Tag: faith

Blessings in Traffic Jams and Other Trials

I spent most of today on the road or in a time of waiting. Not the most pleasant of circumstances, but it could most definitely be worse…and there were still positive things to be learned.

My husband, Roy, and I drove to the fertility doctor’s office in separate cars early this morning to prepare for an IUI (IntraUterine Insemination) procedure. It’s a little bit of a trek and there was a good amount of traffic, but we made it there safely for our seventh IUI. Roy had his appointment and then headed off to work, and I drove to a close-by Dunkin’ for a few hours until my appointment times.

When I went in to the office for my ultrasound, I was hopeful that I had released so that the timing for the IUI procedure would coincide. But my body didn’t cooperate. They had me get blood drawn to try to see where my levels were. Then they went ahead and performed the IUI, hoping I would ovulate soon.

The procedure went well, thank the Lord. But my body still needed to catch up. They told me to return later in the afternoon to repeat the ultrasound, so they could confirm that I had released. So I headed home to eat and to check on our pets.

When I returned to the office in the afternoon the traffic was worse. This is normal I’m sure, but I don’t drive a lot, so it had me stressed out. I was getting frustrated and in a negative mindset. But God would help me with that soon.

At the office they performed a second ultrasound…and I still hadn’t released. This was discouraging, as I felt like the IUI procedure would be wasted. But the nurse talked with me and explained that she was convinced I would ovulate in the next few hours and that the IUI could still be effective.

On the drive home I listened to the radio to counteract the stress from traffic, and a song played that I hadn’t heard in a while – it’s called “Blessings,” by Laura Story. The chorus goes like this:

“What if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise”

I began to realize that the traffic jams and the waiting and the fact that my body didn’t seem to be cooperating were not just annoyances – they were blessings, and they had a purpose. It took hearing that song to remind me that God was working in me through these traffic jams and other trials, and that I could let go and receive whatever came from His loving hands.

Maybe you’re going through trials of your own today. How can you see them as blessings instead of as burdens? ❤

Photo by Sonja Guina on Unsplash

A Needed Vacation and A New Cycle

The last month or so has had a lot of ups and downs.

We had a negative pregnancy test after our last cycle. It was difficult to take, as we had tried so hard to do everything we could with the many injections, other medications, and all of the ultrasounds and blood drawings. It just wasn’t God’s time.

But last week we were able to take a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia for our 7th Anniversary. It was a good time to relax, explore, and recuperate. We visited Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Shenandoah National Park – and enjoyed ourselves at each spot. We’re very grateful to God for this much needed vacation.

Now we’re home and adjusting to the norm again. It’s good to be back with our pets and in our regular environment.

We were going to take a break from from fertility testing this cycle and try to prepare for IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) next cycle…but after thought and prayer we’re leaning toward trying two more IUI (IntraUterine Insemination) cycles first. These next two cycles are important, as the percentage rates for conceiving on the 7th and 8th cycles increase noticeably. We’ll see what happens!

Please pray with us that if we need the extra help of donated medications – as we did last cycle – that they will be available to us again.

With all that’s going on, I’m trying my best to remain grateful to God and hopeful for the future. There’s so much uncertainty in life – but thankfully it’s not uncertain to our all-knowing God!

Thank you for reading, and we hope that you are doing well. We’d love to hear what’s going on in your lives in the Comments section below. God bless you! ❤

The Featured Image was taken by me along Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Tired but Hopeful

The past week or so has been more than a little tiring.

Things started off well. I was blessed with some donated medicine from my fertility center, which had been prescribed for me in the past but we weren’t able to afford. It’s called Gonal-f and it’s used to help a woman develop a mature egg during her cycle. I was very grateful for this, but I wasn’t really prepared for how the medicine would affect me.

I learned to give myself the first injection of the Gonal-f Friday night, as my husband had to work and couldn’t help. I watched the instructional video numerous times and was finally able to administer the shot to myself successfully. I was proud of this. 🙂 Over the weekend and into the beginning of this week I have been able to give myself the injection around the same time each evening, as instructed. I’ve been excited to see if it will help.

After a day or two of the shots I started to feel really emotional and more depressed than I normally do. It seems that these can be side effects of the medicine…so I’ve been trying my best to stay upbeat and to express my emotions in healthy ways.

I think the medicine is also making me super tired. I haven’t felt like doing much of anything recently, and small tasks leave me feeling drained. It seems that the sleepiness can be a side effect of the medicine too – but all of the side effects will be well worth it if it helps me to conceive this cycle.

This fertility process has been quite the journey so far! My husband Roy and I have learned a lot of new terminology and information. We’ve made many visits to the fertility center (most of the time I go by myself, as Roy has to work, but he comes when he can and when he needs to). We’ve learned how to administer injections. I’ve received countless ultrasounds and blood testings. And we’ve had many highs and lows.

But we’re seeking God’s guidance and embarking on this journey together. Even though the process is stressful, it’s helping us to grow closer to each other. And we’re trying our best to remain hopeful for the future.

The rest we must leave in the Lord’s hands, trusting that He is good and that He knows what is best for us. ❤

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash