Maybe we’re not done…

Ok, so I realize that this is a change of direction given my last few posts.  But hey, when you get new information, you have every right to re-assess and potentially change the plan, right?  We’re not abandoning our adoption path, we’re just adding one more IF treatment on the side.  Here at my job, we call this a parallel path!

So on Wednesday I faxed my wonderful OB/GYN a copy of my latest BBT chart along with a letter letting him know that we were ready to stop the Clomid, that we needed a break (a potentially permanent break) and that we were looking into adoption.  He called me back the next day and we had a nice talk (he is so nice). 

He said he completely understood our need for a break and thought it was a good idea to take some pressure off for awhile.  But he reminded us that it is completely ok to take a break and come back after a few months to try something different.  I told him that I didn’t think there was much else we could try besides taking major fertility meds (injectibles) and since ovulation isn’t my problem, I didn’t really see it being something we wanted to attempt. 

At that point he suggested that IUI’s were always an option if we have cervical issues, such as hostile cervical mucus or something else.  I told him that I thought that the Catholic Church had issues with that.  He gave me a website address that has a nice concise list of Catholic approved and disapproved ART’s. 

Apparently, IUI’s are on the “neither approved nor disapproved” list, given that the “sample” is obtained through in.tercours.e using a perforated con.dom(instead of your husband going off into “the room” by himself).

I explained to him that my husband was concerned that the whole perforated co.ndom idea is just a loophole people use to justify doing it.  My doctor assured me that he did not feel that way at all.  He reaffirmed that he is a pretty conservative Catholic and that he would never suggest it for us if he thought it was against Catholic teachings.   

This knowledge obviously opened up a new door for us…IUI’s.  I had mentioned trying an IUI to M last week as a last resort (our insurance will pay for 1 IUI cycle) and he was hesitant.  But after I told him about this conversation he was 100% interested.  I think he just needed to hear it from someone who knows for him to feel ok with doing it.  Having the website to refer to was also a nice confirmation.

So M and I talked about it and we are thinking we might try it, depending on the cost.  We just don’t want to look back and regret stopping too soon.  If we didn’t have IUI as an option, we wouldn’t continue, but now that it is, we think we’d like to try it.

So anyway, we set up an appointment with my old RE because my wonderful OB/GYN doesn’t really have the office set-up to do IUI’s.  So we’re going to meet with him to discuss our options. 

While we are there, we are also going to find out more about GIFT (Gamete Intra-fallopian Transfer).  It is another “neither approved nor disapproved” method of ART.   Instead of transferring embryos, they transfer a few eggs and some “obtained from int.ercourse” sp.erm directly into your fallopian tubes.   This procedure is way less common than IVF but it avoids the Catholic issue of doctors creating embryos.

Remember awhile back when I mentioned the dangling IVF carrot.  This is the same RE.  I was just wondering if they would let me participate in their study but let me do GIFT instead of IVF?  This is the only way we would consider it since we still want to have money to continue pursuing adoption.  I asked the nurse this and she wasn’t sure if GIFT would be an option.  So this is another thing we will discuss with the RE directly at our appointment.

Like I mentioned briefly above, we are still pursuing adoption 100% as well.  We really want to get going too.  In fact, we already have an appointment for next week at our local Catholic Services agency.   Also, M finished his application to the original agency we talked to (Christian Family Services) so I’ll be sending that in soon too. 

I don’t know where this whole new parallel path will take us considering IUI’sdon’t improve your chances all that much.  But at least I feel comfortable that we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket…ya know?  It feels right to be pursuing both.  And I have been praying about our situation a lot lately and have been asking God for wisdom in helping us pursue the right things.   I just have to keep trusting him that He will work all this out the way He intends it.   

Happy Friday everyone and have a wonderful weekend!