" Not Alone "

When I first learned that I have endometriosis, it was 10 years ago and I was in college. I was upset, but I did not really understand the magnitude of the condition until later when I found someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. When I fell in love with Ted and we talked about getting married and having children, my situation really hit home. I told Ted what the doctors told me. Most likely, the only way I could have my own children is through in vitro fertilization. Since then and still now, Ted has always been supportive and stands by me. He never lets me feel alone. I guess it's no surprise why I love him so much.

Endometriosis is a condition where scar tissue builds up in and around the reproductive organs. It cannot be prevented, just treated. Over the past 10 years, I have had seven surgeries. Two of those surgeries were comparable to cesarean sections, which cut through my abdominal muscles. The other procedures were a little easier and done by laparoscopy. Even after seven surgeries, there is no guarantee that I will not need others in the future.

When we were first married, Ted and I wanted to try to have children immediately. Even though we knew what the doctors had told me, we tried on our own anyway. I think it was just wishful thinking, since we knew that IVF would be difficult and expensive. I took Clomid for a while, until we realized we were wasting valuable time. We decided to go through with in vitro fertilization. Physically, the IVF was fine, but emotionally, it was a trying time. Fortunately, the clinic I went to provided a wonderful experience. The staff, nurses, and doctors made us feel comfortable, and we never felt alone. Receiving the medication was also a positive experience. When I needed my medication the next day, IVPCARE was always very accommodating.

Two eggs were implanted during the first IVF procedure. A couple of weeks later, I took a blood test and agreed to have my nurse call with the news, rather than just call in to a voice mail system to hear a recorded message. My husband and I knew we would hear the news by 1 p.m. that day, and we both anxiously waited home by the phone. When it finally rang, we each picked up a line and learned at the same time…after four years, we were pregnant! We were so emotional. Tears were definitely shed! We were too excited to wait to share our news, so we told all of our family and friends right away.

I loved being pregnant. The pregnancy went very well up until the pre-term labor. Early in my pregnancy, I began having contractions and had to cut down on my activity. I was working in the student activities department of a university. In December, at around 22 weeks, I had to stay home on bed rest. For seven weeks, it was important I took it easy. At 29 weeks, I woke up very early one morning and decided to get up for breakfast. Suddenly, my water broke. I woke up my husband, and we rode in an ambulance to Nashville, which is an hour away. We had to go that distance because it was important for me to delivery in a facility that had a neonatal intensive care unit. Nashville had the closest NICU to our home in Kentucky. We made it to the hospital, and I continued to be in labor all day long. When they finally gave me the epidural, I must have relaxed because suddenly the baby came out! My first baby came out right onto the bed, with no nurse or doctor around. Twenty-two minutes later, our other son was born. Both boys were healthy and weighed three pounds.

I love being a mother and would like to stay home, but I must go back to work next week. We are fortunate that a family member will be watching the twins. Their grandfather is a retired teacher, and he will be with the boys. Another good point is that my work is on a 10 month schedule, so I'll go back to work for a month, then have two months off to be with the boys again.

My advice to anyone who is trying to have a baby is to not be afraid to talk about your problems with others. When I did that, I found out I wasn't alone. In fact, I have a friend to whom I recommended my clinic and IVPCARE. We just found out that she is pregnant, and we are thrilled for her. I'll tell anyone going through something similar to just stick with it. The rewards are beyond anything you can imagine.

Now, at three months of age, the boys are already up to nine pounds. We feel so blessed to have two healthy children. They may have been born a little early, but they are fine and we consider them our miracles. Without IVF, these little boys would never have happened.