Welcome Lauren and Brian. Lauren is another special lady to me so please give her a nice big welcome.
1. You and your significant others names: Lauren and Brian
1. You and your significant others names: Lauren and Brian
2. How long have you been trying to conceive? We've been trying to conceive for 10.5 months and it's been a struggle since day one. We originally planned on waiting until September of 2010, but upon finding out that I had potential PCOS in December that time line got pushed way up.
3. What stage of Infertility are you in (Natural, Clomid, IUI, IVF)? We've moved on to IVF. We had 3 natural cycles, 1 with Clomid, and 1 with Clomid/IUI. Then we pulled out the big guns. We were losing Brian's insurance coverage, which covered infertility treatments 100%, so our RE gave us the choice...move on to IVF or try another IUI. After hearing the pro's and con's of each one more time, we took our RE's advice and went with IVF.
4. What procedures have you gone through to diagnose you and your significant other? In December I had my annual appointment with my OB/GYN. I told her I'd been off birth control pills since June and my cycles still weren't regular. We talked about a few other issues (acne, dry scalp, oily skin) and she thought it may be PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), so I went for an ultrasound. During the ultrasound they found what they thought was a tumor the size of a baseball on one of my ovaries. In early February I went for a laparascopy to remove it. Turns out it wasn't a tumor at all. It was a giant endometrioma. When I woke up, Brian had to tell me what they found. I struggled to understand what he was saying...because he couldn't say Endometriosis. That's right they found Stage III Endometriosis. There are 4 stages of Endo, they only reason I hadn't been classified as a stage 4 was because I hadn't had any form of scarring yet...but I wasn't far off. Later testing by my RE would confirm the presence of PCOS.
While my testing was ultra-invasive my husbands testing was as simple as being handed a cup for a little one-on-one time. It took 2 tests of his semen to tell us he had low motility and low count. His numbers were on the lower end of normal, but it was still a shock. I kept asking myself, how could we both be broken?
5. If you have been diagnosed, would you please share? Oops I combined 4 and 5.
6. Are you seeing an Ob/Gyn or a RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) I'm seeing an RE at this time.
7. What supplements are you taking (PNV, Fertile Aid, Etc.)? I currently just take a PNV. Brian takes nothing.
8. Are you charting/using ovulation predictors/fertility monitor? If you are charting, would you want to post your chart link? I gave up charting for a few months. It got to be too much. I'm trying to enjoy our "break" time without thinking about our issues and TTC every minute of the day.
9. Have you ever been pregnant before? IVF #1 was a success. I was pregnant for 6 weeks before we lost our baby. It was the most difficult time in my life.
10. What are your plans for your future (infertility treatments, adoption, working with children)? We will continue with our IVF treatments as soon as Brian's insurance coverage returns in January. I've given myself 3 more tries. If it don't have a baby after 4 rounds of treatment I am ready to adopt. Brian isn't quite there yet. He feels that treatment will work and won't think past that. I'm not sure that he will ever be ready for adoption, which honestly scares me. Not having children is not an option for me. Brian knows this but as the constant optimist in our relationship, he truly believes we will have a child through IVF.
11. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about you? This last year has been rough. In one year we have both been diagnosed as infertiles, I've had surgery, I've been poked with more needles than I care to count, and I've lost a baby. However, through it all Brian has been by my side. He's been my rock, my shoulder to cry on, and has shared in my excitement/disappointment every step of the way. TTC is a journey, ours just has a few bigger hills to overcome. Infertility can cause problems in any strong relationship, but I am thankful ours is the other way around. Brian and I are closer than ever. I can't wait to one day be able to tell him that we have a baby on the way. One that we will actually get to meet after 9 months. Until then, we keep on going. One day at a time.
12. Do you have a blog/website where you talk about your journey? If so, please link here: I do not. Some days I wish I did, but not yet.
Lauren and Brian thank you so much for sharing with us. I can't wait to hear that you guys got to take home a baby soon.
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