Alexis Senge Johnson*If you missed Part I of this post from quite a while back you may want to play catch-up there first before jumping in here.*
The battery of tests that were run at least lead us to the conclusion that I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also called PCOS or the “Silent Killer,” and that brought with it a list of potential routes to take in our journey towards a family. The cause of PCOS isn’t understood just yet, but doctors believe it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It’s considered to be the leading cause of infertility in women, so clearly I’m not alone in this in this obstacle. The three key treatments include regular exercise, healthy foods and weight control, which seemed to me to be such a small price to pay to ensure we could move forward in our quest to have a family, so I eagerly agreed to do everything the doctor requested of me. My unlimited membership for barre and yoga classes came in very handy and by the time I was able to get pregnant I found myself in the best shape of my life. Giving up caffeine, all alcohol and changing to a low carbohydrate diet left me a bit cranky in the beginning, but I made it through with a goal in my sight and bless my husband for having the patience to help me get through it.
I will admit I was more than a bit surprised when the doctor recommended I lose about ten pound, as I was already at a healthy weight for my stature at the time, but if she would have told me to spend four hours a day standing on one foot I would have done it with a smile on my face. Nothing was considered to be too much in my eyes and I would have changed my whole world if it would have increased our chances. Giving up vial after vial of blood, being prodded for sonogram after sonogram and taking handfuls of prescriptions in addition to shots to increase our chances all seemed like small prices to pay for what we consider to be our greatest miracle. The only struggle I found was how alone I felt in the processes despite my husband doing his best to try to make me feel better.
Why is infertility considered taboo? 10%-15% of couples in the United States are considered infertile after a year of battling the struggle and, while they may all be due to different reasons, this should be something that can be comfortably spoken about. Our journey started in October of 2012, so if you’re doing the math then you can shun me later about how that was a year before we got married if you’ve got nothing better to do. We purchased our home, moved in, got engaged and I changed jobs all within about 30 days and yet we were crazy enough to make the decision to start a family together. A year later we found ourselves still without a child and losing hope that it was going to happen. We got married in November of 2013 and made the decision to keep trying as I believed everything happens for a reason and maybe fate had decided that we were meant to be married first before bringing a child into this world. By 2014 I had lost all hope and we decided it was time to see medical assistance.
