Big Dreams Take Time

When Rob and I were ready to take the next steps in our journey we scheduled time to sit down with one of our doctors here in Alexandria. The first conversation around IVF was candid yet exciting. She warned us of the costs and the emotional and physical toll yet she was so sure this would over come our issues and be successful for us. Her parting comment from that meeting was “let’s make you a baby”. So the time table was set, we signed paperwork and paid the staggering cost upfront for an IVF cycle in May 2014 and our IVF was set for July 2014.

The months leading up I worked out hard, got physically ready and mentally prepared myself. I also thought this was going to be the last time in a while I could have a beer, stay out late with friends and truly the last summer without kids. So we soaked up that time and enjoyed life to the fullest, the first time in a few years without the over hanging stress of what was next. We also learned in this time of a new nephew, Kaleb, that would be joining our family that upcoming fall. This made us even more excited, not only were we getting a sweet new nephew we were going to be contributing a baby of our own to the mix. Cousins just months apart, how fun! It was a dream finally coming true and the timing couldn’t be more perfect! The thought that this wouldn’t work never crossed our minds.

My first baseline appointment was the end of June, everything was looking great and the doctors gave us the go ahead to start meds. If you are afraid of blood draws or injections IVF will either get you over it or make it worse. Over the course of two weeks I was giving myself 3 daily injections to the stomach as well as oral meds, daily blood draws and ultrasounds which can only be done in Fargo, ND.

The first bump in the road came just 4 days into this cycle when the doctors realized that I was suffering from a rare side effect called hyper stimulated ovaries. My ovaries had gone into overtime and in just over a week I had close to 30 eggs growing on my two ovaries. This was both exciting (lots of eggs yay) and scary. This condition can put you in the hospital and it could have potentially stopped the entire process if they couldn’t get it under control. So the doctors made a big change in meds to slow things down. There was a point towards the end that the eggs were so big and there were so many I could not sit up straight without pain and pressure. We had a running joke with the nurses calling it “Slutty Ovary Syndrome” and I declared I had a Duggar family growing on my ovaries. At one appointment my doctor even said “We’re going to get your entire family out of this one cycle” so what could go wrong, right?

We were on cloud nine, but here's the thing about big dreams, there are times when you will have big setbacks in pursuit of that dream. God's timing is perfect, but not always the same path that we have imagined for ourselves. This quote sums it up perfectly.

With bated breath...