I removed my Mirena IUD I had since 2010 due to extremely irregular menstrual cycles and figured I was okay from there. Chris went to his local walk in clinic at got the "okay" from that doctor as well. As it turns out, we were not okay.
I started to try and track my ovulation cycles about three or four months into our marriage. As it turns out, I wasn't ovulating. How frustrating is that?! Off I went in search of answers using google where I came across PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Well look at that....! I have several of those symptoms.. I wonder if this means I'll never have babies, I thought. After making an appointment with my doctor's office I ended up speaking to a resident doctor who insisted I wait a minimum of three more months before being seriously worried. I didn't wait those three months. Instead when I visited the clinic, soon after, for a cough I couldn't shake, and asked my GP about PCOS. Thankfully Dr. L agreed with me, we both felt my lack of ovulation and other symptoms needed to be explored further.
After Dr. L referred Chris and I to the Fertility Clinic they decided to do some blood work on both of us and well as some other testing on me.
I went in for a hysterosonogram which basically means they inject salt water into my uterus and tubes to check out the lining of my uterus and flow of my tubes. As it turns out, I have a bilateral Fallopian tube blockage as well as PCOS. Yup! Aren't I the lucky girl? :)
The test was......weird..... I felt very odd as the tried to pump salt water into my uterus to check my lining and tubes. A good friend came with me as Chris still had to work. Thankfully my friend was there to hold my hand and put me at ease. Moreover the doctor who performed the procedure was so kind and understanding. I remember, before we even started the procedure he said, "If at any time you are in pain or too uncomfortable tell me to stop and I will. I work for you, you are not working for me."
I felt in control when he said that. It was so reassuring! When things did get too uncomfortable (after about seven or eight minutes) he did stop and instantly the pain and uncomfortableness passed, too.
Also, Chris' result from his sperm count test showed he has a low percentage of active swimmers. (Thankfully he's man enough to talk about this openly and honestly. I'm so proud of him for that!)
Since I have this blockage problem I am eligible for my IVF treatments to be covered by OHIP. This coverage will be over three separate treatments. The bad part is Chris' difficulty will cost us an extra $1,500 per treatment ISCI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, where they take a single sperm and match it up with one of my eggs. Yup! We'll have a match maker involved in our baby making progress! ;)
Furthermore the laws around IVF are changing. This window of three tries is closing, and closing fast! By the end of 2015 (and maybe by the fall) the law will change and my special needs case will no longer be eligible for the rules as they are now. I won't get my three chances option. We are having to get on this IVF thingy quickly. (Of course!)
I will admit when we first heard all this news we had a moment's pause where we thought, "Do we really want to do this? It's so expensive!" but there's no way we could walk away from this chance without trying.
God has brought us this far for a reason...we will go the distance and do it together, no matter what happens with the results in the end.
The doctor has asked that I lose weight. (No surprise there!) I am now actively exercising regularly and eating better. I can already feel my clothes a little looser on my body and I will admit we had to buy new underwear today as my current ones are falling off me when I walk. (giggles) It's not much...but it's some progress!
I am a little overwhelmed and anxious about losing weight......I'm worried I won't lose enough weight for the baby to be safe and protected. I pray about this often. Thankfully our doctor has not specified a weight amount to lose but has said, "Any amount weight loss will definitely help." I find everyone very helpful, kind and professional at the clinic so this news isn't a terribly difficult blow, but one I did expect.
Tonight, as I type up this blog entry, Chris is in the "baby room" as he calls it, sorting through his hockey and baseball cards from his childhood. He is rifling through over 250,00 cards in order to decide which are "keeps" and which he can sell to save enough money for our fertility treatments.
I'm proud of him.... I'm proud of us for making some positive changes in our food choices and life in order to welcome this baby into our home. I'm so thankful to God for this opportunity we've been presented. Everyday we talk about the baby in some small little way...
Just this week we picked out two onesies for a girl and boy. Having these onesies around will help me remind us why we are working so hard at this.. Every healthier food choice I make will be with the mindset that I need to be healthier for this wonderful opportunity the Lord has presented us. If God wishes for us to raise children to know Him, then isn't it our duty to start now, raising them in a safe and healthy environment within my body (temple) now?
Oh Lord...show me the way each day... It's all about You, Jesus.
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