Rick & Emily's Infertility WAR
Donation protected
"It's hard to wait around for something that might never be, but it's harder to let go when it is everything we have ever wanted."
Polycystic ovarian syndrome; three big words. These words do not define me. These words will not define me. For many women however, those three words bring with their competence and powerful composure enough sorrow, grief, and desolation to last a lifetime. Women who do not struggle with fertility will never fully understand and see what we see. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most common reasons for infertility. In my case, I do not ovulate. As many as one in four women around the world suffer from this terrible disease. All of the negative pregnancy tests, needles, empty pill bottles, doctors offices time after time, male factor infertility, the misery, money not spent in success, and repeated failure. Unfortunately, this is part of our life. But I will not let it overpower me. I will not let it consume my self confidence and chase me away from my dreams. So with a heavy heart, and shattered pride, my husband Rick and I are now seeking for help with what little dignity we have left. My name is Emily Roland, and I am not my disease.
Though it is a matter we grieve over time and time again, we have managed to cope with our situation by spreading light and humor on the subject for three long years. From hilariously named supplements to help Ricks low (sperm) count like Horny Goat Weed, to infertility jokes and puns. We have officially hit a road block however- and are lost in our journey being short of funds, with our only chance at pregnancy being an IUI or IVF procedure, with adoption being our last hope. Why does it take 50 million sperm to fertilize one egg anyways? Probably because they don't want to ask for directions either! However we are given no choice. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the placing of sperm into a woman's uterus when she is ovulating. This procedure is used for couples with unexplained infertility, minimal male factor infertility, and women with cervical mucus problems. IUI is often done in conjunction with ovulation-stimulating drugs. The average female is able to get pregnant easily around or on their ovulation day. However for us, it has consisted of basal body temperature charting, a lot of urine, hundreds of dollars of ovulation and pregnancy tests, one ultrasound a month to check on my eggs, basically a chemistry class, a priest, ect.. "That's enough." I say to myself, frustrated time after time with the same result no matter how hard we try, we have exhausted options down to a super ovulation IUI procedure. In two years, I have to had peed on over a thousand different sticks, went through multiple medications, multiple invasive tests, biopsies, and ultrasounds. We are desperate enough to put our personal business out there to the world, and reach out for help. Our insurance does not cover any fertility related medical bills. Though such a stroke of unfortunate luck we have been given, my relationship with Rick has grown immensely through this trial. We have seen each other in our most vulnerable and weak times. It eventually got to the point where trying to conceive was not so romantic after all! Somehow intercourse had become this robotic action to possibly become pregnant.
Every penny matters and means the world to this dismayed couple. My disease may be incurable, but I believe there is a cure to this situation that will drive me further towards my biggest dream; to become a mother to a beautiful child with my beloved husband. I wish to experience the worst and the best of parenthood, pregnancy, and childbirth. With your help, you can make our dream come true and bring this crazy dance with PCOS to an end. We both suck at dancing anyways! Please help a miracle occur in our family.
I'm tired of resenting Mother's Day because I feel I don't deserve any gifts. But I do, because I am a wife and a nourisher. I'm tired of feeling sorry for ourselves and seeing others not know how to react to our situation. We are ready to expand our lovely family of two dogs and one cat that have helped us cope throughout this difficult voyage of infertility. We are ready to bring baby Roland into the world. That is why we are here, to ask for help and to share our story for hope for others and for us. We hope to start IUI and or IVF procedures with your help this year. Any left over donations will be forwarded to another couple struggling with infertility.
"With a baby or without, you are valuable, you are whole, and you matter." Some of the words we live by daily.
"the struggle is part of our story"
- With an immense amount of love, Rick and Emily Roland
Polycystic ovarian syndrome; three big words. These words do not define me. These words will not define me. For many women however, those three words bring with their competence and powerful composure enough sorrow, grief, and desolation to last a lifetime. Women who do not struggle with fertility will never fully understand and see what we see. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most common reasons for infertility. In my case, I do not ovulate. As many as one in four women around the world suffer from this terrible disease. All of the negative pregnancy tests, needles, empty pill bottles, doctors offices time after time, male factor infertility, the misery, money not spent in success, and repeated failure. Unfortunately, this is part of our life. But I will not let it overpower me. I will not let it consume my self confidence and chase me away from my dreams. So with a heavy heart, and shattered pride, my husband Rick and I are now seeking for help with what little dignity we have left. My name is Emily Roland, and I am not my disease.
Though it is a matter we grieve over time and time again, we have managed to cope with our situation by spreading light and humor on the subject for three long years. From hilariously named supplements to help Ricks low (sperm) count like Horny Goat Weed, to infertility jokes and puns. We have officially hit a road block however- and are lost in our journey being short of funds, with our only chance at pregnancy being an IUI or IVF procedure, with adoption being our last hope. Why does it take 50 million sperm to fertilize one egg anyways? Probably because they don't want to ask for directions either! However we are given no choice. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the placing of sperm into a woman's uterus when she is ovulating. This procedure is used for couples with unexplained infertility, minimal male factor infertility, and women with cervical mucus problems. IUI is often done in conjunction with ovulation-stimulating drugs. The average female is able to get pregnant easily around or on their ovulation day. However for us, it has consisted of basal body temperature charting, a lot of urine, hundreds of dollars of ovulation and pregnancy tests, one ultrasound a month to check on my eggs, basically a chemistry class, a priest, ect.. "That's enough." I say to myself, frustrated time after time with the same result no matter how hard we try, we have exhausted options down to a super ovulation IUI procedure. In two years, I have to had peed on over a thousand different sticks, went through multiple medications, multiple invasive tests, biopsies, and ultrasounds. We are desperate enough to put our personal business out there to the world, and reach out for help. Our insurance does not cover any fertility related medical bills. Though such a stroke of unfortunate luck we have been given, my relationship with Rick has grown immensely through this trial. We have seen each other in our most vulnerable and weak times. It eventually got to the point where trying to conceive was not so romantic after all! Somehow intercourse had become this robotic action to possibly become pregnant.
Every penny matters and means the world to this dismayed couple. My disease may be incurable, but I believe there is a cure to this situation that will drive me further towards my biggest dream; to become a mother to a beautiful child with my beloved husband. I wish to experience the worst and the best of parenthood, pregnancy, and childbirth. With your help, you can make our dream come true and bring this crazy dance with PCOS to an end. We both suck at dancing anyways! Please help a miracle occur in our family.
I'm tired of resenting Mother's Day because I feel I don't deserve any gifts. But I do, because I am a wife and a nourisher. I'm tired of feeling sorry for ourselves and seeing others not know how to react to our situation. We are ready to expand our lovely family of two dogs and one cat that have helped us cope throughout this difficult voyage of infertility. We are ready to bring baby Roland into the world. That is why we are here, to ask for help and to share our story for hope for others and for us. We hope to start IUI and or IVF procedures with your help this year. Any left over donations will be forwarded to another couple struggling with infertility.
"With a baby or without, you are valuable, you are whole, and you matter." Some of the words we live by daily.
"the struggle is part of our story"
- With an immense amount of love, Rick and Emily Roland
Organizer
Emily Roland
Organizer
Beaver, PA