I’ve conjured up enough questions to create a few Q&A posts. However, this answer happened to run a little long so it’s on its own post. Feel free to keep sending me questions! 

Q: What about adoption? Is it on your radar? How long will you try? (I know that is a dumb question because the obvious answer is “until you get a baby” but is there a point when you will stop the fertility treatments?)

A: Adoption is beautiful. It used to be a very foreign thought that I never entertained until recently. My opinion never really went past it takes an incredible couple to be that selfless, accepting and nurturing to a baby they couldn’t conceive themselves. But God works in mysterious ways that has made me take a second look.

One morning, a few weeks ago as I was driving to work, my mom called to tell me this story about a couple adopting and becoming pregnant. I’ve never heard my mom talk about adoption before this and just like that, it got me thinking.  That same day, the small prayer group I joined had our first initial meeting… I couldn’t get past the number of adoptions that were happening with these women who have stories so similar to our own. That was hint #2 He put right in front of me. Later that evening, I was cruisin’ around Facebook and came across a post from a college friend of mine that announced they were adopting and how excited they were to be on the unexpected path God set up for them of waiting for the right baby to make their family of four complete.

To answer the question …Yes and no. Adoption is on our radar in terms of knowing it is an option. We will exhaust all options before proceeding with that but if that is the way God wants us to care for His child, then that is the way we will care for His child. How long will we try?  Until we have no more money, sperm or eggs to try with. ha, but not kidding.

Fertility treatments take a toll on everything. Everything. Physically, the medications, shots and procedures make my body feel like it belongs to a science experience. Mentally, how many times can a person actually get back up after they fall so many times? Financially, I wish I could smile and say “there’s no price on becoming a mother” but unfortunately, there’s a huge price tag.  Spiritually, thankfully this has been the strongest part. Of course I’ve questioned my faith, very briefly though, and now my faith is the best crutch I have. Emotionally, exhausting. I’ve felt every emotion in the book, gone through the five stages of grief, and had times I thought my heart would explode at the hope of having my dreams fulfilled.

There is simply no easy route here. Fertility treatments are exhausting as is the adoption process and coming to terms that we won’t conceive. There are no easy short cuts or simple decisions, no “yes” or “no” answers. We’ll keep our options, hearts and minds open and continue for pray for the baby that is waiting for us to be his/her parents.

Since my last post, we’ve been busy little Wurts. The day after Christmas, John and I drove to Cincinnati for a doctors appointment, down to Lexington to spend some time with John’s moms side of the family and back to Louisville before catching a plane at 6am the next day to spend about 10 days in West Palm with my family. It was a great, relaxing vacay but now we’re both back to work and IVF is in full swing.

On December 26, we had an ultrasound to get the final go-ahead for the January 3rd Gonal F start date and some blood work. I’ll try to throw in some “normal jargon” in here to keep your attention and not talk all IVF-ish. Our original plan was to take 225 IU a day of Gonal F (an injection) but once my blood work results came back and showed I have low AMH (it’s a hormone) levels, the doc decided to up my Gonal F to 300IU a day.

While we were in Florida, John gave me my first shot of Gonal F on January 3. (hooray!)  We even got to bring the syringes and loot on the plane with a doctors note. I felt pretty special until no one asked a single question about them, bummer.  This is definitely not my first rodeo with needles (no, not illegal drugs but past IUI’s and other glamorous infertility testing) but I was still pleasantly surprised when I hardly felt a thing. I’m definitely used to being poked and prodded these days which makes the needle-situation a lot easier. My stomach is slowly beginning to resemble a battlefield with all the injection bruises but lucky for me, I think wounds are a symbol of being tough which I’m learning more about everyday.

I was worried about Gonal F and the side effects but so far, I can say I’m just as crazy today as I was on January 2nd!  Mentally – I’m same ole me and have yet to turn into the roid raging maniac I was anticipating to become. However, I am still working on accepting the physical toll it’s taking on me. I knew it would be difficult but in all honesty, I didn’t really expect this. Yesterday I compared my intense cramping to pitch forks being on fire in my stomach and the hot flashes make me look like a fool when I’m sweating in -2 degree weather.

During all my research and reading, I never understood the whole keep going, don’t give up now quotes I kept seeing since quitting had never even entered my mind. Until now when I’ve had to give myself a couple pep talks about keeping my eye on the prize and knowing this pain will be nothing compared to the joy I’ll eventually feel when God blesses us with a baby.

