasone said she would watch her toddler daughter play by herself and fear the worst.
asserted
daughter → say → worst
"Most people probably know somebody that has had an infertility journey or has gone through that process, but you never really think it would be you, especially when you had such an easy time getting pregnant with your first one," Fasone said.
asserted
Fasone → know → one
"I had to really come to terms with the idea that maybe I will just always have one child, and that's just the way it's going to be.
asserted
it → have → child
"I didn't really have a choice"
asserted
I → have → choice
After one year on the medication, a follow-up scan showed something alarming: The prolactinoma was growing, not shrinking.
asserted
prolactinoma → follow → something
The growth of the tumor, plus Fasone's side effects and fertility concerns, made surgery an option, McGill said.
asserted
McGill → make → tumor
The procedure could result in complications to the pituitary gland, including further fertility issues, McGill said.
uncertain
McGill → result → issues
The surgery could offer a complete cure and a life off the medication.
uncertain
surgery → offer → medication
It was the first time she felt a "glimpse of hope" since her diagnosis.
asserted
she → feel → diagnosis
"I think at this point I didn't really have a choice.
asserted
I → think → choice
I wasn't able to live the life that I had imagined," Fasone said.
asserted
Fasone → live → that
"So I kind of took it head-on and said, 'If I want to have a normal life and finish my family, this is just something that I have to do.'"
asserted
I → take → that
A "really exciting" surprise
Fasone underwent the minimally invasive procedure, done through the nose, in April 2025.
asserted
Fasone → undergo → April
The next day, she received positive news: Her prolactin levels were "completely down to normal" after the tumor's removal.
asserted
levels → receive → removal
Then, 30 days later, she had her first period since becoming pregnant with her daughter nearly four years ago.
asserted
she → have → daughter
It seemed like all was returning to normal.
asserted
all → seem → ?
But then a screening several weeks later showed her prolactin levels rising again.
asserted
levels → show → ?
Fasone was devastated.
asserted
Fasone → devastate → ?
"One risk of the surgery was (McGill) may not be able to get all the tumor out, and there may be some tumor cells left that would restart this problem again.
uncertain
that → get → problem
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
