Fertility Train

My first consultation with the doctor about IVF was less than awesome. As a woman I am not scared to go to the doctor by myself. Reo happened to be working the day that I had the appointment. Our closest clinic is just a short drive up to Billings, Montana. Being from the Billings area I am well versed in driving in Billings. Also, it gives me a good reason to go see my dad.

Our fertility journey began in May of 2021. We were newlyweds and excited to start the new chapter in our life. Honestly, I knew it was going to take us a long while to get pregnant. I had never had a normal cycle my whole life. In 2019 I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) As Reo and I really started having the conversations of whats next; we made a decision to start our journey at the Womens Clinic at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. The providers there are seriously WONDERFUL!

After one failed round of IUI (interuterine insemination), I was referred to Billings Clinic Fertility specialists. There, we had three more rounds of failed IUI. So, we were onto our next option. When I tell you that Reo and I talked tirelessly about what the next step was.... It was literally every day that we talked about it. The if's and how's. If we could just get pregnant on our own. How are we going to pay for the next step which is IVF? Mind you, this is going to cost us upwards of $20,000. I can't even begin to say how thankful I am for Reo. He is the mastermind behind all of the financial doings of this. Since what couple in their late 20's just has $20,000 sitting around? Also, who wants to take out a loan for that in this day and age. I guess if it were up to me I would talke out the loan! Reo is my voice of reason in this situation thank heavens?

So, whats next? Well, thankfully we have some assets that we can cash in. Also, making sacrifices on stuff that we were hoping to avoid. Reo is the most selfless person in the world.

A few years ago, I bought a pickup. Reo and I also talked about all the options of what pickups we have. The pros and cons of each vehicle. After all of the careful consideration, we decided to sell the pickup I had bought a few years ago. Or so I thought.... A few weeks later. Reo came up to the town I work in and took me to lunch. He had made the decision to sell a pickup that he has had since we have been dating. In his words "You have sacrificed so much. I can sacrifice something." SAY WHAT?!

So with all of that being said; the meeting with Dr. Dahl was not fun at all. From October 2023 to the appointment I had in February of 2024 I had already lost 20 lbs. With PCOS loosing weight is nearly impossible. I was so proud of myself! I hadn't made any progress since I had started this whole journey. July 2023 I was the heaviest I had ever been. So, Dr. Dahl was less than impressed with my progress. That was a total blow to me. I was so excited to get started with this journey. We had a tentative schedule for all of this to get started in March of 2024. She shot that down in a real quick hurry! I was too fat and she wouldn't touch me unless I lost 30 more pounds. To end the conversation, she told me to come back in May and we will se where we are then. Needless to say, I was crushed. All of the plans we made. All of the things that we had done to prepare for this. Just blown out of the water.

At this point, Reo and I are back to square one. We are heartbroken and down on our luck. But, its the long game at this point. It's the finish line that we are just trying to cross.

Somebody has a plan for us. Sometimes we feel like this is a never-ending revolving door. We also know that the prize at the end is sweet.

-Morgan