There were always red flags and indications that perhaps should have alerted me to forthcoming infertility. In truth, I received diagnoses such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance, and lastly endometriosis yet never believed my journey to motherhood would be fraught with roadblocks and take nearly a decade.
Infertility was a term I did not consider when I married the love of my life. We both wanted children and when the time came to start our family, we were so hopeful and eager. Along the way it felt as if each month someone else we knew would share the joyful news of planned or unplanned pregnancy while the months turned into years of us wishing, hoping, and praying for news of our own.
After a surgical operation confirmed extensive endometriosis my OBGYN at the time told me she had exhausted her resources and referred me to Dr. Storment with Fertility Answers. I vividly remember our first consultation with him and the peace we felt speaking with an expert who completely understood my struggles. Together we made a game-plan and began the process of IUI or intrauterine insemination. However, after a failed attempt my husband and I were faced with the harsh reality of zero insurance coverage for fertility treatments and our sad lack of funds. We both felt defeated as we could practically taste parenthood but had somehow fallen short yet again.
In the meantime, my endometriosis became more painful and required another surgery. Fortunately, this time, my OBGYN, Dr. Dickerson consulted directly with Fertility Answers and asked that Dr. Chappell be present to see firsthand how extensive the damage. After surgery we were told that excessive bleeding while attempting to remove endometrial lesions had almost led to the loss of my ovaries. I would need to return to Fertility Answers for egg retrieval in order to preserve the possibility of fertility before another surgery was attempted. Needless to say, I was terrified.
I knew from previous experience that I needed to prepare before returning to Fertility Answers which meant my husband, Jonathan, took every shift and all the call possible to pay off student loans and secure our finances and I made the decision to leave my dream job at the library to become certified in phlebotomy. It was an answer to countless prayers when I was hired to work at Woman’s Hospital as a phlebotomist. Between the overtime and new job, my husband and I were able to return to Fertility Answers and make our dreams of parenthood a reality.
Dr. Chappell came to our consultation and brought the same sense of peace that comes from a caring and confident doctor. My stubborn body did not make it easy, but after our egg retrieval we were blessed to be the enormously proud parents of five fertilized and frozen embryos. From there, it took a bit of time and manipulation of stubborn hormones.
On the glorious day of June 25, 2019 Dr. Chappell transferred our perfect Lucille.
Our miracle girl was born in March of 2020 at Woman’s Hospital and made our pandemic all the more exciting.
We were so thrilled with our experience that we returned to Fertility Answers to try for another child. We are humbled that once again Dr. Chappell has brought magic to our lives and we are expecting our second child in July of this year.
I do not think if given the choice I would ever choose the heartbreak that is infertility but I am certain that through the expertise of all the staff at Fertility Answers that my dream to be a mother was made possible. They kept endometriosis or any other diagnosis from being my story and allowed me the opportunity to hope again for what felt impossible. My husband and I are so grateful to Woman’s Hospital, Fertility Answers, and God for our greatest blessings.
They might have taken a while to come but they were well worth the wait.
