Dear friends and family,
We are Curtis and Brandi Neslen and are in the middle of our journey with infertility. After multiple different kinds of treatments for Brandi's PCOS, we will be turning to IVF in the spring of 2015.
Curtis and I were married October 2011 and in April 2012 we felt a prompting from God to start trying for our family. It was way sooner than expected but we had faith and pressed forward. A few months later we were still not pregnant... We knew after getting off birth control it tends to take a few months, so we continued to be patient. That November we still weren't pregnant. We went into a Dr and our worst fear became a reality. He proceeded to tell us that Brandi has PCOS which is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This is a condition where cysts grow in a woman's ovaries and the female sex hormones are imbalanced, which both tend to cause a woman to have trouble conceiving.
We continued to try to conceive a child without treatments for a year before starting the process of infertility treatments. First, Brandi took Clomid for six months and then progressed to intrauterine insemination (IUI). The process of doing IUI was a mix of hope and optimism but also vulnerability. IUI requires the use of a lot medications and each cycle is costly. After 3 cycles in 2014, which we paid for out of pocket, we found ourselves disappointed to end another year childless.
After consultation with a doctor and much prayer, we have decided to do in vitro fertilization (IVF) this spring. We established care with Dr. Foulk at the Utah Fertility Center for our IUI treatments and will also be working with him for our IVF treatments. The Utah Fertility Center is the best fertility treatment center in Utah with a remarkable success rate. Dr. Foulk in particular is an internationally recognized expert on infertility. You may have heard of him if you have followed the Gardner Quad Squad who recently welcomed 4 little girls after their own journey with infertility. With such a qualified team behind us, we know we're set up for success.
For us, infertility has brought highs and lows. In our 3.5 years of marriage, we've both struggled with dealing with the realities of infertility. Our marriage is stronger than ever, but it has been a rocky road getting to that strength. There have been moments of real excitement and real joy, but also moments of fear, confusion and sadness.
Anyone who knows Brandi knows that she has always had a deep connection with children. Growing up, she always loved watching children of friends and family. Becoming a mother is her ultimate goal and passion.
We need your help to make our dream come true. IVF is extremely expensive and we are counting on the generosity of friends, families and maybe even strangers. Will you consider donating anything you can, even just a few dollars, to support us in our journey?
With love,
Brandi and Curtis Neslen
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