Family...isn't it about time?

It's 2012, and we’re back! This year is an important year for us because we’ve decided to go forward with IVF, In Vitro Fertilization, on our journey towards having a baby. This is our story…

Russell and I met in 2003 serving missions for our church. However, it wasn't till 2 years later that that we reconnected, and in January 2005, had our first date. From there, all it took was a little chasing on his part, a visit to his family's farm and seeing him on a horse and I was done! We got married ten months later on October 14th.
We both wanted kids and figured we’d have no problems getting pregnant. We started “trying”, and today, 5 years later, we are still “trying”. After our first year , we went to the doctor and got pricked, prodded and tested trying to figure out where the problem originated. From there, we started rounds of Clomid, a drug inducing ovulation increasing chances of pregnancy. After months of that drug and the crazy side effects I experienced and Russell endured, the percentage of conceiving drop dramatically and we felt that we should stop.
Next I had an HSG test performed, looking for any blockage in my fallopian tubes. Not only was this the most painful procedure thus far, I wasn’t very confident in the 14 year old looking Dr. who assured me this was a quick & easy procedure. He forgot in his description that it was extremely painful, but alas, I survived. With no blockage showing, we were relieved yet still puzzled as to what was preventing us from pregnancy.

After two years of testing, taking Clomid, tracking cycles & ovulation, miscarriages, and ultimately frustration and grief, we decided to try a less conventional method, (for a full description of the crazy story go here. A friend of mine said her sister got pregnant by going to this “baby masseuse” and now had 3 kids. I had nothing to lose so my friend set up the appointment and came with me to act as my translator. We had no idea what we were getting into. Upon entering this tiny, old apartment and being greeted by the Latina Masseuse, Lupe- I was told to take off my shirt and bra. Wow, we just met I thought, but okay, I wanted a baby. After getting rubbed, massaged, cupped, and knocked around- Lupe said to come back with good news in 6 weeks. Well, 6 weeks went by and always the same result: Disappointment and tears.

Another hopeful opportunity-another depressing heartbreak. Our doctor then told us about IUI, intrauterine insemination, or artificial insemination. We thought that this was the definite answer to getting our dream. We went to the IUI specialist and were devastated when the first cycle resulted again in a Negative test, not to mention it drained us of a few hundred dollars. After some deliberation, we strongly felt that we should try again and again. With excitement we did 2 more additional rounds of IUI and close to $1000 later, we again felt defeated. By this point we took a little break because every month was always such an emotional rollercoaster and we were completely exhausted in every way.

In August 2011, I started doing Acupuncture and taking Chinese herbs to help us. I was excited to try something new, yet trying hard not to put all my hopes in one basket. In the first visit, the doctor told me that I wasn’t pregnant yet because I was too stressed and had poor circulation. Well, pretty sure I could have diagnosed the first reason … but the 2nd was interesting and so I started the herbs to increase my blood flow. I have become very comfortable with these needles and have enjoyed the weekly treatments so much that I have fallen asleep several times-only to be rudely awakened by my own drooling and loud snoring. :) Who knew it would be such a relaxing therapy session? But he was one of the first doctors who actually believed in me getting pregnant. When we talked about treatments he would say, “When you get pregnant…” I wanted to cry because I had lost hope- but with those few words, I felt excited once again.
As I continue to do acupuncture, Russ & I have tossed around the idea of coupling my treatments with IVF, IVF, In Vitro Fertilization.

Friends of mine have successfully done IVF, resulting in healthy babies. After looking into it further and attending a free seminar about it at Oregon Reproductive Medicine, we found that our insurance would NOT cover a penny of the treatment or tests related to IVF-a procedure costing up to $16,000. Hello! That is not a small sum of money. Let's be honest- it would take years for us to save and by then, who knows if we'd be able to qualify. AHHH, what to do! We want to start our family so badly and feel that we need to exhaust all our resources before we stop believing that we can have our own baby.

A friend of mine was in a similar situation just over a year ago. They were able to do a few things to raise money to help make their dream a reality. After only one cycle of IVF, they were blessed with twins. We hope that we will be half as lucky as we go through this process as well. We would love to have your continued love & support throughout this crazy process and hope that we can not only raise money for this cause but also raise awareness about the rising problem of infertility.
Please don't feel obligated to donate- although, if you would like to help, there are several ways to do that:
1. You can support our fundraiser (March 2012-more info to come)
2. On this blog, you can donate directly to the cause through pay pal
3. You can donate goods and/or services to be raffled at the fundraiser

We will have arts/crafts, goods and services, and delicious homemade foods for sale, raffle tickets for items like gift certificates or gift baskets from local businesses, and a silent auction for larger items. All the proceeds will be donated to fund IVF for Russell & Brie
Thank you for visiting our blog! We hope that this will help us reach our goal of having a baby. Family, isn't it about time?