Help Us Become 1st Time Parents
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Have you ever dreamed of wanting something since you were a little girl? That dream would be a reality and nothing would stop you? I did. No, it wasn't the big wedding with the beautiful dress with my prince charming. My dream since I could remember was to be a mother and to have a family. It was Jon's, my husband, dream as well.
Sadly, after numerous years of struggling with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and ectopic (tubal) pregnancies has made that dream impossible to do the old fashioned way. My first miscarriage happened fresh out of high school. Little did I know that this would be the start of an emotional rollercoaster. It's been a physically painful and financially draining journey. My husband and I have spent enough money on the failed pregnancies, medically necessary surgeries and fertility drugs and infertility testing to have paid for more than 2 successful pregnancies only to be left empty handed and broken hearted. Our insurance, like most, does not cover infertiliy treatment or testing, IVF or adoption.
The first pregnancy loss was a missed miscarriage and required emergency surgery to prevent uncontrollable bleeding and infection. One day you are sitting in the doctor's office anxiously awaiting to hear your child's heart beat to be told, I am sorry for your loss and you're whisked away to an operating room. It happens so fast, there isn't time to emotionally process before the physical healing and the bills begin to trickle in. The second pregnancy was also a miscarriage, with this loss came new territory. Future pregnancies I would be monitored closley, get HCg quantiative blood draws every other day, and start seeing my OB at 4-6 weeks.
I always thought the third time would be the charm, so when Jon and I found out we were pregnant in 2009 - I was thrilled. This one was going to bring us our happy ending. We went for the blood draws every other day, had the early ultrasound, and then the last blood draw revealed the HCg was dropping and that I would soon miscarry again. It took less than 24 hours for the process to begin. Miscarrying naturally is painful, messy, and exhausting. It is even more trying to emotionally heal while you are hit with doctor bill after doctor bill. It's salt in the wound.
After the 3rd miscarriage, Jon and I become pregnant quickly much to our surprise. Due to the past history, it was the start of blood draws every other day and seeing the doctor early on for an ultrasound. My pregnancy horomones were doubling as they should and even my Doctor thought this time was finally our happy ending. She began to do an ultrasound and then there it was, that grim look, there was not joy in her eyes but sadness. She looked at my husband and I, advised that she was not seeing anything in my uterus like she should and that she feared that our pregnancy was inside my fallopian tube. She wanted to wait a few extra days to be certain and sent us home with information about tubals and what the risks are, what to look for. Two days later I began bleeding and cramping -- we rushed to the ER. The emergency room confirmed the tubal pregnancy and advised I would need emergency surgery to prevent serious health complications that result from a tubal rupture. Once again, I was whisked off to an operating room the following morning. Tubal pregnancies require several follow-up appoints to ensure the pregnancy tissue does not start to grow again, that your tube does not rupture if it was left inside your body. Tubal pregnancies that are not caught and monitored until they are fully resolved are most likely to result in the death of the mother.
It took Jon and I almost three years to get pregnant the fifth time. We underwent testing that we paid 100% out of our pocket, had a HSg test done to check my tubes for blocks, tried fertility drugs, changed our diets, and tried some really out of the box ideas. Sparing you the details, we were desparate and would do just about anything to get pregnant. Just imagine yourself patting your head and rubbing your belly in circles because you were told it could help get you pregnant. That isn't exactly what we did but gives you an idea. When I finally so those two BEAUTIFUL pink lines, I was joyful briefly than the fear kicked in. Every ache, twinge, pain, had me nervous. I started the blood draws again and made the appointment for the early monitoring. It felt like deja vu at the first appointment. My hcg levels were doing fantastic, my doctor was confident that this time was the ONE! The ultrasound reveals a mass in my tube, the other tube that was not blocked when we had the HSG test done. Off to the emergency room we go. The ultrasound tech confirms our worst nightmare. It was caught early enough this time that surgery was not the first option. We wanted to try to salvage my only unblocked tube for future tries so opted to take the methotrexate option. Choosing to end your pregnancy for your safety is one of the hardest choices I have ever had to make. If I had a child, I'd sacrifice my life for them in a heart beat, but my child was unborn. The methotrexate injection didn't work the first try, so I endured a second injection. My hair fell out, I was sick, I had labor like cramps on and off for weeks. It was miserable. I had to have my blood drawn severaly ties a week until my horomones returned to pre-pregnany levels. There were numerous ultrasounds to ensure the "mass" had not grown and that I was not at risk for a rupture. This pregnany took 6 months to resolve completely. I finally graduated from the close monitoring, just one month shy of my baby's due date. Due to the legnth of this 8 week fetus in my tube, the methotrexate was not successful in saving my tube.
