IVF Fund Cally & David Shearer

Love, Hope, and A Little Bit of Science

We are David and Cally Shearer, two high school sweethearts from the little town of Myrtle Point, Oregon. From the very beginning nearly ten years ago, it has been our dearest hope that someday our love and family would grow. Sadly that hope has been tested over the years, as we struggled to conceive and were eventually diagnosed with infertility.

After years of extensive medical testing, thousands of dollars and failed procedures, we have learned that our only chance of getting pregnant is through In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). So it is with hope in our hearts once more that we have made the difficult decision to start a GoFundMe page in support of our journey to parenthood through IVF.

Our Road to IVF

For over half my life I’ve lived in a silent battle against my own reproductive system, but five years ago I decided enough was enough. I was tired of living in pain, of not knowing what my body was going to do next and worrying if my irregularities would affect David’s and my chance of conceiving a child. After several invasive tests I was diagnosed infertile by way of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) with insulin resistance and anovulation. My doctor also suspected that I had Endometriosis because of the severity of my cycles, but would only be able to confirm it through a costly surgery.


David and I were overwhelmed to find out that getting pregnant would be next to impossible on our own. We were also discouraged to learn that there are no cures for PCOS or Endometriosis; only management plans which often leave many women’s infertility unresolved. But a sliver of hope appeared when our doctor informed us that in some instances, when a woman with PCOS becomes pregnant her hormones reset, alleviating many of the symptoms of PCOS after birth. Filled to the brim with information about my conditions and our options, David and I knew we had some serious choices to make medically, emotionally and financially.

Since my diagnosis was effecting not only our fertility, but also my quality of life, David and I decided that we would try infertility treatments. We knew the odds were slim, but if there was even a small chance that we could ease my PCOS and Endometriosis symptoms as well as fulfill our dream of starting a family then we had to try. Over the course of the next year we tried everything to get pregnant, from our doctor’s regimen to old wives tales. I was put on ovulation stimulants, had my hormones monitored via urine and blood tests, and my ovaries (and cysts) measured monthly via vaginal ultrasounds. But we still weren’t getting pregnant and my conditions only seemed to be getting worse.

As our first year of infertility treatments came to an end, I decided that I needed to take a break from the fertility meds; in particular the hot flashes, mood swings, and unpredictable pelvic pain they induced. I also knew that not just I, but David needed a break from the stress of trying, hoping, and inevitably feeling disappointed. A few months into our break my doctor recommended that since we were infertile anyway, I try birth control to help me at least manage my PCOS and Endometriosis symptoms. But four brands and one visit to the hospital’s emergency room later proved that birth control was not the right solution for dealing with my PCOS either.

In debt and out of options, David and I spent the next two years focusing on living the best life we could in spite of infertility and my reproductive disorders. We dedicated ourselves to our marriage, pets, and improving our general health. Eventually we found ourselves ready to try again. Thanks to my amazing grandparents, we were able to schedule a consultation with a well-known fertility specialist. After reviewing our case he explained that although previous infertility treatments had failed, it didn’t mean that we couldn’t get pregnant or improve my reproductive health. There were simply other factors we needed to take into account.

One of them we discovered is that my pelvis is not only on the small side, but that it is tilted which can make it hard for sperm to get where it needs to go. This could be resolved via intrauterine insemination or ‘IUI’. He also informed us that women who suffer from endometriosis often have blocked tubes which render infertility medications useless because it prevents mature eggs from being fertilized and/or releasing into the uterus. A tubal blockage would require further investigation, but could also be remedied, by either laparoscopic surgery or a hysterosalpingogram. Lastly, although costly, IVF would bypass any physical abnormalities I may have and most likely result in us finally becoming pregnant.

Our doctor continued, explaining that the laparoscopic surgery presented as the best solution for immediately resolving my endometriosis pain, but it was quite expensive, costing around $7,000.00 (approximately half the cost of one round of IVF). There was also no guarantee that it would cure our infertility, nor would it be a permanent solution for my endometriosis. A hysterosalpingogram followed by an intrauterine insemination on the other hand, was the most economic route, averaging around one-quarter the cost of IVF. And if we didn’t get pregnant from the first insemination, we would have an additional two months of boosted fertility following the procedure. Lastly, IVF was the best medical procedure to result in pregnancy, but would also be the hardest to achieve financially.

