Tag: IVF

Surrender

Terrified
Is the way I feel right now
Can’t catch my breath
But I have to somehow
My heart is racing
Can’t slow the beat
My face is flushed
From so much heat
My head is throbbing
From all of the thoughts
That can’t be resolved
Though answers are sought

I’m terrifed. . .

BUT GOD.

I must surrender
All of the unknowns
He has our situation
Completely under control
All our waiting and hoping
Is not lost on God
The prayers and petitions
Have been received with a nod
Whatever the outcome
The Lord knows what’s best
And in the waiting
We have His peace and His rest

I wrote this today after finally receiving a callback from the nurse at our fertility office. I had an ultrasound and bloodwork done this morning, and was waiting with bated breath to find out the results. Before I received the call, we didn’t know if we would even be able to continue with the IVF process.

Thankfully, there is still hope…but there are so many unknowns. My body is not responding to the medicines I’m taking like they had planned. So we’re taking one day at a time, and waiting on God to see what happens. ❤

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

My husband and I were hoping to try IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). Since nothing else was working, we thought it’d be the logical next step for us. But we weren’t expecting a crazy “rest” cycle in between.

A rest cycle in which I just ovulated today, on day 56. A rest cycle where we were forced to use some of the medication that was set aside for our IVF cycle. A rest cycle that has been anything but restful.

I think that since I didn’t start off taking any fertility medications this cycle, my body just didn’t know what to do. At one point I started spotting, and I figured my period was about to begin. But the days continued to pass uneventfully, and it wasn’t until I insisted on going in to the doctor’s office for blood-work and an US (Ultrasound) that we learned I hadn’t even ovulated yet. It feels like this cycle is just going on and on.

Recently I’ve been having a difficult time remaining grateful regarding our fertility journey. Things just aren’t going as planned. We pray and pray, and yet are left with more questions than answers. What is God doing?

But if I’m honest, there are things that point to God’s involvement in our situation.

For example, we were told by our doctor to purchase the medications that we would need for IVF during our previous cycle. Little did we know that we wouldn’t be able to use them any time soon – and several of the medications have a very short shelf-life. We were worried that they would be wasted, or that we would need to use them prematurely. Even thought we’ve been forced to use some of them to jump-start this “rest” cycle that we’re in, our nurses have been generous enough to give us a few replacement medications – which we can use if we do move on to IVF.

Although things have been frustrating for my husband and me, we know that God is still in control. We need to trust that God is there, working. Working for His glory and our good. And that He wants to teach us and grow us through this process.

P.S. Thank you to all those who have prayed for us during this journey. We are truly grateful! ❤

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

Taking the Next Step

Today Roy and I met with one of our fertility doctors for an IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) consult. This month we are undergoing our 8th IUI (IntraUterine Insemination) procedure…and if we don’t conceive this cycle, it was recommended that we move forward with the IVF process.

We think the meeting went fairly well, but it was a lot of information.

A lot of terms.

A lot of explanations.

A lot of questions and answers.

I tried to write down as much as I could to refer to later, since my memory has been affected negatively from the ECT (ElectroConvulsive Therapy) treatments I sustained while in my deepest depressive episodes. But it was difficult – the doctor spoke quickly and I was forced to ask her to repeat herself numerous times. However, it was important information for me to understand and remember, so I asked again.

According to the doctor, women my age experience around a 50% chance of conceiving with IVF. But there are a few things that they haven’t figured out yet about my cycle, and that could bring the percentage down some.

For example, my FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) levels tend to be high when I undergo the baseline ultrasound and blood-work at the beginning of my cycles. This could possibly mean I have a decreased egg reserve…which would make conceiving (naturally or with IVF) more difficult. But the doctor wants to check my AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) levels through more blood-work, as she said this level could definitively tell us what my egg reserve is.

It’s all quite overwhelming.

But we’re praying for wisdom and strength and for God to have His way. If He wants us to conceive, we know that it will happen. And if He doesn’t…we have to be okay with that too. He is the One who ultimately knows what is best for us.

So as anxiety rises in my mind and heart, I want to praise God. Praise Him for the opportunity to receive treatment to help us conceive. Praise Him for helping us will all of the requirements: the appointments, the ultrasounds, the blood-work, the IUI’s, the injections, the other medications – and the finances needed to undergo these treatments. And praise Him for His presence throughout this entire process so far…and His continued presence as we take this next step.

Trusting Him fully is OUR job. We leave the rest to HIM. ❤

Photo by Lindsay Henwood on Unsplash