The roller coaster ride. Flashback to Nov 2006 to Dec 2009

Our journey to get pregnant was a rollercoaster ride on its own. After a year of trying on our own, in November of 2006 we met with Boston IVF. They were optimistic, suggesting in just a few months we could be pregnant. There are many advancements and options for a couple these days. I could probably create a whole blog dedicated to the ups and downs we went through to get pregnant but I will try and make it short.

Larry has crohn’s disease, which after a couple of years, he was doing great, managing his symptoms with medications and yearly checkup. Since he was doing well, a urologist suggested he stop the medication to better improve our chances to get pregnant naturally. And being the selfless person he is, Larry stopped his meds. 5 months later (May 07) he was in the emergency room with a blocked intestine, about to perforate, which ended in surgery that removed 2 ft of his intestines. 2 months later he had his second surgery and spent another week in the hospital. Having a baby is not worth risking losing my husband! Baby plans were put on hold until his health was back to normal about 6 months later.
Time went on, my friends had their second children, and our emotions went up and down. We tried a few more things, I had a polyp removed from my uterus, and we took some breaks here and there from the stress to travel. We still were not ready to give up our dream. In 2009 I began IUI cycles thinking ok this should work. The meds were the strongest hormonal changes I ever experienced. In one year, and many shots, I had 6 failed IUIs, another polyp removal, a battle with my health insurance and a life changing mind and body class. Little did I know how helpful it would be in my next rollercoaster ride. Our bodies, hearts and wallet had gone through a lot. But there was more technology to try and we couldn’t give up yet.

In November 2009 I began my shots for IVF. On December 22, 2009 I had 23 eggs removed! Wow those meds worked. 15 were fertilized and 7 embryos were growing strong. And on December 25, 2009, Christmas morning, I had 2 8 cell embryos implanted into my uterus. It was amazing to see. My soon-to-be best Christmas present. As my fertility friends know and understand… the next two weeks are the longest weeks in one’s life. Listening to uterus meditation CDs, acupuncture, and lots of rest… anything to “relax”.