Due to the scarring from the tubal pregnancies, my husband and I were told that it will be an absolute miracle to get pregnant and to carry full-term. This news crushed the both of us initially but then the HOPE to be a mother and father become louder than our grief. We started researching and looking into the adoption process and the possibility of IVF. We are anxious to build a family and are excited to start a new journey!
We need your help to make our dreams become a reality! Thank you for reading our story and sharing it with your friends and family!
Message from my best friend and sister:
I am creating this in hopes to help my sister and brother-in-law achieve their dream of becoming parents. They are very special people to my children and to my husband and me. They are a terrific aunt and uncle to my children watching them with my kids brings joy to my heart and I want them to fill a childs life with that joy! They have been trying to have a baby for awhile now and have had to go through several hard losses. 3 Miscarriages and 2 ectopic pregnancies which resulted in my sister having to have surgery and her tubes are now blocked. Their last pregnancy attempt took over a year of trying just for it to end in an ectopic. Their insurance wont cover infertitly treatments or adoption. My dream for them by asking for help is that they get the choice for IVF or adoption. Please help us get a baby in their arms and hearts.
Sincerely,
Tricia Kitterman-Ensign (Elizabeth's sister)
THANK YOU SISTER FOR CREATING THIS AND BEING SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT OUR JOURNEY. IT MEANS SO VERY MUCH TO US!
Sadly, after numerous years of struggling with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and ectopic (tubal) pregnancies has made that dream impossible to do the old fashioned way. My first miscarriage happened fresh out of high school. Little did I know that this would be the start of an emotional rollercoaster. It's been a physically painful and financially draining journey. My husband and I have spent enough money on the failed pregnancies, medically necessary surgeries and fertility drugs and infertility testing to have paid for more than 2 successful pregnancies only to be left empty handed and broken hearted. Our insurance, like most, does not cover infertiliy treatment or testing, IVF or adoption.
The first pregnancy loss was a missed miscarriage and required emergency surgery to prevent uncontrollable bleeding and infection. One day you are sitting in the doctor's office anxiously awaiting to hear your child's heart beat to be told, I am sorry for your loss and you're whisked away to an operating room. It happens so fast, there isn't time to emotionally process before the physical healing and the bills begin to trickle in. The second pregnancy was also a miscarriage, with this loss came new territory. Future pregnancies I would be monitored closley, get HCg quantiative blood draws every other day, and start seeing my OB at 4-6 weeks.
I always thought the third time would be the charm, so when Jon and I found out we were pregnant in 2009 - I was thrilled. This one was going to bring us our happy ending. We went for the blood draws every other day, had the early ultrasound, and then the last blood draw revealed the HCg was dropping and that I would soon miscarry again. It took less than 24 hours for the process to begin. Miscarrying naturally is painful, messy, and exhausting. It is even more trying to emotionally heal while you are hit with doctor bill after doctor bill. It's salt in the wound.