For the first time in a long time we had options, and more importantly hope. After several months of saving we moved forward with the hysterosalpingogram. For those of you who don’t know, a hysterosalpingogram is a procedure in which a radio-opaque material is injected through the cervical canal into the uterus and fallopian tubes. The contrast dye can then be viewed via x-ray. As seen below our doctor was able to successfully remove a  substantial blockage from my left fallopian tube. I was then put on ovulation stimulants and  went back to the clinic a few weeks later for an intrauterine insemination.


Unfortunately, our insemination also seemed to work, but ended in tears as yet another extremely painful menstrual cycle hit my body 3 weeks late, presumably caused by a hormonal imbalance from my PCOS. It was at that moment that David and I knew we needed IVF. We didn’t know how or when we would make it happen, but it was possible for us to get pregnant and we couldn’t give up.

So here we are, five years into our infertility campaign. Not only are we fighting to improve my quality of life, but also to start the family we’ve been dreaming of for so long.  We’ve prepared mentally by consulting with our infertility specialist on all aspects of the IVF process, as well reaching out to our family and friends. We’ve prepared physically by changing our lifestyle and losing a combined seventy pounds (so far) since our last infertility appointment. Our last necessary provision comes down to finances.

The Financial Reality of IVF


Over the past five years of treatment we have spent thousands of dollars diagnosing and attempting to resolve my reproductive health and our infertility. In doing so we’ve not only exhausted our resources, but we have discovered that due to the nature of my conditions I will need to be put on the highest level of infertility medications used for IVF. I will also require extra monitoring and possibly even additional procedures not typically associated with IVF to manage my cysts i.e. Ovarian drilling.

The unfortunate truth is that while IVF is one of the most effective infertility treatments available, it is also one of the most expensive. On average, one cycle of IVF is approximately $14,000.00 for medical expenses alone. This leaves out many incidentals like travel expenses, housing, and most importantly the loss of income for time taken off during office visits and procedures (several of which require both partners to be present).

After consulting with our infertility specialist and the clinic’s financial coordinator our personalized IVF estimate comes to a total of $15,114.00. This total does not include any additional procedures deemed necessary by our fertility specialist. Of that we will need to pay for $5614.00 worth of procedures and medications in the month leading up to IVF. We will also need to put down half the cost of the IVF cycle ($4750.00) before we can begin the procedure, making for a grand total of $10,364.00 in up-front expenses.

The IVF Process

For those who don’t know, IVF is not for the faint of heart. It is a grueling process filled with oral medications, hormone injections, invasive procedures and more, and requires the utmost dedication. Over the course of two months we will undergo strict hormonal monitoring and manipulation as we prep for and eventually trigger the production of multiple mature eggs. The mature eggs will then be harvested, fertilized and incubated for several days. At the end of incubation our fertility specialist will choose the highest quality egg (or eggs) to implant back into my uterus and we will be pregnant until proven otherwise.


Presumably, like all other IVF couples we will spend the time after IVF impatiently waiting to take our first pregnancy test. In the mean time I will continue on a strict regimen of hormones which will assist in preventing miscarriage. Our goal is to start our Pre-IVF in October, making our active IVF goal November 2019. With love, hope and little bit of science, Baby Shearer will be due in August 2020.

Thank You Will Never Be Enough

Dealing with infertility has proven to be a complicated and emotional process.  It has challenged us in all aspects of our life, from our physical and mental health to our finances, and through it all, the nerve-wracking passing of time. Over the past five years we have exhausted our resources through tests, failed treatments, travel, and other varying expenses. It was a difficult decision to share such an intimate part of our lives and we do not ask lightly for donations, but infertility runs on a timetable and the reality is that we need your help. It will never feel like enough to simply say thank you, but never the less THANK YOU for contributing to our dream of starting a family!

 

XOXO Cally, David and Baby Shearer