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Garrett and I met in 2015 while working together at our local Brookshire's Grocery store. Ironically, we didn't like each other at first. It was with a little motivation from one of our coworkers that Garrett asked me out to lunch one day after my shift, and the rest is history.
When Garrett and I got married in 2017, we immediately wanted to grow our family. We even began buying baby items as we didn't think it would take long to get pregnant. But after two years of negative pregnancy tests, we reached out to my OB/GYN, had some testing done and were referred to CARE Fertility.
When Dr. Kathy reviewed our test results with us and explained that IVF would be our best option, we were devastated. We knew there was no way we could afford IVF. So, we stopped all testing.
Then one day, we received a phone call from Aracely, the clinic trial coordinator. She explained that there was an opportunity to receive a cycle of IVF at no cost to us, except for the freezing of remaining embryos.
We were ecstatic. This meant we had a chance at our dream baby!
After that, Garrett and I had a long road. I am thankful to have been given an opportunity to participate in two clinical trials. Unfortunately, our first two IVF cycles ended in losses. I would've stopped after the first loss if it weren't for Dr. Kathy's encouragement to continue on and the love of the Lord.
You don't go into IVF thinking that it will end negatively, so this experience was very difficult. We were so hopeful and excited at first, but this quickly changed after that first negative pregnancy test. The staff at CARE Fertility make this process way easier to navigate and they validate your feelings. When confirming my first loss, Aracely cried with me.
Fortunately, the third time was the charm. My IVF cycle with Dr. Kathy's guidance resulted in a beautiful, healthy baby girl.
It's so easy to get discouraged when experiencing a loss, but I’d encourage anyone in similar shoes to take some time for yourself, and get back at it when you’re ready. Infertility is not a set road with set destinations and that's hard to accept when you want a family so bad.
Clinical trials are definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I would encourage anyone who wants to do IVF and is unsure where to start to contact CARE Fertility’s clinical trial coordinators and discuss available trial opportunities. Clinical trials help make IVF treatment affordable and accessible. Dr. Kathy managed my medications and monitoring visits during our third cycle, whereas in the trial, everything was done by the regulations set by the creators of the trial.
Whether you’re in a clinical trial or not, IVF is a rollercoaster of emotions. Infertility is hard, and treatment puts a strain on your marriage, mental health, and personal life.
But the moment my OB/GYN raised my baby up and put her on my chest, I knew every single battle we endured was worth it.
Three cycles of IVF, two losses, complications with my pregnancy and the umbilical cord being wrapped around my baby's neck twice were all very stressful to go through – but I would 1000% do it all over again.
