I could not be more excited for today's guest blogger. She is the writer of a blog I read regularly. She's absolutely delightful, completely hilarious, and she has an incredible infertility story. I just love her to death, and I know you will too. So without further delay...here's Michelle!
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Hello all! I am Michelle from So Wonderful, So Marvelous. When Miss Ashlee very flatteringly asked me to do a guest post about infertility, I didn’t hesitate for a second. As you all already know, she is just so lovely. I was really touched that she thought to ask me to contribute as she was putting together her week of infertility stories. It brings me comfort to know there are other women like me out there. Maybe my story will do the same for you?
I am one of the lucky ones, if there is a “lucky” when it comes to infertility. My story, at least the first chapter, had a happy ending. His name is Finnegan James and he is a three year old goofball that would like nothing more than a little brother or sister. He is intelligent and funny and just about the best thing I have ever done in my life.
The second chapter? We’re still working on that one.
Everyone has a different fertility journey. My particular situation? PCOS. Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome due to insulin resistance. Now, for Ashlee’s long time readers, you’ll know that this is the same thing she has but it can be caused by different things. Very basically, I do not ovulate, instead the fluid filled sac that the egg follicle matures in just stays in my ovary waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more, to mature. Kind of like high school, right? They aren’t really cysts, per se, but they look like that on an ultrasound.
With Finn, I went through three rounds of clomid, two at 50mg and one at 100mg, it was coupled with metformin. Really, on the spectrum of infertility, it was nothing. The risk of multiples are only very slightly elevated from the normal population. Aside from the wicked mood swings and feeling hormonal, it was pretty easy. It was done in my obgyn’s office, popping a pill a day for 5 days, an ultrasound of my ovaries to see if it worked, then sex, and BABY. There are SO many couples that have gone through more.
This second chapter though, hasn’t been so easy.
I am thirty-four now. This time, I did three rounds of Clomid, going up to 150mg before my obgyn referred me to a fertility specialist. Her thought was that we shouldn’t waste any more time when I clearly needed more, so on to a reproductive endochronologist for me. Dave, my husband, held my hand as we walked into his office. It’s one thing to take Clomid at your obgyn office when people don’t know what is going on, it’s quite another to step into a FERTILITY CENTER. Everyone knows why you’re there.
Oh, in case I didn’t mention it, most FERTILITY things are shouted in my head. I also cry when I see pregnant teens at Walmart.
So now it has been seven months, I have one round of Femara {another drug that suppresses estrogen much like Clomid} under my belt in addition to the three of Clomid and next we’re on to injectibles. It doesn’t thrill me that I’m going to have to give myself shots {or make Dave do it} but you know, for us, it’s worth a try.
Thank you so much to Ashlee for allowing me to take over your space for a bit and share my story. I hope your journey ends much like mine, with a little one to tuck in each night.
