Published in Health     0 comments – join the discussion!

Infertility was a word I never reflected upon. Not until I had the desire to get pregnant that is. I wanted to have a child, yet I wasn’t able to conceive. In hindsight, it seems that tragedies and circumstances in my life were not enabling me to conceive. The loss of a family member was what triggered (for me) what is called Amenorrhea. For one whole year I did not ovulate nor menstruate. I was in my mid 20s, in the height of my conceiving years, yet I could not even produce an egg.

This condition set forward a sequence of events and steps that my husband and I had to take and endured for years to come. It was a very trying, sad, emotionally exhausting time for the both of us, a mentally and physically excruciating time for me.

I was now facing the beginning of a very long and painful journey. Reading about statistics and options was my first step. Soon began regular OBGYN appointments and procedures as well as the start of a rigorous and trying IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) program that took years. Initially it’s simple enough where you begin taking your temperature every morning to determine at what point of your cycle you ovulate. When it was determined I wasn’t ovulating then pharmaceutical intervention was soon introduced. The two drugs used on me in order to induce ovulation were Clomid (Clomifene) and Pergonal. The one most effective in my case was the injectable form of Pergonal. Stronger and more effective was what I was told.

Menotropins

Once the drug intervention began, soon followed a series of procedures my OBGYN recommended and used on me. She deemed them all as necessary diagnostic tools.

HSG is short form for Hysterosalpingogram. That is a test wherein a technician injects a dye into the uterus to see if the fallopian tubes are free and clear, and that the uterus has a normal healthy shape. The test is somewhat painful and very intimidating as you are put into a drum similar to an MRI machine.

Laparoscopy is a procedure in which an instrument called a laparoscope is inserted through the belly button to allow it to examine inside the abdomen, looking into the cavity of the uterus. A laparoscope examines the tubes and organs inside the body. I was told it was a form of reproductive surgery.

Artificial Insemination (AI) is a procedure where the sperm is placed in the female uterus by means of a syringe. The sperm used for AI is generally filtered and washed beforehand so that only the healthiest and most active sperm are injected into the cervix.

And finally we entered the IVF program - In Vitro Fertilization is designed to transfer a fertilized embryo into the uterus. Usually more than one embryo is transferred in order to enhance the likelihood of conceiving…at times resulting in multiples. The entire process is very specific and involves multiple steps including the retrieval of a woman’s eggs that are inseminated in a dish in a hospital laboratory. Each stage is complex and is always associated with pain and risk.

Although we were not successful in our IVF attempts, it is an elective form of treatment that many couples should possibly consider, who have been otherwise unable to conceive. Those three letters are branded into my memory now. IVF has come a long way and is used successfully for many happy couples, just not in my case.

The causes and reasons for infertility range and come in many forms, yet through all of the tests, surgeries and drug interventions, no doctor or specialist could ever determine the reason(s) for my infertility.

In my perception after the fact, I would have done things differently. Aside from the fact that I am now a believer that if you’re not happy in a marriage or relationship, that many factors associated with that can trigger symptoms and problems that are ‘telling’ you something. That said I would have pursued a different course or direction in dealing with my infertility. My itinerary would not have entailed years of agonizing treatments and expensive prescription drugs.

Homeopathy would have been my method of choice if I knew then what I know now about myself. Homeopathy offers many forms of natural fertility treatment options. As for alternative medical systems, it can boost your individual immune system and deal with issues surrounding physical and emotional circumstances that circumvent your ultimate goal of conceiving. Homeopathy deals with infertility on an individual need according to one’s symptoms. It looks at our physical, mental and emotional platforms. Many would say it may take years to accomplish any positive results, and what I would say to that is think about the years of pain and agony through conventional medicines and you will most definitely try alternatives. It’s worth trying and I believe the results will ultimately be what you’re looking for in more ways than one.

Bookmark & Share