All in all, we’re extremely thankful to be making progress on this journey but the next week and a half (and then forever after that) is when we’re putting our blinders up and taking it one minute at a time. It’s completely overwhelming to think about where we stand on this journey. The amount of stress and heartbreak we’ve already experienced and the path we have ahead of us (both short term and long term) is something I never imagined as part of my life’s journey. I never thought I’d be strong enough to endure the pain I’ve felt, but the past two years have been nothing short of constant surprises and learning lessons.

We had another appointment this morning for an ultrasound and some blood work to make sure everything is on track, which thankfully it is. We have some follicles that are looking nice and we’ll go back on Saturday to determine if the egg retrieval will be Tuesday or Wednesday. We’re keeping the same 300IU of Gonal F and I’ll add the Cetrotide on Friday night then Ovidrel about 36 hours before the retrieval.

I could not imagine hitting publish without saying how much I sincerely appreciate all the love and kind messages we’ve received. This is the toughest thing we’ve ever gone through (individually and together as a married couple) and knowing you support us makes even the worst times a little more bearable. There’s a fine line of being too public and keeping everything private, but I could never imagine suffering in silence and I’m so thankful for a platform that is a two way street so I don’t feel so alone. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I am so excited to say our post op appointment and Education Day went without a hitch and John and I have “official” dates for some very exciting stuff! I say “official” because with infertility, there is no such thing as official. Things can change in the blink of an eye but for now, I’m staying positive and hoping we don’t veer off the road like we did in Take 1.

With that being said, here’s an update on upcoming appointments and plans. We will go back to Cincinnati the day after Christmas for another ultrasound and a final go ahead to the January 3 date to begin the meds. That’s right.. January 3 will be the beginning of the shots!  I’ll stop taking the birth control on December 30 and from there, approximate dates are two follow up appointments the week of January 5 and then the egg retrieval and the transfer the week of January 12. How are those plans shaping up to make 2015 possibly the best year ever?! Even though the dates are not set in stone, I can’t help but be super excited when I play pretend and imagine how each step will go!

We left our appointment with a whooping 9 (nine!) prescriptions and the beginning stages of light bruising from the one millionth time of having some blood drawn. I’ll go into more detail about each medicine once I begin the whole regimen so I can tell you about my experiences with them as opposed to reciting what I find on the line while Googling. For accountability and educational reasons, I’ll be taking: Gonal F, Cetrotide, Ovidrel and Crinone.

Briefly – here’s a summary so you’re not completely lost in the dark.
Gonal F is the daily shot John will so lovingly give me. The injection provides the FSH hormone that helps cause the ovaries to produce eggs, the stimulation portion of the show.. This med also has some crazy side effects so I (and John) have that to look forward to.
Cetrotide is kinda like the opposite side of Gonal F since this prevents the eggs from being released too early by blocking the GnRH hormone to give eggs time to develop.
Ovidrel is the same injection I took with our IUI attempts. I will take the injection 36-40 hours prior to the procedure because it provides the hCG hormone which stimulates the release of a mature egg, in perfect timing for conception.
Crinone is a progesterone gel that I will take twice a day for about 10 weeks after the transfer to nurture my body and help maintain the pregnancy.

So there’s some quick learning for you on this lovely December 23rd afternoon! I’m sure you can guess what I’m asking Santa to bring this year and while we’re at it, I hope he brings you everything on your list! We are headed to Florida for some relaxation on the 27th, hooooray!!

Merry Christmas! and as always, let me know if you have questions! xo

I’ve had a lot of people tell me they don’t know what to say. Usually out of fear of “saying the wrong thing” or wondering what some do’s and don’t’s may be… with the upcoming holidays, I thought it was an ideal time to discuss this issue since there’s no avoiding crowds of people and a bunch of small talk.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been so open about our infertility, perhaps it’s because I have a terrible memory. Either way, I’ll admit I cannot remember ever getting mad or frustrated at questions like, “when are you guys going to have babies?” or comments along the lines of, “all your friends have babies! Are you up next?”  That’s common, every day conversation that people you don’t see very often think are appropriate. And you know what? It IS appropriate! They don’t know our journey and that’s okay! But since you’re here because you probably are aware of our situation, here are my unedited, unfiltered thoughts on the appropriate jargon topic.

