Finally- Answers From Doctor Number Four

We were determined to have a family.  We knew that one way or another, God would make a way for us and so we just kept trusting that He had a plan for our lives and for our family.  After weeks of prayer and research, we found a doctor who was willing to do IVF for us at half the cost.  Also, it was very important for us to find a doctor who would be willing to only create the exact number of embryos that he would implant.  We did not want to be faced with the ethical dilemma about having to freeze any left over embryos, and so it was really important to us that if we did choose to pursue IVF, that the doctor who we worked with was sensitive to our concerns.  We spoke with the doctor and he ensured us that he would be happy to work within the bounds of what we were comfortable with doing.  We were so relieved!  Although we still weren't really excited about the idea of having to do IVF, we were at peace with our decision to move ahead, and we were so happy to be finally moving towards our goal of having a family.


We set the tentative date with the procedure for the month of May.  We still weren't sure how we were going to pay for the treatment, even at the adjusted rate, but we knew that if this was what God wanted for us, He would provide.  We just kept praying that His will would be done.


In speaking with our new doctor, he recommended that Judah have one more test done, just to make sure that IVF really was our only option.  Jude started pumping up on vitamins, exercising, and even lowering his caffeine intake, and we scheduled a second test for a few weeks later.  We were praying and praying that the results would be improved so that we would have more fertility options open to us and we wouldn't have to do IVF after all.  


Thankfully, the test results came back a lot quicker this time around, and we were incredibly relieved to see a large improvement!!  We sent the new results to our doctor who told us that he would recommend that we put off IVF for a little bit and try a couple of rounds of IUI instead.  We were so excited about this possibility, and we thanked God for such an incredible and drastic change in our prognosis.  At this point we decided to put everything on hold just for three more months while we waited for our insurance to kick in so we could finally meet with a local fertility specialist.  The third week in May was our first appointment and it couldn't come fast enough.


We loved our doctor right away.  He was calm and understanding and spent a few minutes getting to know us a little more before we "got down to business."  Finally, he picked up our chart, flipped through a few pages, turned to Judah and said, "Well... the good news is that there isn't anything wrong with YOU."  We were both completely shocked, yet both smiling from ear to ear, "Wait, wait. What?  That doesn't make any sense.  THREE doctors looked at those tests and all they all told us that we had a serious problem with Judah's sperm quality?"  The doctor smiled and then patiently explained his reasoning to us in detail. 


"You had your test done here at our clinic.  Other doctors don't know how to read our tests because they are much more specific and complicated than any hospital test.  Our head technician has her PhD in sperm and by looking at your results right now, I can honestly tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. In fact, I rarely see numbers from our lab as high as yours.  Judah is not the problem."


We let out a sigh of relief- one that we felt like we'd been holding in for the past six months.


Now the doctor shifted his attention to me.  "So, unfortunately that means..."  I finished his sentence, "that the problem is with me."  He smiled understandably, "Yes, but, we are going to figure out what the problem is and do whatever we can to fix it!"  His optimism was catchy.


We discussed all of our options, and left that day with a new treatment plan, renewed hope, and excitement in our hearts about what the next few months could bring.