Johney and Cassandra's Fertility Journey
Donation protected
Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Here it goes!
Johney and I have been together 7 years and married for 3 years. We decided in January of 2020 to try to start our family. Well, here we are in April of 2021 and we have not been able to conceive. When I was 16, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). At the time, I didn't think much of it. All I was concerned about was the excessive hair I had on my face/body and the irregular menstrual cycle. I wasn't concerned about having kids. Then, I met Johney. I realized that I wanted to raise a family with my life partner. I started to get concerned about my possibility of having children. We decided to try naturally, but we have been unsuccessful. I started to see my OB/GYN about it in July. We made a game plan, did some testing, and waited until October to see what was going on. By that time, I developed an Ovarian Cyst that was very painful and sent me to the ER. As you can imagine, all I could think of was how this could damage my chances of conceiving. I was stressed out. Thankfully, the Cyst passed and I was able to keep trying. My OB/GYN prescribed me a medication to help me Ovulate. My body could not tolerate the medication. At that point, I was told to schedule an appointment with the fertility clinic. Due to COVID-19, they were so backed up on appointments. I went on a waitlist. I finally received a call in March to set up an appointment. Johney and I had a long talk with the Fertility doctor who gave us hope. So, here we are, taking all the vitamins recommended, doing lab tests, and trying to stay healthy. We were told the process of trying to conceive, which calls for medications, trigger shots, ultrasounds, IUIs, and if none of that works, IVF. I am very grateful that my insurance covers anything at all, but the expense to do this is great. My insurance overs 50%, but that leaves us with the other 50%. This will cost us a few thousand dollars. The initial testing is about $1000 (with the 50% covered), then it is $100-$300 per office visit (which is often). This doesn't cover the shots and medication. We never would have thought it would be this complicated, but we are determined to start our family.
This is a very personal situation, but I am open and transparent. We need to break the stigma of infertility. If this helps another person struggling, then it was all worth it.
We are so thankful that you took the time to read our story. Any little bit helps us get started and get one step closer to having a little one in our arms. We are eternally grateful for all donations, prayers, and positive vibes.
Johney and I have been together 7 years and married for 3 years. We decided in January of 2020 to try to start our family. Well, here we are in April of 2021 and we have not been able to conceive. When I was 16, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). At the time, I didn't think much of it. All I was concerned about was the excessive hair I had on my face/body and the irregular menstrual cycle. I wasn't concerned about having kids. Then, I met Johney. I realized that I wanted to raise a family with my life partner. I started to get concerned about my possibility of having children. We decided to try naturally, but we have been unsuccessful. I started to see my OB/GYN about it in July. We made a game plan, did some testing, and waited until October to see what was going on. By that time, I developed an Ovarian Cyst that was very painful and sent me to the ER. As you can imagine, all I could think of was how this could damage my chances of conceiving. I was stressed out. Thankfully, the Cyst passed and I was able to keep trying. My OB/GYN prescribed me a medication to help me Ovulate. My body could not tolerate the medication. At that point, I was told to schedule an appointment with the fertility clinic. Due to COVID-19, they were so backed up on appointments. I went on a waitlist. I finally received a call in March to set up an appointment. Johney and I had a long talk with the Fertility doctor who gave us hope. So, here we are, taking all the vitamins recommended, doing lab tests, and trying to stay healthy. We were told the process of trying to conceive, which calls for medications, trigger shots, ultrasounds, IUIs, and if none of that works, IVF. I am very grateful that my insurance covers anything at all, but the expense to do this is great. My insurance overs 50%, but that leaves us with the other 50%. This will cost us a few thousand dollars. The initial testing is about $1000 (with the 50% covered), then it is $100-$300 per office visit (which is often). This doesn't cover the shots and medication. We never would have thought it would be this complicated, but we are determined to start our family.
This is a very personal situation, but I am open and transparent. We need to break the stigma of infertility. If this helps another person struggling, then it was all worth it.
We are so thankful that you took the time to read our story. Any little bit helps us get started and get one step closer to having a little one in our arms. We are eternally grateful for all donations, prayers, and positive vibes.
Organizer
Cassandra Martinez
Organizer
National City, CA