What should you say? Whatever you want. I know that’s not the answer you wanted, but think about it like this… If you say the wrong thing, it won’t kill me. I’ll wake up the next day and life will still continue. Yes, it may hurt my feelings but I’m a strong girl and I can assure you, regardless of how much you may hurt me, I can guarantee it’s nothin’ compared to the pain I’m already going through.

With all that said, there’s the flip side… This has been nothing short of a roller coaster, and this is also true for what we want and don’t want to hear. A year and a half ago, all I needed to hear was “it’ll happen when the time is right” or “just relax” but now, I realize those elementary responses are the opposite of comfort or encouragement. They’re wrong. Infertility is a disease, it’s a medical condition that must be treated. “Just relax” at this point of our process, is a complete insult. Would you tell a cancer patient to relax? Heck no, you’d support them and while you have no idea what they’re really going through, you’d just want them to know you’re not completely insane by telling them to let nature take its course. Yes, I understand comparing cancer and infertility are comparing apples to oranges but it’s the same concept that medical procedures are critical to healing.

My best advice of what to say … use common sense, be empathetic and have a touch of a filter because chances are, you don’t see 99.99% of the actual battle.

The support is one thing that keeps me going, comforts me and lets me know John and I are not the only people that already love and adore Baby(ies) Wurt. You, yup, you – the one that’s reading this right now, you support us, just by being here and wanting to know how we’re doing. I feel the love and I feel the hope every time someone reaches out to me.

“I don’t know what to say to you, but just know I support you and I pray for you guys.” Sincere, simple, powerful. More often than not, that’s all I need to hear. Nothing forced, nothing fake, nothing of pretend efforts to “understand” what we’re going through, because quite frankly, you don’t. I never want anyone to understand because you only get it when you’re living it and this nightmare is something I’d never want any other person/couple in the entire world to experience.

With this said, I put together some things I thought of as do’s and don’t’s when being there for someone with infertility. Let me preface this… my emotions are a carbon copy of a rollercoaster. There are things that I find comforting today that I’d probably curl up in a ball if I heard a year ago, or maybe tomorrow. So regardless of where a woman is on her journey, be sensitive.

Do
• Admit if you might not know just what to say. Let the person know you’re there to support nonetheless. Say you’re willing to do anything needed, even if it’s just listening.
• Talk about the infertility. Follow the person’s lead. You’ll be able to tell in no time what she or he needs by simply listening.
• Invite the person to lunch, a funny movie, or to go shopping.

Don’t
• Jump straight into telling success stories or heartbreaking failures of people you know until you know where the other person stands. There’s a time and place for those stories. If you tell me of a heartwarming, wonderful story of a couple conceiving twin perfectly healthy babies after 5 years of the struggle, and I received a negative test the night before, I’m probably going to give you a response you’re not prepared for.
• Drop out of sight or stay away. It’s wild to me how certain friends have distanced themselves from me/us during this phase of my life, only to be replaced with completely unexpected friendships filling that void. This is one of the loudest messages God reminds me of daily. The journey He’s leading me on is one about creating new friendships through similar stories, or recreating existing friendships on a different level or bringing the friendship back into my life.
• Say you know how she or he feels (unless you’ve also gone through a similar experience).
• Tell me how incredibly hard it is to be a mother. I may be growing in certain aspects of my viewpoints, but empathy for mothers that grow tired of constantly cleaning, or sleepless nights is not one of them. My sleepless nights are filled with tears, prayers and feelings of defeat over how incredibly hard it is to not be a mother. I know the role is difficult, but be thankful. You’re blessed.

There we have it… my thoughts. Ya got anything to tell me?  😉

It’s been a weird couple of weeks but plenty to be thankful for and even more to be excited about.

About two weeks ago, John and I went up to Cincinnati for my hysteroscopy and polypectomy.  I was completely knocked out during the surgery, which made me realize the reasoning behind anyone being a drug addict since my mind was having so much fun when I was awake but all loopy. The surgery was a great success.. I have the before and after photos of my uterus which I haven’t convinced myself {yet!} to post them on here, but they sure are fascinating! It’s safe to say I could be in the running for the most beautiful, smoothest and most improved uterus on this side’a Mississippi.

The aftermath of the surgery went like this… woke up from anesthesia, had some pain medication added to my IV, realized I was allergic to said pain medication, had some benadryl added to my IV and I don’t even remember my lovely nurse leaving the room after that point. It was splendid.

