Amanda Fuller has found success on television with starring roles on two hit shows: Last Man Standing now on Fox and Orange is the New Black streaming all seven seasons on Netflix. She portrays the oldest daughter in the Baxter household on Last Man Standing and was one of many featured actors on OITNB playing the memorable Badison in seasons six and seven.

Despite all of her professional achievements, Fuller was suffering from personal medical issues that made working, and life in general, hard. She suffered for years with endometriosis and recently found herself ill again. This time with new symptoms that could have possibly been caused by ovarian cancer. Upon seeing a doctor, and having many tests done, including an MRI, Fuller was told she was pregnant. And she almost didn't believe it.

RELATED: Getting Pregnant Can Reduce Endometriosis Symptoms

This was a shock because Fuller had been told many time it would be nearly impossible for her to get pregnant naturally with all of her health issues and endometriosis. Endometriosis is an often painful condition that occurs when uterine lining tissue is found on other organs inside the body. The extra tissue is usually found in the pelvis and lower abdomen and can cause painful periods, pain during sex, and a hard time conceiving.

BabyGaga was able to talk with the super busy Ms. Fuller about her happy surprise and allow her to share her story to all women also suffering from endometriosis. Fuller and her husband Matthew Bryan Feld will be welcoming their miracle baby in late November.

BabyGaga (BG): Congratulations on your pregnancy! How did you find out you were expecting your miracle baby?

Amanda Fuller (AF): Well, it’s kind of a crazy story...I’ve been pretty ill for years now, but had recently been experiencing an onslaught of new unbearable symptoms. In an effort to get to the bottom of this “new normal”, I had also gotten some blood work done, which came back with a lot of confusing information. However, the one common denominator that the combination of all this new info pointed to was the possibility of ovarian cancer.

So, as soon as we wrapped Season 7 of LMS and I landed in NY (my second home), the number one priority was to get an MRI to rule out cancer. I went to get the MRI, my devoted hubby by my side, and they kept asking me if I was sure I wasn’t pregnant. I was positive. You see, Matthew and I had been physically separated on different coasts because of work for months, only seeing each other once in the flesh in February. The blood work I mentioned before was done after the last time I had seen him that February.

 

So not only had I been told for years that it would be next to impossible to get pregnant, I also had blood work to prove that I wasn’t pregnant. There was just no way. After the MRI, the technician even had me initial where I had stated I wasn’t pregnant and provide them with the Dr.’s information who had taken the blood work. I was baffled by their insistence on the matter. Cut to the cab ride home when our phone started ringing off the hook. The radiologist now looking at the MRI results was frantically trying to get ahold of my husband and I.

Once we realized who was calling us over and over, my fears were confirmed. “I have cancer”, I thought “They had found a tumor and I’m going to have to have surgery right away.” To our complete shock, instead what we heard on the other line was “You’re pregnant.” “Impossible” I stammered. “There’s no way!” And the radiologist responded telling me that there was, in fact, a gestational sack in my body. Matthew and I got back to our apartment, in utter disbelief and confusion. We took a pregnancy test, which of course came back positive. We waited the day or two to get the ultrasound. And finally, after the hour and a half long torture of a magic wand probing around my hoo-hah and my insides (the technician wasn’t allowed to tell us any of her findings during the procedure), a doctor I had never met or spoken to before called the office, they handed me the phone in the lobby, and he told me there was, in fact, a heartbeat. And that I was 7-8 weeks along. Five months later and we’re still processing the news.

BG: You’ve known for a while it would be nearly impossible for you to get pregnant due to endometriosis. How surprised were you to be expecting? How did your husband take the news?

AF: As I said, we’re still processing it. The first month was just utter shock, and also not trying to get too attached to the idea. With all my health issues, the likelihood of carrying this child full term seemed small. We are terrified. But also feel so insanely blessed. One thing we know for sure is this little guy wants to be here. He’s already made that very clear. We even discovered that he was conceived out of my crushed ovary! (My endo was so bad it was pulling my uterus at a 45’ angle to the right, hence crushing my right ovary.)

BG: When did you first find out you had endometriosis? How has it affected your life from the beginning?

AF: I actually didn’t really find out until fairly recently considering I’ve had it for probably at least 23 years. I have been a mystery to doctors since I was 12 really. Countless undiagnosed chronic illnesses, from my digestive system to my immune system to my endocrine system and back again. I’ve gone to every specialist whose done every test always initially predicting they know exactly what the problem is, only to be dumbfounded. Here’s where I have to make the distinction that I am not a hypochondriac.

