The Fam Dam

Time spent with family is time well spent. This weekend we are in Hattiesburg visiting Matt's parents who we haven't seen in what feels like forever! Matt's dad recently had an accident and severely broke his arm, to which the doctors though it would be humorous to fit a bar similar to a towel rack on the outside of his arm. Thank Jesus, he finally had it removed! Typical Mike, we have not seen him since we've been here because he was working on a Habitat for Humanity project all night (yes, ALL night) and recently got home to shower and sleep a bit before heading back downtown to oversee the rest of the day's activities. He is the epitome of inspiration. The devotion to God he has is awe inspiring and I just like to sit back and watch him work. I love my father-in-law.

We just missed Marc, Matt's brother, who we also haven't seen in ages. His fiance' Heather is expecting (surprise) and I hear she is NOT feeling so hot these days. I admit, I am jealous. Hearing Matt's mother talk about her last night and how the pregnancy is coming jolted me back to the reality of it all. Here is yet another example of how God works in mysterious ways. Marc and Heather just got engaged - they were not trying to get pregnant, and bam - it happens anyway. Oh, the irony...but I know Marc is secretly thrilled beyond words...as are his parents. They want to be grandparents so much it oozes out of them. Matt and I cant wait to give them grandchildren.

Let the Journey Begin

I'm not yet sure how this blog will work. I created it to track and record our journey to parenthood and to keep in touch with friends and family - we are all so busy these days that the typical "how are things" phone call gets thrown to the wayward side. I am most definitely guilty of this! I guess the best and most informative way to start a blog is to give some background...so here goes:

Matt and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year now. Since I'm 25 and he's only 29, when we were not pregnant after 6 months of continuous trying, I began to worry. After a thorough evaluation by my fabulous new OB-GYN, I was diagnosed with PCOS, or Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (for those wikipedia-obsessed, enjoy the knowledge). PCOS is basically a hormonal condition that affects 5% of women, and is the most common cause of anovulation, or when a woman rarely or never ovulates. In layman's terms, my little eggs that are suposed to be released monthly actually never "leave" and result in the formation of cysts. Thus, we have difficulty getting pregnant! I will say that I have never known more about the female reproductive system than I do now...neither has Matt...even against his wishes:) And the internet sites for PCOS support are the bomb.com! Soul Cysters is a wonderful aid...

After my initial doctor's visit in January 09 and my diagnosis in April, I was put on a concoction of fertility drugs to try and promote ovulation and reduce the appearance of cysts. Here's the infamous cocktail:

• Clomid (initiates the release of the egg)
  
• Estrace (promotes estrogen)
  
• Crinone (offers progesterone support)

Because PCOS knocks my hormone levels out of whack, and I HAVE to have normal hormone levels to get pregnant AND sustain a viable pregnancy, this fertility drug cocktail was prescribed to me for three months. (After three months of this treatment, women run the risk of having too much estrogen and progesterone levels and are referred to fertility specialists, also known as reproductive endocrinologists)

Of course, this is where the story turns typical Caro. During the third month of treatment, a cyst the size of a tennis ball on my right ovary decides to explode. The doctor would prefer to say "ruptured"...I prefer to say "EXPLODE". After a day full of abnormal pain while working in the Natchez office, I managed to drag my hunched-over self via doctor's orders to the Natchez ER (which I vow to never visit again) for fear of a ruptured ovarian cyst. Long story short, I recovered fairly quickly sans surgery and after a month of prescribed birth control and "no trying", my OB-GYN gave us the go-ahead to start trying again.

I'm not sure if it was the residual pain or fear of another cyst forming from the meds, but Matt and I decided to take a break from the fertility treatments. And that's where we stand. Though I haven't gotten back on the fertility treatments, I have tried a more holistic approach to dealing with PCOS. Vitamins, vitamins and MORE vitamins!!!

• Evening Primrose Oil
  
• Black Cohosh Root Extract
  
• Vitamin B-6
• Fish Oil
  
• Prenatal vitamins
  

We struggle daily with the idea of more aggressive fertility treatments like IVF, IUI, etc...maybe we are just old fashioned, but we are alike in the fact that we want our baby when God wants to give us one. When we think we can't stand to hear one more story of a 'surprise' pregnancy among people we know, we try and remind ourselves that while medicine is so advanced nowadays, especially for infertility, there is a little bit more than medicine involved in conception. We are thankful for the trust we have in God, because without him, this journey would be a long and lonely one. The Beatles offer a tranquil repose for me when I really don't think I can stand it...

Let It Be
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