- J
- J
- A
Hi everyone!
First off I would like to thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Sean and I have been together for
6 1/2 years, 2 1/2 of those years we have been happily married. One of the biggest dreams we have always shared is to become parents and add to our already amazing family. We've always worked hard for what we have and now we're in a position where we have to work just as hard or harder to start a family.
After 6 months of trying to have a baby, we had a feeling something wasn't right. We were referred to the Ottawa Fertility Clinic early 2015 and after many tests of poking and prodding, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html
At that point our hopes and dreams of conceiving naturally were ruined and having a choice was taken away. As devastated as we were, our stubbornness and strong willed selves didn't allow this unfortunate news to persuade us from fighting for our dreams.
After trying different oral medications, routine blood tests and ultrasounds, my body just wasn't responding. The constant disappointment was heartbreaking, the entire situation was physically and emotionally exhausting.
We then decided to take a leap and try the next kind of treatment being offered which is called Intrauterine Insemination(IUI).
http://www.conceive.ca/fertility-treatments/ovarian-stimulation-and-insemination/
The first time sticking a needle in my stomach was the most nerve wracking experience, I hate needles! May I mention, you don't get used to it! You just focus on how much your dreams mean to you and what you're willing to sacrifice to get there. We weren't allowing my diagnoses to take our 'choices ' away. We tried two rounds of IUI naturally but unfortunately it didn't work. The third round we decided to try the entire IUI treatment process and hoped that the saying ' three times a charm' would come true. It wasn't the most ideal situation having a nurse inseminate me with a tube but when we received the phone call on April 29th saying we were pregnant, everything seemed so worth it.
Like nothing mattered anymore.. Our dream had come true!
Unfortunately not every dream lasts forever and for us, well.. life decided to throw us another curve ball.
On June 19th I knew something was wrong, on June 22nd we had our 3 month ultrasound and were unable to see a heartbeat. Our first child, our first memories of what could have been were gone. I finally miscarried on June 25th, after excruciating pain and having been admitted to the emergency. Our lives had been turned upside down.
After giving ourselves time and with so much love and support from family and friends, we were able to pick ourselves up. We accepted our loss and we knew we had to keep going.
This is where we need your help. We've been offered to try the IUI treatment again and are currently on the government funded IVF waiting list. While insurance covers partial costs of medication, it does not cover the sperm washing which is $850 and IVF medication ranges from $3000-$5000. After a year and a half of paying for drugs and saving for our last IUI treatment, the financial burden has become daunting.
We would love to do this on our own but we can't do it without your support.
As eager as we are to start this process again, we feel it's also so important to get the awareness out there and to let other families with similar struggles know that you're not alone in this! I've always been told to take risks in life and this a first.
As difficult as this entire process has been, it has made us stronger and more resilient to life's surprises.
We thank you all again for taking the time to read our story and are incredibly grateful if you are able to donate any amount. Even just sharing to help our chances with starting a family would be amazing!
We are confident that are dreams will come true and everything we've been through will just make those moments even more precious.
We love you all and will always be so grateful for your continuous love and support!
Sean and Amy Bowen
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html
http://www.conceive.ca/fertility-treatments/ovarian-stimulation-and-insemination/
First off I would like to thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Sean and I have been together for
6 1/2 years, 2 1/2 of those years we have been happily married. One of the biggest dreams we have always shared is to become parents and add to our already amazing family. We've always worked hard for what we have and now we're in a position where we have to work just as hard or harder to start a family.
After 6 months of trying to have a baby, we had a feeling something wasn't right. We were referred to the Ottawa Fertility Clinic early 2015 and after many tests of poking and prodding, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html
At that point our hopes and dreams of conceiving naturally were ruined and having a choice was taken away. As devastated as we were, our stubbornness and strong willed selves didn't allow this unfortunate news to persuade us from fighting for our dreams.
After trying different oral medications, routine blood tests and ultrasounds, my body just wasn't responding. The constant disappointment was heartbreaking, the entire situation was physically and emotionally exhausting.
We then decided to take a leap and try the next kind of treatment being offered which is called Intrauterine Insemination(IUI).
http://www.conceive.ca/fertility-treatments/ovarian-stimulation-and-insemination/
The first time sticking a needle in my stomach was the most nerve wracking experience, I hate needles! May I mention, you don't get used to it! You just focus on how much your dreams mean to you and what you're willing to sacrifice to get there. We weren't allowing my diagnoses to take our 'choices ' away. We tried two rounds of IUI naturally but unfortunately it didn't work. The third round we decided to try the entire IUI treatment process and hoped that the saying ' three times a charm' would come true. It wasn't the most ideal situation having a nurse inseminate me with a tube but when we received the phone call on April 29th saying we were pregnant, everything seemed so worth it.
Like nothing mattered anymore.. Our dream had come true!
Unfortunately not every dream lasts forever and for us, well.. life decided to throw us another curve ball.
On June 19th I knew something was wrong, on June 22nd we had our 3 month ultrasound and were unable to see a heartbeat. Our first child, our first memories of what could have been were gone. I finally miscarried on June 25th, after excruciating pain and having been admitted to the emergency. Our lives had been turned upside down.
After giving ourselves time and with so much love and support from family and friends, we were able to pick ourselves up. We accepted our loss and we knew we had to keep going.
This is where we need your help. We've been offered to try the IUI treatment again and are currently on the government funded IVF waiting list. While insurance covers partial costs of medication, it does not cover the sperm washing which is $850 and IVF medication ranges from $3000-$5000. After a year and a half of paying for drugs and saving for our last IUI treatment, the financial burden has become daunting.
We would love to do this on our own but we can't do it without your support.
As eager as we are to start this process again, we feel it's also so important to get the awareness out there and to let other families with similar struggles know that you're not alone in this! I've always been told to take risks in life and this a first.
As difficult as this entire process has been, it has made us stronger and more resilient to life's surprises.
We thank you all again for taking the time to read our story and are incredibly grateful if you are able to donate any amount. Even just sharing to help our chances with starting a family would be amazing!
We are confident that are dreams will come true and everything we've been through will just make those moments even more precious.
We love you all and will always be so grateful for your continuous love and support!
Sean and Amy Bowen
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html
http://www.conceive.ca/fertility-treatments/ovarian-stimulation-and-insemination/