Moving Forward...

Wanted to give a quick update with where we are in both our foster and fertility journeys:


Foster care: I've been in contact with a DCS supervisor and she is looking over all of our old trainings and paperwork to get an idea of where we need to start with our re-licensing process. We're really hoping we don't have to start ALL over and some of it will carry over. We will probably have to do another home study since we moved from our last place that got approved. I'm not looking forward to having to get our little house foster care ready for just the last two months of our lease but will do it if I have to (we are planning a move mid/end of February). We know we'll have some trainings to do to get up to date again, just not sure which ones. We're hoping to hear back from them later this week.

Fertility: I've been doing a LOT of research over the past few days and even though we'd love to do the procedure that's new to the U.S., it's just not the best choice for us cost-wise. Although we like our current clinic and doctor ok (I've got some issues with how they do stuff, that's a whole other blog post though), we've decided to pursue IVF at an amazing clinic in Syracuse, New York. Even traveling there, the total cost will be around half of what we'd pay here. It's still very expensive but there are some added benefits with how they do things there that make it worth it. I set up a phone consult today for Jan 30th with the main doctor and founder of the clinic. He's an amazing man who has made it his goal to make infertility treatments affordable for everyone. His IVF costs are literally thousands of dollars less than what other clinics charge. He also is very into natural ways to help infertility (diets, supplements, Chinese medicine and practices to help with stress, etc.). Anyway, we're looking forward to talking to him and working with him after this cycle. I am finally starting to get a little more hopeful and excited about this new IVF journey. It's been a hard pill for me to swallow but I'm coming around.

Please be praying for us as we move forward in both of these areas. There are also some unspoken/typed things going on that we'd love prayers and good thoughts about too...2017 is looking like it might be a pretty great year for us! Thank you for continuing to walk life along side us.

Another Fail, Regrouping

IUI number 6 was another big fat failure. We had originally thought we'd try a few more...but we are not doing another IUI this cycle and I believe we're done with them completely. I'm worn out and we're ready to try something new, with more of a chance.

We plan to both stay on our meds as we research and have consults with several clinics across the U.S. (NY, TN, VA, SC, maybe others) over the next couple of months. In the Spring we will move forward with either IVF or a new procedure we're looking in to.

I'm devastated these IUI's haven't worked. I did NOT want to get to the point we are at. I know no one does, no one even wants to be on this horrible journey...but we are. We were so full of hope one of these IUI's would work. After a few days of sadness and tears, I will find my courage again and be able to move forward and hopefully be able to get excited once this new journey starts.

Thank you for loving us well and walking along side us. I'd be lost without the support and love from family and friends through this.

Here's a really beautiful post I'd love for you to read: You Are Not Alone: Flying Together with Broken Wings

Shout out to my guy

No real update, just wanted to pop in and give a shout out to my amazing husband. He has been so awesome through all of this...the ups and downs of each cycle, the countless tears after failed cycles and negative tests, the emotionally unstable person I become on these meds...I'm a lot to deal with and he's been there every step of the way without complaint. He has been at every test, blood draw, ultrasound, and procedure and I'm just so thankful that in this horrible journey I get to have him right by my side (holding me up most of the time!). He is so loving and encouraging to me and is able to stay much more positive and hopeful than I am. I am so blessed to have him.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy time with your families. I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with my family in NC this year. Thankful for an amazing family and three nieces and a nephew to love on and play with while I'm there!

Number 6 and waiting...

IUI #6 in the books. Now the long wait....

I figured whether we went ahead with another or took a cycle off I'd be stressed either hoping an IUI worked or hoping we got a miracle on a natural cycle. So we decided to give it our best shot with another IUI.

I will probably lay low the rest of this cycle may not post again til after the holidays. Hope you all have very Merry Christmas! 🎄 Thank you for your continued love and prayers.

#5, another fail

 Another failed IUI. Feeling very let down but still hopeful that the next one will work.
Not sure if we're doing #6 this cycle or not. We may wait until January. I don't know if I want the stress of it added to the already emotional Christmas season. Holidays are so hard when you're wishing and hoping for a family...
If we do move forward with another IUI this cycle I will probably lay low and keep updates to a minimum.


Whether it's a natural or IUI cycle, we always appreciate prayers. Love you all.

IUI #5

Forgot to update, we had our 5th IUI last week so now we're busy waiting and praying again.

I got these super cute socks (notice the two lines like you get on a positive pregnancy test) for good luck and to keep my feet warm during this waiting time. 😊 They say warm feet = warm uterus = a comfy place for an embryo to implant.Thinking positive for lucky number 5.

Pressing on...

First I just want to say thank you all for the prayers and love and support through my hard days. It means so much to have so many people who love me well and pray for us as we navigate this journey. Love you all so much!

A little appointment update:
I'll try to keep this short. We had a good meeting with out doctor today. We were told our greatest chance for having a baby (especially after 4 failed IUI's) is to do IVF. We have kind of known that from the beginning so it wasn't a surprise but it's still emotional to hear it out loud. We do know the reasons we can't get pregnant naturally but have chosen not to share the specifics of those with anyone. IUI's still had a chance of working, and still do.

We were able to ask a lot of questions about the whole IVF process and she was able to ease some concerns I had about the embryos. I was so worried that they would throw some of my embryos out and she assured me I'd have a say in anything that happened to them. That takes a huge weight off of me, I could never throw them away, even if there were genetic abnormalities. I feel like I could do IVF now if it comes down to that but we're really hoping it doesn't! IVF would give us about a 50% chance of working (IUI is around 10-20% each cycle) and while that is a much higher chance, that's still only 50% and for how expensive it is ($12,000-$15,000, maybe more), we just don't know if we want to try that route (yet). And it would be SO many more meds for me and just a lot to put my body through. The thought of my body on so many meds makes me cry...but I will do it if I need to.

As for our IUI's, she offered to switch me to injectable meds instead of Clomid but they run about $2,300 a cycle so because my body is responding well to the Clomid and Ovidrel trigger shot, we're sticking with those for now. Our plan is to do a couple/few more IUI's before even really moving forward with thoughts on IVF. So for now, IUI cycle #5 is underway!

Again, thank you for loving us so well.