After an incredible nap, John and I packed up and headed home. He made a nice palette for me in the back seat where I snoozed for the hour and half drive and then did a swan dive into bed for the rest of the day. Once all the IV pain meds wore off, I took a few vicodin since I was still in enough pain to bother me quite a bit. I was so surprised about how sore my legs were afterwards and very glad I was not awake for any of it. Sorry if that was TMI, but I’m keepin’ it real. I went to work the next day, and took a half day the day after that because my body wasn’t finished resting.

This week’s milestone to look forward to is Thursday’s post op appointment and Education Day to learn the in’s and out’s of IVF which will hopefully not be postponed anymore. Fingers crossed!  Sorry for the short update, but I’m working on plenty of other posts to tide me over since there’s not too much to report on as of now.

XO

In bowling, they call three strikes in a row a turkey. Coincidentally, I’ve had three strike-out days in a row, just in time for turkeyday. When it rains, it pours.

Last Friday, I had a hysteropingogram to see any obstructions or holes in my tubes and uterus. Overall, the hysteropingogram was not as bad as I was expecting. It was a little uncomfortable but I didn’t experience any pain outside of what would be a “normal” menstrual cycle for me. It was actually very interesting to see how my uterus and tubes so closely resemble a martini glass with smoke coming out from behind. (That’s true.)  I spent the weekend relaxing, sleeping and letting my body heal itself.

This is one of those things that I hope my struggles can help anyone else… I would recommend doing the hysteropingogram as soon as you realize there may be any type of infertility in your future. This test should be done before you begin any meds or do any procedures. Unfortunately, my usual OB never once mentioned this test to me. She started me on three months of Clomid which led to seeing an out of town specialist for two rounds of IUI and starting meds for my IVF. My infertility specialist insisted I get this test, which was the first time I heard about it. The beginning of this process was so new to me and I didn’t know what questions to ask or what type of research applied to me.

But trust me on this one, do this test in the beginning while you’re still figuring things out before you’re at the point where you think it’s figured out and then you find yourself, figuratively speaking, throwing ‘sketti on the wall to see what sticks.  I still do not understand why any doctor would begin a patient on medicines to get pregnant if there is any uncertainty about the status of the uterus.

Turns out, the results were in line of every test result we’ve received thus far: not good. I have polyps on my uterus and will now be replacing what would be our “Education Day” for IVF to having a hysteroscopy to remove the polyps.

Polyps in the uterus make it difficult or impossible for implantation to occur and could lead to miscarriages. So while we have my ovulation and John’s issues, we have now added more mountains to cross before we get back on the wagon for IVF. 

As of now, our December 17 appointment for egg retrieval has been canceled. We hope to get everything all lined up (again) to begin in January or February.

I suppose it’s days like today that when I’m at a breaking point, I can only hope my pain and struggle will be of any help to anyone going through this. You can betcha darn tootin’ that when we get that positive pregnancy test, we’re going to throw a party that will put Kimye’s wedding to shame. It will resemble Oprah’s giveaway days of diaper cream for you! and you! Nipples and butt paste! for you! and you!  diapers and baby wipes, formula and swaddle blankets, noise machines and knitted hats with matching mittens for you! and you! aaaanddd!!! you!!! So there’s something to look forward to.

With that being said, it’s so important to stay positive through everything, but it’s days like today (and yesterday.. and the day before) that it’s okay to cry.  I’m frustrated, I’m sad, I feel like we can’t catch a break and I want to look God in the face and say, “please, throw us a stinkin’ bone?” I’m thankful that I can see the rainbows because I have sure gone through the storms.

So here’s to Thanksgiving.. giving thanks for a strong marriage, doctors, friends, family, support and the ongoing opportunities we have to grow closer to Christ all while learning the patience, acceptance and selflessness we’ll need to know once we’re blessed with a baby, or babies.

I used to believe I was the strongest I could be if I could stand up for myself, right the wrongs, and didn’t show too much vulnerability that would allow people to make me feel unbalanced while standing on my personal pedestal. I knew God was good, I knew I could pray to Him in a moment of weakness, I knew He would listen.

