FAQ

I have learned so much over the course of this journey that sometimes I forget how little I've actually shared with friends and family members. I often get the same questions from people, so, here is my attempt to answer some of them. There are many layers to this situation, I am sharing my own side of things. I am clearly very open about what is going on with me. I don't see any reason to hide. It is what it is, right?! I am honored when people ask about how we are doing....I guess, I trust that when people ask it is because they care. I hope I am right.

So, anyways, here you go. I hope this helps explain things a bit.

FAQ

1. What exactly is your diagnosis? In December of 2007 I was diagnosed with Polysistic Ovarian Syndrome. Poly cystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is a leading cause of infertility that affects up to ten percent of women in their reproductive years. Having PCOS means that I produce many small eggs instead of one regular sized egg each month therefore, I don't ovulate on my own. The medicine that I've been on has helped a great deal.
2. What meds are you on? What do they do? Why do you need them? I have been on the following meds at one time or another in the past year (Please don't hold me accountable for the spelling on this one!):

*Clomid (this is used to help women ovulate when they otherwise don't - it worked well for me, however, the drawback to this pill is that it also thins the uterine lining which would prevent implantation).

*Letrazol (same purpose as Clomid - it was used one month for me when my lining was thinning too much with Clomid - it worked well but wasn't quite potent enough).

*Follistim (this is an injectable med - I inject it into my stomach- the purpose of this fertility drug is that it produces more, better quality eggs and keeps a consistently thick uterine lining. This is definitely a step up from the pills. This medicine requires a lot of monitoring because it can make me produce too many eggs. This medicine is straight hormones. It can cause mood swings, weight gain and definitely caused me painful bloating around the time of ovulation. It worked well. We are still on this "step" of treatment - with our fingers crossed! Insurance only pays for 6 rounds of this medicine - which is extremely expensive, so, our time with this treatment is limited.)

*Ovidrel (this is taken every month to induce ovulation - this is also injected into my stomach)

*Estrodial (I take this because my doctor says so - I have no idea what it does - or how it works - it is a pill)

*Progesterone (this is taken every month from Day 14-Day 28 morning and night to keep my uterine lining thick in case we conceived and were preparing for implantation - it is a suppository and requires me to lie down for 30 minutes each dose. I hate it.)

3. Why do you have so many appointments? What happens at those appointments?With each appointment, I start with an ultrasound to check my ovaries and count and measure my follicles (each contain an egg and need to grow to a certain size each month before ovulation is possible). I then head to the clinic where I meet with my fertility doctor. She shows me where I'm at and how I'm progressing. She then gives me my next step of meds, appointments or procedures. I then go and give blood so that my doctor can keep an eye on my estrogen levels. The duration usually lasts from 7:45-9:00 am. I usually have these appointments on Day 3, Day 8, Day 10, Day 12, and Day 14 of each month when I'm on injectables.

The tough part is that most of this journey is day by day. I am often counting days and trying to plan our lives around the possibility of having an appointment. All you can do is guess and try your best to live your life. When your doctor needs you, you go. That's all there is to it. Work has to wait, social lives have to be put on hold and trips need to be rearranged. But we do it because this is our priority.

4. Why do things seem so difficult? A healthy couple has a 25% chance of conceiving each month. With Patrick and I both having issues, our chances are much lower.

5. Why don't you just look into IVF? InVitroFertilization is an extremely expensive, invasive and exhausting (emotionally and physically) procedure. It is NOT something that any couple rushes into. It requires big-time meds that cause a woman to produce many eggs. The specialist then harvests those eggs and actually fertilizes the egg with a sperm - this is called ICSI. The embryo is then transferred into the woman's body and she is given two weeks to wait with a 40% chance of success. This would be done in Minneapolis and would require a lot of time, money and energy. We aren't at this step yet and are hoping and praying that we don't get there.

6. OK, then have you thought about adoption? Of course...but, again, we aren't there yet. I want to experience pregnancy. I want a baby with my husband's eyes or my smile. I want to share in the experiences of pregnancy with my friends. I want to feel life growing inside of me. I want to wonder if our baby looks more like Patrick or me. I want to see my traits and my husband's traits come to life before our eyes.

Before you ask a friend dealing with infertility if they've thought about adoption...know, this...they have. They will continue to. Adoption is a beautiful option. I have many friends and family members who have adopted or have been adopted. But, please be sensitive to our desire to want to experience pregnancy and the miracle of creating a life.

7. What are your next steps?

I am certain that our journey will resume sometime this week. I am guessing that we will have an appointment sometime this next week. We will continue with our injectable meds, doctors appointments, hoping, dreaming and planning until God decides otherwise.

8. How can I help?

Just knowing you care, and you are praying for us is enough.

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“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

~Dr. Seuss