Trevor and Kaylee IVF Puzzle Piece Fundraiser
Hi everyone!
Many of you know our story, but I believe it is time to make it public since we are taking a major step. After many years of trying, endless tests and a surgery or two, we have learned that we are unable to have another baby on our own. It is difficult for us to share this part of journey with everyone, but we feel like we are ready to go public.
Please see below on how to donate to the Puzzle Piece Fundraiser!
_____________________________________________________
::Our Story::
Trevor and I currently have a 7-year-old daughter, Lily, who many of you already know and love. We have longed to give her a sibling since we first began trying in 2016, where this long, treacherous journey began. After trying on our own for nearly a year, we decided to seek help from my OB, who ran every test imaginable and at that time, could not find anything wrong with me and referred us to a reproductive endocrinologist. If you know us, you know that both of us are two very, stubborn people and didn't think we needed to seek any additional help and decided we would keep trying on our own while trying some over-the-counter supplements that were "proven" to help couples fall pregnant.
Fast forward to roughly 2018, after jumping to a new OB, who again, could not find anything to indicate any reason as to why I would not be able to fall pregnant, as well as mixing and rotating out various supplements, we both decided it was time to see the recommended reproductive endocrinologist (RE) our first OB recommended. After going over all of our information with the RE, he recommended I do additional tests, which included the ever painful HSG (hysterosalpingogram). This test essentially allows the doctor to see if you have any blockages in your tubes and if so, they can usually be pushed out. During the test, he discovered, I had a small blockage in my right tube, but he managed to remove it, wherein the nurse gave me the hope that almost 90% of women who have their blockages removed usually get pregnant right after.
Can you guess where we fell? Yes, that 10%. It seems like such a small number, but there we were. Once again, the doctor was unable to find anything wrong with me at this time and it was now time to look at Trevor. He had to come in for a semen analysis where we learned he did not have enough viable sperm to penetrate a healthy egg. With his numbers, we were referred to a fertility urologist. Once there, he had more testing and we were diagnosed with Male Factor Infertility. After being prescribed multiple medications and vitamins, we saw a small rise in numbers, not not much. The reproductive endocrinologist recommended IVF as our only treatment option.
We were beside ourselves. We refused to accept this! We were determined to have a baby all on our own and didn't pursue IVF at that time. We quit seeking treatment and just let things take their natural course until earlier this year when I started to feel really bad for a few months, physically. I decided I needed to see a new OB because it had been quite a while and figure out what was wrong. After a bunch of tests and ultrasounds, I learned I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and a uterine polyp that was fairly large. If you don't know what PCOS is, it actually causes infertility in women due to the hormonal disruption and the affect it has on the ovaries. My OB's solution was to put me on birth control, which I refused to accept! We were still trying to have a baby. How was birth control going to be conducive to that?!
Feeling unsatisfied with her solution, I reached back out to the RE after it had many years and requested his help, ready to accept any solution he had. He recommended I start a couple different medications to balance my hormones, Trevor start new medications and then we could work toward an IUI after I had the polyp removed as they can become cancerous if not taken care of. In March, I had a polypectomy, where the polyp was removed and we were able to have an IUI in July after working on our health for a few months.
No matter how positive and how much hope we poured into that IUI, it was unsuccessful. We let ourselves grieve and decided that we couldn't keep going down this road of heartbreak anymore. While it seems like all we have is bad news, there is good news. There is an option for us and that option is IVF, specifically IVF-ICSI.
I know many of you probably know what IVF is, but you may not know what ICSI is. Once my ovaries have been stimulated to make as many eggs as possible and those eggs are retrieved, the fancy embryologists will take Trevor's best looking sperm and fertilize every viable egg they can to make them into embryos. After roughly five days, an embryo will then be implanted back into my uterus. This whole process will require many tests, appointments and tons of shots for me.
The bad news is that IVF is not covered by our insurance and the cost is quite high, roughly $12,000-16,000, including medications. We have saved so much already, but we don't have it altogether, hence this fancy gofundme.
____________________________________________________
::Puzzle Piece Fundraiser::
Please don't feel obligated to donate. We appreciate your well wishes and support as well.
For those that want to donate, we have put together something as a way to remember your support. We have created this puzzle fundraiser and here's how it works:
We have created a customized puzzle (Please see the main picture) that is 500 pieces. Each piece will represent someone who donated to help us with Baby Towe.
1. Each puzzle piece will be $10.
2. You can buy 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10. There is no limit!
3. Your name will be written on the back of each piece(s) you represent!
4. If you buy more than one or several pieces, you can include a message that we can write next to your name.
5. After making the donation, add how many pieces you want and what you want your piece(s) to say in the comment section.
Once the puzzle is completed, we will frame it between two pieces of glass and hang it in Baby Towe's future nursery. This will be a precious keepsake for us to keep and cherish forever! We will always be able to look back and be reminded of the enormous generosity and investment in the Towe family. YOU will each be part of completing our puzzle!
You can also donate and choose not to participate in the puzzle if you choose. We are truly grateful for all of you! Thank you for all of your support!
Love,
The Towe's