What I didn’t know was how powerful His grace is when I learned what it really felt to be empty, out of control and full of questions with no answers. One observation of mine through this journey is that some women believe it is a weakness to have fertility issues and prefer to keep their pain/experiences to themselves to not show any “flaws” in their lives. While I respect such privacy and admire those that can stand on their own, I know I can’t get through such heartbreak without knowing He is with me. I’ve learned how Christ’s grace works the hardest when I’m the weakest.

 ^“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

It’s not that I, personally, am strong during this frustrating and emotional journey, but it’s the fact that where my weaknesses create huge, empty holes in my soul, it opens more space for the grace of God to fill.

It could feel natural to conceal your weaknesses in order to cover your own insecurities. It’s easy to put on a smile and fake it ’til ya make it. There’s little effort in keeping walls up to keep people seeing the “real” you. But the real challenge, which ends up being the greatest gift, is learning to use those opportunities to show how God lives in you, how powerful His strength is, and how His grace is greater than any obstacle.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”   1 Corinthians 15:10

Where have you seen God’s grace overshadow your weakness?

With two failed IUI’s, we are ready for a change. Our doctor recommended we try IUI “just one more time.” Some would say yes and give it just one more try. But to me, “just one more time” at IUI is code for let’s get you all hormonal, a little crazy, have two extra appointments and then be let down, again, with a negative result.  I’m tired. I’m exhausted. My body thinks I’m a maniac for what I’m constantly asking it to do and the negative pregnancy tests never get easier.

With that said, my stubborn self told the doctor what I wanted. To not do any more IUI but we are ready for the big guns…ICSI. It’s the step above IVF where the procedure is much more concentrated in the lab, but basically the same routine for us as if we were doing IVF. Instead of IUI code from above, I’m insisting to opt in for getting as hormonal as possible, a lot crazy, have more than two extra appointments, a huge(r) medical bill, two surgeries and a partridge in a pear tree {hopefully} positive result. 

John’s opinion was to “just try one more” because it was what the doctor recommended. But after explaining the reasons behind my opinion, he was right on board. I think it is more difficult for the man to realistically outweigh the pros and cons on those types of decisions because they are not physically manipulated with meds or up in the stirrups all while trying to keep it together. They don’t firsthand suffer the pain of the effects of the medications, the trigger shots, or the hot flashes on top of the constant roller coaster of emotions and fragile feelings. They may not be able to do any of that, but if they listen to you, try to understand, agree with you and support you, that’s exactly all a girl could ask for.

The last couple days have been spent talking to the doctors, scheduling appointments and speaking with my insurance (that I must say, were sent from God to make this journey full of cheerleaders. I seriously love our insurance, which I’ll go into another time.) to get everything in line.

Yesterday, John and I started our antibiotic to make sure there are no infections present as we prepare for the cycle. In true Romeo and Juliet fashion, we both cheers-ed and drank the poison knew we were in it to win it. I also started birth control (control!? I know what you’re thinking… but what?)  to give my ovaries a little relaxation time before they get completely punk’d with their upcoming road.

The doctor prescribed five other medications that I will begin taking in a few weeks so we’re very excited to have this in the works and confident it will be successful, especially since we’re “ideal” candidates! Proof I’m learning to find the positive in everything. Even if it’s a stretch.

With this update, I promise to keep y’all informed on more details but wanted to share our future plans. Please share all the good, the bad and the ugly of anything you know about IVF/ICSI, since I love to know everything possible. And thanks for your prayers. 🙂

Grab a cup’a jo and a warm blanket because this post is a doozie.

October 2012 – The ole J & J marriage story began. Unbeknownst to us, so did our journey through infertility. We were casually “trying” but not actively. No tracking, no monitoring, no tests, just the old fashioned givin’ it a go.

May 2013 – Began home O tests… all negative. But not really sweating things just yet.

September 2013 – Still not a single positive O test so I scheduled my first doctors appointment to ask a few questions. September 11, to be exact.

October 2013 – It was time to get my game face on. John didn’t know yet what that meant, but that’s okay.

October 2013 – First true life lesson learned: Men may not understand the thoughts and feelings you’re having, and probably don’t understand why women are so hard on themselves. But that’s okay. Don’t get frustrated because someone doesn’t understand you or because you feel like they’re not as invested as you are. They’re probably not. They’re not the ones taking the tests, or asking the questions… yet. The beginning stages of infertility, in my opinion, were the hardest.

