Reflecting On My Miracle

Before I keep playing catch up with picture posts of N8, I wanted to take a few minutes to share about my miracle as today is a very special and significant day.

December 16

One year ago today we were smack dab in the middle of our IVF cycle.
One year ago today I was put under anesthesia and had 8 eggs extracted.
One year ago today our DNA was put together and created 6 amazing microscopic babies.

And now for a short rambling... I have been thinking a lot about how amazing our God is. Even when I was dealing with negative result after negative result with our IUIs and I was busy doubting, worrying and grieving I still had this immense sense of peace. I felt we needed to go through those IUIs but I had this voice telling me that we would get our baby(ies) through IVF, that I would get pregnant. This peace did not make it less terrifying for me though (how many attempts would we have to endure, what kind of loss might we be faced with? where will the money come from? what if I'm wrong and it doesn't work? etc.) but it gave me moments of calm and serenity that I desperately needed to continue taking steps forward through this process. So many Sundays tears would end up falling from my eyes while I worshiped, crying out to God and He gave me more moments of peace to help me make it through.

Thank you Lord for your peace, I am forever grateful.

It is absolutely amazing what a difference a year makes.

Last Blog for Last Year

December 31st, 2012

We began our 1st IVF attempt in mid-November. Since the clinic was closed for New Years and I was going to have to wait two extra days to go in for my blood test I decided to take an HPT first thing in the morning on New Years Eve. I figured either I would get the bad news that it didn't work in 2012 and we could begin 2013 with a fresh start or it would be fantastic news to end 2012 and something wonderful to look forward to in 2013. While it felt like an eternity waiting for the result to show up though it probably took less than 30 seconds. Then I kept waiting for the NOT to show up, but it never did...

This was a great way to end/begin a year. 

Spread the word!

My husband and I have started a campaign to help our fundraising efforts for IVF treatments. You can visit our site at www.indiegogo.com/hutchins .

Please help spread the word, the more people we have visit the site the better chance we have to meet our goal. Facebook It, Tweet It, Blog It, Google+ It.

There are also some fun perks you can get if you are able to donate. 

PETA: A Response

Please click over to Reproductively Challenged to see what the top dogs in PETA are saying in response to all of our emails to them about the: win a vasectomy contest.

OUTRAGE!!!!

Please click over to my infertility blog to see why I am outraged about PETAs new campaign!

CLICK HERE

Epic Sale of 2011

Please read about our most recent Yard Sale in February HERE!

Huge Yard Sale

Read all about our sale - HERE

Blog Now Open

Reproductively Challenged

A few new posts will be published daily.

Forging Ahead

For the past 1 1/2 years we have been going through fertility treatments. At times it has been difficult, sometimes heart breaking but we are still hopeful for the future. God has given us a deep desire to have children and while we do not know the how or the when we continue to have faith that it will happen.

Currently we have begun saving for IVF. We are collecting recyclables (cans, plastic, glass, cardboard, magazines, newspaper) and we are selling items we no longer need or want (online and garage sale). If anyone would like to donate, whether recyclables or items to sell, we would appreciate it.

Cyndi has been writing journals on a blog of all the specifics of the treatments, along with information she has come across, and blogs by others who are or have struggled with infertility. Shortly she will switch that blog from private to public for those of you interested in knowing all of the nitty-gritty details. 

"It takes longer."

"It costs more to have someone born than to have someone killed!" Tina Fey in Baby Mama

From what I have learned in talking with the infertility nurses and reading stories from different folks there are few people who have a copay or don't have to pay anything out of pocket for infertility treatments. The majority of couples have to pay 50% or 100% of the cost for their infertility treatments.

50% at Kaiser is as follows...

Preliminary lab tests $134.00

Initial visit w/ infertility doctor $140.50

Nurse visit w/sonogram (multiple times a month) $130.00

Follow up visit w/ IUI (once a month) $204.50

Follow up visit w/infertility doctor $95.50
Nurse visit $40.00
Hysterosalpingogram w/inj $351.50
hCG prescription (per month) $ 24.02
Clomid prescription (per month) $14.67

This takes you through first visits, 3 months of treatment on Clomid, and a look inside to make sure nothing is blocked. If one was to move on to the next step it would get insanely more expensive. The injectible drugs which would be used cost between $300-600 a month, and that is just one of the medications and assumes you can get by on the lowest dosage!

I am just sharing because it blows my mind how much those who cannot conceive and want to so badly pay for even a small chance at it.

Still an Infertile Myrtle

It has been a long 7 months since we have updated on here about what is going on with our infertility process. We are not going to go into graphic explanations and specifics of everything, if you want to know that stuff you can google the names of the medical procedures.

After meeting with the infertility specialist in March we were told that they could find no medical reason for why we cannot get pregnant.

There are certain things the doctors will try in order to give a better chance of conceiving even when they cannot pin point what the problem is. So at the beginning of Cyndi's cycle in April she went into meet with the infertility nurses. The nurse did a Transvaginal Echography Ultrasound to check for abnormalities which would mean we were not a candidate to move forward at this point. Cyndi was cleared and we were started on the first of 3 Clomid cycles. Multiple times Cyndi had to go back in for the ultrasound to see if the medication was working, during each month and it was. For 3 months we used Clomid and insemination. Unfortunately we never got the news we wanted to hear.

Most medical companies have strict policies about how long they will have you on Clomid. Kaiser will only do it for 3 months, then you have to go back and meet with the Dr. to talk about what the next steps are and what additional tests need to be run. We had that Dr. appointment in August and we were told that Cyndi would have to go in and have a Sono-hystergram.

In September it was finally time for Cyndi to go in and have the Hystergram, which according to Cyndi was very unpleasant. This procedure let us know that there were no issues internally. So to sum it up, the Drs. still do not have any reason we shouldn't be able to conceive.

Next up is a meeting with the Infertility Nurses to discuss what happens now.

Please remember to respect that we do not want to go into more detail than what has been put on the blog. We praise God for strength as we have been moving through this process. Paul and Cyndi are grateful for all the test results that have come back with absolutely nothing wrong with either of us but it is also frustrating that there is not a "problem" we can fix. Our marriage is strong, and we continue to lean on each other because no matter what happens we are lucky to have one another for always.

We would love your prayers as this is emotionally, physically and financially draining for us, and especially the financial aspect as Cyndi is a trooper and can get through the physical pain and emotionally we have each other, our friends, family and God to turn to.

Thank you for all the support, hugs, prayers and love you have given to us through this process.

Infertile Myrtle

"Officially" we have been trying to conceive a baby for over 3 years. Obviously we have not been successful. So, this holiday season we got the recommendation to begin an investigation into infertility.

In February we attended an infertility seminar which was required. We went in not knowing what to expect, there were about 7 other couples and a few ladies there on their own. A woman led us through a class which discussed main reasons for infertility, % of couples who overcome their infertility, a list of don't dos (smoke, drugs etc.) and the steps we would begin to find out if our infertility problem is treatable.

Then it was time to get poked and prodded for laboratory tests. We were able to look up a few results online things like Cyndi's blood glucose levels.

This Friday we meet with an infertility specialist to go over the test results and decide if there is any plan of action we can pursue at this time.

Please do not ask specifics of whom is "at fault". Neither of us is at fault. WE are in this together, it is us as a couple who cannot seem to conceive a baby.

We are asking for your support and prayers as we begin a difficult journey. We feel like we are grieving an invisible loss. The options given to us are costly, Cyndi's work only covers 50% and soon she will not even have that coverage. We cannot even explain how difficult it has been coping with the news that we may not be able to be the parents we have always wanted to be.