Hey yall! Happy weekend, my friends!
This post is not at all education related, but I hope you will still stick around and give it a read.
So I have shared some of my fertility struggles in the past and was overwhelmed by the sweet comments and prayers. You can read how our journey started here.
Well, I thought I might give yall a little update! The hubs and I did not have any luck conceiving on our own {or with the help of some meds} so we were referred to a fertility specialist. We started seeing our doctor back in August. He is a wonderful doctor and very encouraging, but also a realist, which I'm thankful for.
We started with some tests to find out the cause of our struggles. Well, after a couple months {and several hundred dollars later!} we finally had some answers. Turns out, my antibodies are attacking and killing the hubby's little swimmers. Not the best news to get, but we were thankful to finally get some answers.
The chance of us getting pregnant on our own is slim to none, although not impossible. However, we decided to move on to the next phase, which is an intrauterine insemination {IUI}. We began the first cycle and were getting excited to know that we could be pregnant within a couple of months. Well, halfway through the cycle, the doc checked my levels and they were just not high enough to perform the procedure.
I had been given a pretty strong drug to stimulate my ovaries, but apparently it wasn't strong enough. This news was very hard to hear, as we had been so excited to start the process. We canceled the cycle with the hopes of trying again the next month. This time, I will be taking hormone shots to help me reach the optimum level.
IUI is not a guarantee. In fact, the success rate is pretty low, only between about 10-15% each month. And, frankly, they are pretty expensive at about $1,200 a pop. Insurance doesn't cover any of the cost, so the hubs and I are trying to save where we can {and we are incredibly thankful for an amazingly supportive family!}.
So here we are, anxiously awaiting to begin another cycle. This journey has been long and hard, and it's not anywhere near over. We still have high hopes that the IUI procedure will be successful, but doubts have crept their way in. I'm sharing with you not because I'm looking for sympathy, but because I would love to hear some success stories.
Anyone have a similar situation or know someone who has? I would love to hear any stories you have that will help encourage us as we {hopefully} begin another cycle this week.
And, of course, your thoughts and prayers are always welcomed :)
I am sending you hugs and tons of prayers.
ReplyDeleteTania
My Second Sense
Praying for you hon! So glad you posted about this!
ReplyDeleteCindi
absees123s@gmail.com
Natalie, if it makes you feel better you are not alone. I have been through 2 years of treatments, on and off. I have gone to two specialists. The first prescribed Clomid and did 4 IUIs with no success. The second specialist, top in the country, figured out I have endometriosis. I had 3 months of Lupron (false menopause) before I could do any fertility treatments again. Currently, hubs and I are on our last Follistim/IUI treatment cycle.
ReplyDeleteThe best advice I can give, is that first and foremost, fertility is biology. I have spent months in tears wondering why me. It has nothing to do with me as a person, but me as a creature of nature. I can't control that!
Second, God will give you the baby (or babies) that you are supposed to have, when you are supposed to have it.
Third, focus on loving your partner. You should spend time together, date nights, pursuing hobbies. Don't let this process overshadow your existing family, you and your husband.
Fourth, let yourself be emotional. Hope, disappointment, anger, acceptance... these are things you might feel on a daily basis. That's ok. I wish I could say the emotions get easier, but I don't think they do. You just learn more about yourself through them.
Finally, know what your limits are. Hubs and I are not going to pursue IVF. It's not something we can handle. Also, it was crippling when the first specialist told me there was nothing left that they could do. When I started doing treatments with my current specialist, hubs and I decided how many treatments we would pay for. There is some solace in the fact that I am choosing when to walk away from this process.
I wish you the success in your upcoming treatment.
If you just need someone to email who understands what is going on please email me.
EmilyK
4321teach@gmail.com
Good luck in your journey! I also went through 2 years of fertility struggles...from Clomid, to surgeries, to IUI's...none of them worked. I went to Dr. Sher who is supposed to be amazing and was told that I had .02 chance of concieving without IVF. We got geared up to do IVF and the week before I was to begin the process I got a surprise natural BFP ( I had done the dye through the tubes test the month before for the second time so we think I still had a partial blockage). It is the hardest journey that i went through and it definitely tested my marriage but in the end it was worth every dollar and tear shed. I agree with the comment above about giving yourself a limit. I think that is so important...although those limits can for sure change.
ReplyDeleteI will say a prayer for you and your family! Although I don't have a similar story, my brother and sister-in-law went through many trials to have a baby. They ended up adopting a beautiful little girl and then got pregnant nearly one year later! :) Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers!
ReplyDelete