After the 3rd miscarriage, Jon and I become pregnant quickly much to our surprise. Due to the past history, it was the start of blood draws every other day and seeing the doctor early on for an ultrasound. My pregnancy horomones were doubling as they should and even my Doctor thought this time was finally our happy ending. She began to do an ultrasound and then there it was, that grim look, there was not joy in her eyes but sadness. She looked at my husband and I, advised that she was not seeing anything in my uterus like she should and that she feared that our pregnancy was inside my fallopian tube. She wanted to wait a few extra days to be certain and sent us home with information about tubals and what the risks are, what to look for. Two days later I began bleeding and cramping -- we rushed to the ER. The emergency room confirmed the tubal pregnancy and advised I would need emergency surgery to prevent serious health complications that result from a tubal rupture. Once again, I was whisked off to an operating room the following morning. Tubal pregnancies require several follow-up appoints to ensure the pregnancy tissue does not start to grow again, that your tube does not rupture if it was left inside your body. Tubal pregnancies that are not caught and monitored until they are fully resolved are most likely to result in the death of the mother.
It took Jon and I almost three years to get pregnant the fifth time. We underwent testing that we paid 100% out of our pocket, had a HSg test done to check my tubes for blocks, tried fertility drugs, changed our diets, and tried some really out of the box ideas. Sparing you the details, we were desparate and would do just about anything to get pregnant. Just imagine yourself patting your head and rubbing your belly in circles because you were told it could help get you pregnant. That isn't exactly what we did but gives you an idea. When I finally so those two BEAUTIFUL pink lines, I was joyful briefly than the fear kicked in. Every ache, twinge, pain, had me nervous. I started the blood draws again and made the appointment for the early monitoring. It felt like deja vu at the first appointment. My hcg levels were doing fantastic, my doctor was confident that this time was the ONE! The ultrasound reveals a mass in my tube, the other tube that was not blocked when we had the HSG test done. Off to the emergency room we go. The ultrasound tech confirms our worst nightmare. It was caught early enough this time that surgery was not the first option. We wanted to try to salvage my only unblocked tube for future tries so opted to take the methotrexate option. Choosing to end your pregnancy for your safety is one of the hardest choices I have ever had to make. If I had a child, I'd sacrifice my life for them in a heart beat, but my child was unborn. The methotrexate injection didn't work the first try, so I endured a second injection. My hair fell out, I was sick, I had labor like cramps on and off for weeks. It was miserable. I had to have my blood drawn severaly ties a week until my horomones returned to pre-pregnany levels. There were numerous ultrasounds to ensure the "mass" had not grown and that I was not at risk for a rupture. This pregnany took 6 months to resolve completely. I finally graduated from the close monitoring, just one month shy of my baby's due date. Due to the legnth of this 8 week fetus in my tube, the methotrexate was not successful in saving my tube.
Due to the scarring from the tubal pregnancies, my husband and I were told that it will be an absolute miracle to get pregnant and to carry full-term. This news crushed the both of us initially but then the HOPE to be a mother and father become louder than our grief. We started researching and looking into the adoption process and the possibility of IVF. We are anxious to build a family and are excited to start a new journey!
We need your help to make our dreams become a reality! Thank you for reading our story and sharing it with your friends and family!
Message from my best friend and sister:
I am creating this in hopes to help my sister and brother-in-law achieve their dream of becoming parents. They are very special people to my children and to my husband and me. They are a terrific aunt and uncle to my children watching them with my kids brings joy to my heart and I want them to fill a childs life with that joy! They have been trying to have a baby for awhile now and have had to go through several hard losses. 3 Miscarriages and 2 ectopic pregnancies which resulted in my sister having to have surgery and her tubes are now blocked. Their last pregnancy attempt took over a year of trying just for it to end in an ectopic. Their insurance wont cover infertitly treatments or adoption. My dream for them by asking for help is that they get the choice for IVF or adoption. Please help us get a baby in their arms and hearts.
Sincerely,
Tricia Kitterman-Ensign (Elizabeth's sister)
THANK YOU SISTER FOR CREATING THIS AND BEING SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT OUR JOURNEY. IT MEANS SO VERY MUCH TO US!
Organizer
Elizabeth Jenkins
Organizer
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