2011 is here! Approaching land...

Whew!
It is settled.


Stuart and I have decided to move forward with IVF some time this year.


It has been an extraordinarily long journey of infertility, but I believe we are out of the open waters and approaching land.






We have been trying for over 6 years to have a family. What started out as a maddening diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" turned into a diagnosis of Stage 3/4 Endometriosis (leaving my egg quality/quantity impaired). During this time, Stuart was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma and treated for 6 months with a harsh chemo regimen called R-hyperCVAD/MA that left him sterile.

Thankfully our doctor encouraged us to bank Stuart's healthy, pre-chemo sperm.  We are so thankful that we had an opportunity to do this as we have met many folks our age in the cancer world that didn't.


To make a L-O-N-G story shorter, we tried three IUI (intra-uterine insemination) attempts before running so low on our frozen sperm that we could not attempt another. Our doctor wanted to leave enough sperm to do an IVF attempt or two, should we desire to pursue that alternative.


We were told by our original infertility specialists that this is our only option for having children of our own.


We have sat with this, prayed, and been counseled on this for a long time.


We have considered adoption.


I have had a hard time feeling complete peace with IVF and Stuart has had a hard time feeling complete peace with adoption before we try IVF at all.


Last month, we saw another infertility specialist at Emory for a second opinion.  She confirmed that (clinically speaking) this is our only choice for having a biological child.  We really liked this doctor and have decided to use her if and when we move forward.


We have finally come to a peaceful decision. We are going to start our first cycle of IVF (it may take more than one cycle to get pregnant) beginning the end of February.


Please join us as we share facts, emotions, fears, and pictures of this crazy journey.
We want you to be a part of what God is doing in our lives. We want you to pray for us.


We are both excited and scared.  Encouraged and a bit anxious.
This journey will neither be easy or predictable-- but nor have the past six years! So, I think we will survive!


More to come.  Stay tuned as we 'grow smart'!


Love you all,
Candace and Stuart