our story

my sister-in-law was visiting this weekend for easter. she is a very heavy woman/can not walk very far/drinks a lot so we were a bit tethered to the apartment and decided to watch a homemade wedding video to pass the time.

we were married in june 2003 and i could barely remember/recognize the person i was back then. all this craziness of counting cycle days/popping pills/endless doctor visits/tears/hope/hopelessness seems to have been going on forever.
i can not believe we used to think it would be easy/maybe even fun to start our family.
i can not believe not everyone knows what cycle day they are on.

06/03...married

10/04...stopped using birth control and start ttc

02/05...diagnosis is PCOS after no periods/start cycling with clomid. gyn even writes cute (at-the-time) prescriptions stating "day 15-16-17-18 sex! sex! sex!" we have two bouts of severe OHSS with the clomid. i am starting to panic.

10/05...move to nyc and get on waitlist for specialist. good time for break as appointment not until february.

02/06...meet head of highly reputable clinic in nyc on the 15th and go through basic testing.

10 days later...BFP after unexplained nausea in mornings coupled with very sore chest.

yes, M was conceived naturally. (well, after way too much wine and some much needed non-ttc sex at a resort in upstate ny.)

i am no doctor but credit 25 pounds lost as a result of a low-carb/high-protein diet suggested by one of 10 millions websites i read regarding pcos. this one noted possible correlation between blood sugar levels and pcos. simply cutting out sugar (mostly) and cutting back on carbs had a tremendous weightloss effoect for me and i still follow--although very loosely--this diet.

10/06...M born healthy after a very easy/enjoyable pregnancy.

04/07...ob gave ok to start TTC#2. try for 10 months on our own before starting with clinic.

04/09...two years later...we are about to embark on first ivf cycle.
after 9 failed IUI's with both clomid and injectibles (gonal-f).
after 3 cases of OHSS with IUIs.

after we have decided to end this journey at summer's end and move on as a family of three.
although we desperately want a sibling for M. or two.
although i can not imagine ending without another child.