Sofia Vergara talks thyroid conditions, freezing her eggs

By Nardine Saad

April 17, 2013 12 AM PT

Sofia Vergara appeared on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday to discuss her bout with thyroid cancer, freezing her eggs and her wedding plans.

The “Modern Family” actress, who is a spokeswoman for the hypothyroidism campaign Follow the Script, revealed that she was diagnosed with the disease in 2000. She had her thyroid gland removed and still takes medication to deal with the condition.

“Many women go for a long time without knowing that they have a problem with their thyroid,” she said on the show. “And it [hypothyroidism] can bring many problems in their life. It changes your mood, it changes your fertility, it changes so many things and the sad thing is that it can be checked with a simple blood test. It’s not like you have to go through a colonoscopy or something horrible.”

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Thyroid conditions -- one need not have cancer to be hypothyroid -- affect about 30 million people in the U.S., especially women, according to a statement from AbbVie, which sponsors Vergara’s campaign. When the butterfly-shaped gland doesn’t produce enough hormones that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight, hypothyroidism can occur.

Thyroid cancer is uncommon, according to the Mayo Clinic. But the 40-year-old Vergara said there’s an easy treatment that she’s undergone herself. (As has Brooke Burke-Charvet.)

“I’ve had cancer 10 years ago,” Vergara said. “So because they took my thyroid out, I need medication. I’ve figured it out. I’ve heard so many people say they’ve had so many problems with their thyroid. I’ve never had a problem because I’ve taken control of it.”

She added that she’s very serious about taking her medication and gets her blood checked every three to six months.

“Be proactive about it -- be smart and do something,” she said of managing her health.

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The Emmy-nominated actress previously mentioned her plans to freeze her eggs in a Vogue profile, so that she and fiance Nicholas Loeb, whom she affectionately calls Nicky, can have kids. The actress already has a 21-year-old son, Manolo Gonzalez, from a previous marriage.

“I’m 40 years old, nothing happens that naturally anymore,” she said. “We just wanted to plan ahead. My boyfriend Nicky is three years younger than me and he’s never had a son. I have my son Manolo, so it’s not like an emergency for me to have another kid. But for Nicky, yes, because he’s never had a baby. So I wanted to make sure I already froze some eggs, so you know, I wanted to take advantage of science. Why not?”

And the arrangements have already taken place.

“I took them out already. They’re in a refrigerator,” she laughed. “Hopefully they’ll be fresh by the time I use them.”

The newly blond bombshell still isn’t sure of the timetable for expanding the family, though she did say that they’re shooting to have their wedding next summer.

“We would like to buy a house. We are also planning to eventually get married. I have so much work this year. So definitely this year it’s not going to happen,” she told the Associated Press.

“Modern Family” is currently on hiatus but Vergara said she just wrapped up filming “Heat” in New Orleans with Jason Statham. She’s set to appear in “The Smurfs 2” and Woody Allen’s “Fading Gigolo.” She has a starring role in Robert Rodriguez’s thriller “Machete Kills.”

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