January – March 2014 – Took three rounds of Clomid, 50 mg, and had positive O all three months. Still no positive preg tests though… Looking back, I think it’s safe to say these were the worst times for me. I felt alone, misunderstood, broken, judged, inept and an unfair wife because I couldn’t give my husband a child.  I was surrounded by babies and other women that would tell me how wonderful motherhood was and it “would happen for me someday.” Each time felt like a dagger but by March, you coulda put a knife in me and I wouldn’t have felt it. I was numb. Finally.

March 2014 – We began John’s testing. This is where the lesson learned in October comes into play. As soon as we found out it wasn’t just me that needed some “medical attention” when it comes to reproducing, John immediately became my partner and teammate. It’s not that he was absent prior to this, he just didn’t fully understand and I’m sure felt some resentment towards me that I was broken. A switch flipped.. John understood me and took responsibility that it takes two. He was empathetic and proactive, comforting me when I had my dark days and took matters into his own hands (no pun intended, but hilarious nonetheless) by making his appointments and becoming (again, unintentionally funny) eager to find answers and solutions.

March – June 2014 – Our doctor count was up to four, including two specialists, and we were knee deep in the TTC (trying to conceive) ocean. Each test result came back worse than the one before and the glimpse of hope I had began to fade.

September 2014 – We began fertility treatments in Cincinnati. I will go into more detail on the procedures in the next post but I’m confident we made the right decision and the added inconvenience of driving to Cincy will be completely worth it in the end. Rumor has it, these docs know what they’re doing.

November 2014 – In this moment, medically speaking, I’m here:

TCC – IUI1 – BFN – 7dpIUI2 – TWW – FC.  In case you don’t speak whale, that means we have had one unsuccessful IUI (intrauterine insemination) procedure and we are in the two week wait period to see if our second IUI procedure was successful or not. Our future plans if #2 is unsuccessful… I will get a hysterosalpingogram, a dye test of my uterus and tubes, and then we will try IUI #3. From there, we will begin rounds of ICSI, a procedure one step above IVF. Since that’s probably jibberish, I’ll explain the best way I know how… In vivo fertilization is when an egg is fertilized by a sperm INSIDE the body, or I would call “natural conception.”  IVF (in vitro fertilization) is when fertilization happens OUTSIDE of the body. The sperm fertilizes the egg in a lab. ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a type of IVF where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.. it’s a very concentrated, specific form of IVF.

Emotionally speaking, I’m here: Exactly where I should be. I’m strong, maybe stronger than ever. I’m genuinely happy for every.single.baby announcement I see and could not be more relieved to have the ugly, damaging feelings of jealousy and selfishness out of my system. My heart knows God in ways it’s never known before. I know He would not put the need of being a mother in my life if He didn’t have a plan to fulfill it. I’m hopeful, but realistic and glad John is on my side.

I may still not have a positive pregnancy test, but I have a positive mental outlook and at this point, that is just as important.

Our story of Waiting for Wurt began two years ago. It’s taken the full two years to get comfortable enough with the process to want to share our story and talk about every step along the way. John and I are the one in eight couples that are struggling with infertility and I’m one of the 1.1 million women that has undergone treatment this year. I am part of the 40% of those 1.1 million women that believes in the importance of speaking out. Personally, keeping silent about everything is just one additional weight to carry that can be avoided.

I don’t love talking about it, per se, but I love to dream of the final outcome of this journey and one day holding a baby of my own in my arms and kissing their little face(s) off. I love hearing other stories about the trying to conceive couples, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I love the ability to create friendships with other women that completely understand the ups and downs firsthand. That raw and unique connection helps to keep things in perspective when they announce they’re expecting. I love learning about my body in ways other women would never know about.

Obviously, there’s no spectacular, extraordinary, firework finale to introduce this blog but that’s my attempt. While I haven’t conjured up a full plan for this’here space, my goal is to tell my story in hopes of hearing about yours. Educate, support, pray, encourage, communicate and form the special relationships God has planted along each of our stories.

To anyone not going through infertility, I won’t discriminate! 🙂 You’re always welcome and I’d love to educate you too. I’ll answer any questions you may have and listen to your own story, whatever that may be. I hope you’ll find some valuable information to feel better about being there for the women that need you. The fact you’re reading this means you’ve been affected by infertility somehow or another and from the bottom of my heart, I’m thankful for you being interested and wanting to support those of us with infertility.

So, cheers (because we still can) to truckin’ along this journey because if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’ll be Wurt the Wait.