Adoption, Surrogacy and IVF.... 'OH, MY'...

So a lot has happened since my last blog, where to begin? Okay, so let's rewind to the day I posted my last blog. After posting about us sending in our adoption application I had received two emails from two amazing girls, well, I guess now that we are all in our thirties I should say 'women'. One was from a friend I went to high school with in NJ and one was from a friend who went to high school with James here in Wyoming. Both women had read my blog and were so moved and touched by our story, each of them offered to be my surrogate! I was so touched I could not help but cry. They offered the greatest gift a person could give; a child.  One of these saints did not even know me and the other kind soul was a friend from childhood.  The kindness extended from these beautiful individuals leaves us hope for mankind.  After I had e-mailed back and forth with them, as well as meeting the one here in Wyoming in person to talk about logistics, James and I were so excited.  So then I called and researched Reproductive Centers that did Surrogacy, as my Dr. in Ft. Collins did not do surrogacy. I found an office in Denver as well as one in Billings, Montana. The only reason I looked to see if there was one in Billings was because it is a lot closer for the lady that lives in Sheridan, WY. I was also pleased to find out that the Clinic in Billings was cheaper than the one in Denver and that they were able to schedule our consult appointment right away, which happened to be Monday.

James and I drove up Monday and went to the Billings Clinic to see Dr. Montville.  We were so impressed by him. I loved the fact that he actually read my medical records before my appointment and was up to date on all my info. He said that after reading through all my fertility records he was curious to why we would want to use a surrogate. We told him we figured that was our best shot of having a biological child. After reading my test results, he stated that I do not have any problems with my uterus and my problem is PCOS and ovulatory problems. He explained to us that regardless of using my womb or a surrogate’s, the beginning process is the same.  Based on my results from the injectable cycles, my levels were excellent and that I did produce a lot of eggs. He also stated that I am a perfect candidate for IVF. When we told him that Dr. Bachus had told us our chances of success were not much higher than they were before and once I was 32 I would not be a great patient, Dr. Montville was shocked.  The Doctor stated that the average age for IVF is 35-40. We told him our concerns with another miscarriage and that we were told about the percentage of another miscarriage is even higher after two.  Dr. Montville told us that those statistics are accurate in a miscarriage that was visible on an ultrasound and had a heartbeat. My miscarriages were so early, neither being visible on an ultrasound or having a heartbeat, that they were actually considered biochemical pregnancies.  There is no way to know how many people have those because most women would never know.  Most would just assume they got their period a week or so late. I knew I was pregnant because I did fertility treatments and was told the day to test and had a blood test to confirm. He told us that that is very common and I am actually not at any increased risk of having a miscarriage than a surrogate.  

We would like to thank the amazing women that have offered to be our surrogate. They are truly selfless people. If this does not work on us it is great to know that we have a surrogate out there!

James and I were so glad to have a second option and that he was so nice and informative.  We were also glad that he did not make us feel like he had one foot out the door. So, that is where we are now. We are going to do IVF in September on me! We are so excited that this is an option. After last year we had dismissed any notion of me getting pregnant, so now we are hopeful. I am now on a mission to lose the weight I had gained in the last year again so I am healthier by September and it still gives us the summer to do fundraisers to help raise money to help the dream of our family come true. After all, it is still very expensive, almost the same cost as adopting and insurance will NOT cover a dime. I will keep everyone posted on what is next.  As soon as I design a t-shirt I will also tell you all about how you can purchase one. 

I have added the Paypal Donation button to my blog so if anyone feels like donating to us in our quest to start a family, we would feel so blessed.  The button is in the upper left underneath our pictures.  Any remaining funds donated after our attempts will be donated to a charity of our choosing relating to infertility, PCOS, adoption, or surrogacy.

This is amazing that our dream of getting pregnant and having a child might actually come true. Looking back I guess I should have got a second opinion a long time ago.