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Hi, my name is Nicole Caughel and I'm here to tell you my story with infertility.
My journey began when I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2012 at 20 years old. I had been experiencing horrific pelvic and abdominal pain for years at that point. I could barely work, it was hard to concentrate on anything, It would hurt to sit, stand, or walk. I would get physically ill around my cycle and basically lived in bed until it was over. I've had 3 laparoscopic surgeries to remove endometriosis lesions and clean up my reproductive organs to hopefully reduce my discomfort. All I wanted was a life with less pain, while preserving my ability to have children in the future. Unfortunately the pain persisted and got to the point where I needed round the clock pain management to function.
Fast forward to meeting my husband in 2017 and getting married in 2019. I never gave up hope of meeting a good man, but God outdid himself when giving me Joe. He is the most understanding man I've ever met, so we both knew that having children someday could potentially be challenging given my diagnosis. But having him by my side is my greatest blessing.
After over a year of trying ourselves, ovulation cycle tracking, many prayers, tears, lifestyle changes, and supplements, we ended up being referred to the IVF doctor that my own personal OBGYN used to help grow her family. Endometriosis ages your eggs and tubes, but also creates a toxic environment inside your uterus. All of which were news to me, even after being diagnosed for over 10 years.
At this time Joe and I have both been through intensive testing at Dr. Hammoud's IVF clinic, and we recently received news that I've always feared. We have a 1% chance of ever conceiving a child naturally.
I always figured we would exhaust every option before going to actual IVF...but Dr. Hammoud explained it to us in a numbers way, which works well in my husbands brain. The medicine-induced cycles would increase our odds by only 1-2%, IUI would increase our odds by 5%, and IVF would increase our odds by 70-90%.
After everything that I've been through medically, (especially now dealing with a broken leg and huge repair surgery) and everything we have endured as a couple since getting married, (including the loss of Joe's mom Kathy 6 months after our wedding) we have ultimately made the decision to move forward with In Vitro Fertilization. We will never give up hope on our 1%, but this is where we feel God is leading us at this time.
Being parents is something that I believe God has truly been preparing us for since before Joe & I even met. It's a desire that we are humbly asking for help with. We do not take this decision lightly and I hope that you could join us in prayer as we navigate this next chapter in our marriage. If you choose to bless us with help financially, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our family will forever be grateful for your generosity.
My journey began when I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2012 at 20 years old. I had been experiencing horrific pelvic and abdominal pain for years at that point. I could barely work, it was hard to concentrate on anything, It would hurt to sit, stand, or walk. I would get physically ill around my cycle and basically lived in bed until it was over. I've had 3 laparoscopic surgeries to remove endometriosis lesions and clean up my reproductive organs to hopefully reduce my discomfort. All I wanted was a life with less pain, while preserving my ability to have children in the future. Unfortunately the pain persisted and got to the point where I needed round the clock pain management to function.
Fast forward to meeting my husband in 2017 and getting married in 2019. I never gave up hope of meeting a good man, but God outdid himself when giving me Joe. He is the most understanding man I've ever met, so we both knew that having children someday could potentially be challenging given my diagnosis. But having him by my side is my greatest blessing.
After over a year of trying ourselves, ovulation cycle tracking, many prayers, tears, lifestyle changes, and supplements, we ended up being referred to the IVF doctor that my own personal OBGYN used to help grow her family. Endometriosis ages your eggs and tubes, but also creates a toxic environment inside your uterus. All of which were news to me, even after being diagnosed for over 10 years.
At this time Joe and I have both been through intensive testing at Dr. Hammoud's IVF clinic, and we recently received news that I've always feared. We have a 1% chance of ever conceiving a child naturally.
I always figured we would exhaust every option before going to actual IVF...but Dr. Hammoud explained it to us in a numbers way, which works well in my husbands brain. The medicine-induced cycles would increase our odds by only 1-2%, IUI would increase our odds by 5%, and IVF would increase our odds by 70-90%.
After everything that I've been through medically, (especially now dealing with a broken leg and huge repair surgery) and everything we have endured as a couple since getting married, (including the loss of Joe's mom Kathy 6 months after our wedding) we have ultimately made the decision to move forward with In Vitro Fertilization. We will never give up hope on our 1%, but this is where we feel God is leading us at this time.
Being parents is something that I believe God has truly been preparing us for since before Joe & I even met. It's a desire that we are humbly asking for help with. We do not take this decision lightly and I hope that you could join us in prayer as we navigate this next chapter in our marriage. If you choose to bless us with help financially, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our family will forever be grateful for your generosity.