On the contrary. I’m actually a pretty tough cookie. One of the reasons why it has taken so long to find the answer to all of my health issues is because, like so many endo warriors, I’m just used to the pain and all of the symptoms and I just deal. It’s not usually until it gets so bad that my mom or husband or best friend has to jump in to force me to go to the Er to find out what’s up. So, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I went to my first endo specialist. We were looking into whether or not I had Cushing’s Disease at the time because it was the one rare disease that seemed to consist of most of my random issues, and I had been told that I now had ‘Moon face’ along with a year of uncontrollable and unfounded weight gain/bloating.

 It wasn’t until I went to that first specialist that I realized it could be the culprit to all of my health issues and the answer I had been looking for. That specialist confirmed that he believed there was a 99.9% chance that I had a severe case of endo. Of course, with endometriosis, there is no way of technically diagnosing it until you have surgery. Then another year went by. I was working on two series full time, so there was no room in my schedule for said surgery. 

So at the beginning of 2019, I saw another specialist- Dr. Iris Orbuch- who came to a similar conclusion, only she suspected that I also had adenomyosis. The priority in my life now became treating the endometriosis. I would have to have at least 6 months of physical therapy on my pelvic floor before Dr. Orbuch would even consider operating. And then 3 months later, I found out I was pregnant. 

 

BG: What do you want other women to know about endometriosis?

AF: First and foremost, you can still get pregnant!! Use me as an example! Don’t listen to the statistics! It is possible! But also, listen to yourself. Trust your instincts. Endometriosis is finally getting a small spotlight, and awareness is growing (thank God) but still, a majority of doctors aren’t going to know about it or know enough to send you on the path to explore it. If your body is telling you something is very very wrong, and the doctor’s are saying your “fine”, or “just getting older”, or “you’re a mystery”...don’t listen. Keep digging. Trust yourself more than anyone.

BG: Had you wanted children or did you come to terms with possibly never having any?

AF: I’ve always wanted children. And I always knew in my gut and my soul I would be a mother someday. I just had no idea when or how that day would come.

BG: How has your pregnancy been? How have you felt?

AF: Don’t get me wrong, it’s been tough! I was debilitatingly nauseous for the first 4 or 5 months? Impenetrable fatigue. And the first few months I was in a ton of pain. It felt like I was miscarrying every day. What I now understand that pain to have been was my body tearing away all of the endo lesions, which were bounding some of my organs together, to make room for this baby and my growing uterus. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it. All that being said, I feel the healthiest I’ve felt for as long as I can remember. And all of these symptoms? Not only do I know what they are (which is such a relief because the effect chronic illness has on your mental health is half the battle), but they are for a purpose!

RELATED: Lena Dunham Opened Up On Twitter About Endometriosis Surgery

BG: Were you working at all during your pregnancy?

AF: The first 5 months I was chained to my couch with nausea, so thank goodness I was on hiatus and not working! But we have been back to work on Last Man Standing season 8 since the first week of August, and I will be there through March. His due date is even on a tape night! So who really knows how it’s all going to go down and work out, but I don’t plan on taking any time off, and LMS is like a second family to me, so there’s no better place for me to be working through it all. I have faith it’s all gonna fall into place perfectly.

BG: What is next for you? Do you have any projects lined up? When does Last Man Standing return?

AF: Right now it’s just project ‘have a baby’ and LMS. But I do have a few series and a couple of features I am working to get off the ground as soon as I am possibly able. LMS S8 begins January of 2020! Thursday nights at 8 pm.

BG: What was your favorite part about your role on Orange is the New Black?

AF: Everything. The community onset. The freedom to play in a role that scared the shit out of me. The opportunity to bring someone so unlikable to life, without relying on the need of other people’s acceptance, bc that’s what the job entailed. (Which is a pretty foreign concept to an actress, we are trained to do the opposite) Playing Badison forced me to be more fearless, and more confident in my own skin- even if it meant everyone hating me...and that’s a pretty valuable lesson to learn.

BG: What are you most excited about becoming a mom? And what are you a bit unsure of?

AF: I am most excited about smelling his head! And eating his cheeks! And his tiny hands grasping onto my finger. I am most excited to see his face light up at the sound of Matthews's voice, and Matthew singing him to sleep. I am most excited about creating a safe environment for a new human to explore this earth and to nurture his instincts of creativity and imagination and freedom and growth. It’s such an incredible privilege when you really think about it. I am most unsure of our lives changing forever. And losing control of our own freedom. And what it takes to create that nurturing environment for him, without screwing it up too much. And traveling by ourselves. We’re big travelers. I know we will travel with him, but we sure are gonna miss traveling by ourselves. I don’t know how we are going to let go of that. But I guess it’s a small price to pay.

We're all so happy for you Amanda! We're wishing you a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery! Thank you for speaking with us.