Lean Not on Your Own Understanding

I have created a blog to keep friends and family updated about our journey to have a child.  I believe blogging will also be theraputic for me with this subject.  This is not a blog to complain about how life is unfair.  It is to state the facts and share how God is using us! 

It's interesting how infertile couples cope differently.  Or even infertile individuals.  For instance, I share my story with friends and family whereas Nate is much more quiet about the matter.  I have so much to say and I'm struggling with where to start the story. 

In the fall of 2008 I began to feel that something wasn't right with my body.  I scheduled an appointment with my OB and he ran some tests and learned that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome.  What this means is that I don't ovulate and therefore I am infertile.  I wasn't ready to start trying to conceive so he put me back on birth control to regulate my cycle and a medicine called metformin to hopefully make me ovulate. 

Well, in the spring of 2009 I got the baby hunger!  Nate and I agreed to start trying in August!  I was so excited!  I scheduled a pre-pregnancy appointment in June and the doctor said to increase my metformin and get off of birth control.  We couldn't wait until August so we started trying the first week in July!  I know that it can take up to six to twelve months to get pregnant so I was doing my best to be patient.

Four months later in October I learned of Nathan having a varicoceles.  I did some research on-line and learned that this is the number one cause for male infertility.  I was very upset when I read this.  I called my OB and explained the situation and asked them to do a seman anaylsis to learn if this was the case for Nate.  The nurse told me to stop taking my birth control, try to conceive for six to twelve months, and if I don't get pregnant call back.  I was not happy.  I called a different doctor who said that there was no reason to wait and an analysis was scheduled the next week.

The doctor said the motility was low, referred him to an urologist and ordered another analysis.  When he recieved the results of both analysis we learned that not only was the motility extremely low but so was the count!  Just some info: normal count is 60-100 million!  Nate's was 1.5 million the first time and 3 million the second.  When he met with the urologist he said that with both of our situations it would take a miracle for us to get pregnant on our own.

I began to research fertility specialists and chose one in Tulsa, OK.  Our first appointment was December 4, 2009 and we had a great experience!  The doctor asked lots of questions, explained the situation, and did an ultrasound to learn that my uterus and ovaries are healthy enough to have a baby!  The plan: to have In-Vitro Fertilization with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (IVF w/ICSI).  Just needed to have a few tests done to make sure there was nothing else in the way.

We had the tests a week later and waited three weeks for the results.  On December 27, 2009 we learned that I am a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene, I'm insulin resistant, and that Nate's count is half of what the other lab reported and 100% of his DNA is defragged.  I will explain each.  Being a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene means that if Nate is a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene there is a 25% chance we could have a child with cystic firbrosis.  He was tested and we will learn those results in about a week or two.  If he is a carrier then we won't follow through with IVF w/ICSI.  I am insulin resistant which means I had to cut way down on my sugar and carb intake to prevent diabetes.  I have done that for a week and it's not so bad.  Nate's DNA is defragged means that the sperm do not have a good shape which greatly decreases the ability to fertilize an egg.  The doctor said that IVF w/ICSI can take care of that problem.

Using IVF w/ICSI we have a 50% chance of becoming pregnant!  We are currently just waiting to hear the results of Nate's CF test to decide what's our next step.  Believe it or not there is so much I left out but will explain later. 

The most important thing that we are getting  out of this situation is learning to trust God and do His will!  So far this has been an emotional journey, but we know that God is using this situation to teach us to Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

I feel blessed to be chosen by God because He has a greater plan for my husband and me that we could not imagine much less do on our own!  I am amazed at how God has gained our attention and pulled us closer to Him!

Please feel free to ask me questions and share you thoughts!