Pregnant Heather Rae El Moussa, 34, Skips Family Vacation to Mexico on 'Doctor's Orders:' She And Husband Tarek, 40, Had Struggled To Conceive
- Heather Rae El Moussa is staying back from vacation while she’s pregnant with her and husband Tarek’s first child together.
- The couple recently announced they are having a boy!
- Life took a turn for the worse for Tarek in 2013 when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
- Heather and Tarek went through the IVF process to make sure they could have a child together when they were ready. Their success with the procedure materialized quicker than expected.
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The stars of the forthcoming The Flipping El Moussascoming on HGTV in 2023went through the IVF process to make sure they could have a child together when they were ready. Their success with the procedure materialized quicker than expected.
“It was a huge shock,” Heather told PEOPLE exclusively of learning she was pregnant. “We just weren’t expecting this. We had just gone through IVF. We had embryos on ice. We had a plan.”
As most first-time mothers can relate, Heather is witnessing the incredulous changes to her form.
“My body’s changing and I’m obviously not used to certain changes. I see myself naked now and I’m seeing my belly grow and other areas of my body grow,” Heather said.
“I can’t fit in my bras anymore, I can’t button my jeans. A lot of my clothes I’ve grown out of, and it’s a hard change,” she confessed. “I went from being very tiny, to just seeing my body change and getting used to those changes. And he’s just so positive every day, telling me how beautiful I am and how beautiful my body is.”
Despite the joy of blossoming motherhood, many women understandably go through some insecure moments as they adjust to being pregnantand that’s perfectly normal and okay.
Heather explained that when she and Tarek first started dating three years ago, they initially hadn’t planned on having children. “I really love being a bonus mom to Taylor and Brayden. They’re such incredible kids and I love them so much,” she said. “But as your love grows more and more and you fall deeper in love with someone and you build this life together, I started picturing myself having a child with Tarek. I started thinking I just wanted to create something with the man that I’m in love with.”
Finding Joy After Cancer Turns Your Life Upside-Down
Tarek’s Experience with Cancer
Life took a turn for the worse for Tarek in 2013four years after he married his ex-wife Christinawhen he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Tarek's thyroid cancer diagnosis came after an HGTV fan, who also happened to be a nurse, noticed a lump on his throat while watching him on television. She contacted the network, telling them what she had seen.
In the same year, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Becoming a Father After Testicular Cancer – Todd Rosenbluth’s Story
During a 2017 interview with PEOPLE magazine, Tarek said of the experience: "I was at one building doing my thyroid stuff, and mentioned I was going across the street to get an ultrasound done. I'll never forget the doctor joking, 'I hope you don't have cancer!'"
The treatment path for both types of cancers depends upon the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. Common treatments for testicular cancer include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Treatments for thyroid cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation and, in some cases, chemotherapy.
Luckily, El Moussa was given the "all clear" and now shares his story to raise awareness on both diseases, while radiating positivity to those in need.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
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