Susan's story

Two months after we were married, I lovingly informed Andrew that we would start increasing our family immediately. I was married 8 days after my 31st birthday and as someone who’d been baby hungry since I was 3….I was beyond ready to have children! I was devastated when we weren’t pregnant the first month! I mean, isn’t that how it worked? You tried…and then you conceived? (for further explanation, kids, ask your parents) Apparently my body, and my loving Heavenly Father, had a different idea.



After a year of trying to get pregnant on our own, we started the medical journey known in our house as Fertility Fun! We were happily referred to a doctor we’d both known when he was the high councilman for our singles’ ward. He also happens to be the best fertility doctor in Houston (and one of the best in the nation). After our first few months of testing with him, he was able to successfully diagnose our problem: Unexplained Infertility. ….Excuse me? Unexplained Infertility?! That’s what’s causing this monthly bout of depression? UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY?!?! (Ok…so I’m still coming to terms with this.) To me this said, “there is no medical reason you’re not able to conceive….it’s 100%, absolutely, without-a-doubt in God’s all-knowing hands.” *sigh* Ok, fine. If this is what He wants…then I’m all about grinning and bearing (…with little moments of whining thrown in for good measure, a’course!).



We began the process with the simplest of fertility treatments – the IUI. It’s so simple, in fact, that our chances of it working are only 8%. Why do it, you ask? Because it’s a mere tenth of the cost of the real thing and since my insurance covers nothing (and I mean NOTHING) of fertility treatments, it would’ve been irresponsible not to try. Over that first year with our sweet doc, we tried 3 IUI’s, all resulting in a big fat nothing. Yes, we spread them out quite a bit…but this emotional ride meant that I needed time to recover after failing each one.



After failing our 3rd IUI, our doctor said it was time to pull out the big guns. Enough of this “8% success rate”! Let’s throw everything in and go for a “55% success rate!” (Note: The national average success rate for an ICSI IVF, the procedure we’re doing, is 35%). And so, after almost 3 years of trying to get pregnant, we are gearing ourselves for an IVF. This is a 6 week long process, complete with at least 7 different pills, at least 5 different kinds of injections (total injects is well over 100), all lasting….well, longer than I’d like. But it will all be worth it…if, at the end, we’d have a little person that was 50% me and 50% Andrew.



Why this website? We honestly could make it work financially if none of you donated. Honestly. When Andrew’s sweet sister, Jill, approached us about hosting this site, we were apprehensive. We’d been on the receiving end of so much love and so many prayers as it is, we couldn’t possibly ask for anything else. …But we’re not asking. Jill is. …So there. Also, we don’t care if you donate or not. We’re only sending this site to our closest friends and family…and we know that if you have nothing else, you have your faith and prayers. …And honestly, I kinda want that more than your money.



However, if you DO choose to donate, know that we couldn’t possibly thank you enough. As I said before, our insurance covers nothing of this process. We’ve already put in well over $5,000 of our money and by the end of this will have put in much much more. Think of it as buying stock in our kids. Perhaps down the line, when questions or problems arise, we’ll put it forth to the stock holders to decide – Jr.’s visiting friend broke the neighbor’s window – who pays? Discuss. …See? Could be fun!


Thank you all for your love. This truly is the most difficult trial of my life….but I have felt nothing but comfort through the entire thing knowing we are surrounded by such wonderful people. I know that this whole process is the way our Heavenly Father has planned it. If He wants our child to be the most loved, the most anticipated, the most expensive baby ever….bring it on.

~Susan

Bucks For Baby!

Andrew, Susan, and their doctor request a little help in welcoming baby Gardiner into mortality. Your donations via PayPal will help get the little tyke here in time for next Christmas. The medical procedure will cost about $15,000. Please give so Andrew and Susan can realize their dream.