The Ditzel way of getting pregnant!

So here’s the story.

Back in April, I told Ron that I thought by June I would be ready to explore options with a new fertility clinic since going back to Shady Grove made me feel some type of way. I was talking to a friend and she had mentioned that a close friend of hers had raved about Fertility Center of Md.  So I took a look into their success rates, docs and facility which is conveniently located in Kenilworth.  I pulled the trigger and made the call to set-up a consultation with Dr. Bass.

On June 12^th, Ron and I went for a consultation armed with our six months of records from Shady Grove. During the consultation we all came into agreement that we would move forward with one cycle of FSH injections and if no luck move forward with IVF. Since we had so much going on during the summer and I wanted to get some more weight off, we decided we would wait until my cycle started at the end of August/beginning of September. 

Fast forward to mid/late- August.  I make I call to the fertility center about a week before my period is expected. They ask that patients do this so meds can be ordered since some retail pharmacists don’t always carry fertility drugs.  I believe I called on August 21^st to take care of my order.  I would have expected my period to show sometime between August 26^th -28^th. Those days came and went with no visit from Aunt Flo. At this point I am starting to get anxious because I want to get started with my injections since October would be out with us traveling to Miami. Our next chance to start a cycle would have been in November. Finally on August 31^st I reluctantly took a pregnancy test, even though in my mind my body was just being a jerk and not cooperating, which was so unlike me. I can usually predict when my period will start to the minute. The test came back invalid because the control window did not show a sign. I threw the thing in the trash and yelled down the hall “I think it’s negative. I will call the fertility center tomorrow to see if they can give me something to start my period.”

September 1^st, I wake up, pee and call the fertility center. I let the nurse know I am concerned that my period has not shown and I need to get figured out before Sept 4^th so I can start injections. The nurse tells me to come in and they will draw blood and we will go from there. I drive over to Towson to give a blood sample and go back home. Around 10:30am the house phone rings and it’s my nurse. The next words I hear went something like this. “Is this Tia? Well I have the results of your blood work and you are pregnant. Your HCG level is 2500” …….. I am in complete shock and say “I’m sorry, what?” The nurse tells me again and asks if it’s ok that I am pregnant. Which, of course it was. I immediately started crying because I never once thought that we would have any luck in our Hail Mary month. I was so focused on just getting to September that actually getting pregnant the old fashion way didn’t seem possible for us. On this day I calculated that I was 4 weeks and 6 days pregnant.

September 3^rd, I went back in for blood work to make sure my HCG and progesterone levels were going up accordingly. Everything was looking good so Ron had a good birthday. September 9^th we went for our 6 week ultrasound (vag stick). That day my life changed, we saw the heartbeat of our little person in the making. My due date was set for May 5^th, of course Ron was thrilled that our kid could be born on drinking holiday. I also did more blood work to check numbers again which all came back great. After my ultrasound Dr. Bass released me to my OB (did I really just hear that, I have an OB.) Before we left I asked about the meds we had paid for 2 weeks ago. The nurse found my meds and told me they would submit a request for a refund. I asked if they had a donation program, which they did. Ron and I asked if we could just donate the meds to someone who might be having a financial hardship. I wanted to pay forward on our good luck. There just so happen to be a woman in the office in an exam room upset about not being to afford the cost of meds and we so just happened to be prescribed the same thing. The nurse asked if I was sure I wanted to donate and of course I was.  Ron and I thought if the $70 bucks we spent will make someone’s day a little less stressful than we wanted to help. I never met the woman who received my meds but I often wonder about her. I hope she is doing well and had some good luck.

I hope this story will give people going through the same journey some hope. Don't ever give up on your dream of being parents.