Our Story, Part III

Click HERE to read Our Story, Part I
Click HERE to read Our Story, Part II

The boy and the girl could not believe the IVF cycle had not worked. Wasn't this the most intense, in-depth treatment they could get? And if they couldn't get pregnant with the most advanced treatments out there, what did that mean for their family's dreams? The girl ached inside. It felt like they were continually butting their heads up against a thick concrete wall. Where were the results? They cried some more, but perseverance won out. It seemed there was nothing to do but to press on.

It was now January 2007. The boy and the girl decided to go through their next IVF cycle. This one was less intensive because they were able to use embryos that were saved from the first IVF procedure. There were still shots, but not quite as many. The girl was now an all-out pessimist. Every glass was half empty. Nothing looked promising to her. She reasoned that if she didn't expect to get pregnant, she wouldn't be as crushed when it didn't happen. She was wrong. It hurt either way. The boy and the girl went through the motions of the frozen IVF cycle and started the two week wait. They talked some more about adoption. They loved the idea of it, but they wanted to be sure they exhausted all the options for having a child of their own. They were waiting for God to tell them to stop trying, and they truly believed He was not telling them that yet.

The girl went in for her pregnancy test two weeks after her transfer and once again had to wait for the afternoon phone call. This time she tried to busy herself and not simply wait for the phone. She found this was impossible. She was only kidding herself. The phone finally rang and she answered, steeling herself. When she heard the word "positive", her mind went blank. The nurse continued talking and giving instructions for the next step, but all she heard was a loud ringing in her ears. The girl thanked the caller, hung up, and immediately picked the phone back up to call the boy. Her words ran together she was talking so fast. The boy ran to the girl's office and they cried and hugged. They could not believe that finally, FINALLY, they were going to have a baby of their own.

The boy and the girl rode the next few weeks on a high unmatched by anything they had ever felt. They cried with their friends and family who had been in constant prayer for them. They praised God with all their being. They felt a lightness they had not felt in the past year and a half. The girl went in for several more blood tests so the doctors could monitor her hormone levels. They were slightly worried about the girl's hormone levels, but the constant tests showed no decrease in levels so the doctors were optimistic. The next two weeks flew by and before they knew it they were once again at the doctor for an ultrasound. But this was the type of ultrasound they had been waiting for - the one where they would see their baby for the first time. The girl was tense with anticipation. The ultrasound began, but instead of jubilant congratulatory exchanges, there was only silence. It was deafening. The doctor said he was sorry, very sorry. He saw no baby. The boy and girl were confused and in shock. How could this be? The doctor theorized that the girl's hormone levels indicated she had an ectopic pregnancy that would have to be terminated for the safety of the girl. The pregnancy would have to be ended immediately.

A few days later the girl went in to the doctor's office for a shot. She had to receive methotrexate, a highly toxic drug normally used to treat cancer. The drug would stay in  her system for three months, which meant she could not become pregnant during that time because the drug could harm an unborn baby. It was a mandated three month ban on treatments, a three month break from all the anxiety and heaviness. The boy and the girl were actually relieved to have the break. It gave them a chance to breathe and think without the pressure of getting pregnant pressing down on them. They talked about their options and prayed. After the break, they decided to try IVF just one more time, and then they would end it and move on. It was May 2007, two years since they had initially started trying to have a family of their own.

Click HERE to read Our Story: Part IV