“The Ride of a Lifetime”
The Cherovsky family and their little miracle, Erin; Kewanee, MN

My name is Sarah and I am a mom! This story is about the roller coaster ride my husband Mike and I took to become parents. When we decided to start a family after ten years of marriage, we assumed that everything would go smoothly. After a year of no success, we decided that we needed to get on the infamous roller coaster. We endured every test imaginable. We hoped for an easy answer, a simple solution. The diagnosis: unexplained infertility. Those words still sting. My friends told us to relax, but at every turn we saw pregnant women and babies. Our pain was undeniable.

We tried talking ourselves into believing that being a childless couple was going to be fine. We talked about exotic vacations and other activities that we could do more easily without children. These conversations lasted less than one week.

We began doing more research and found that endometriosis can cause infertility. I had almost every symptom. I met with a reproductive endocrinologist in Madison, Wisconsin, who agreed that this could in fact be the issue. What I was told would be a simple laparoscopy to remove my endometriosis turned into an extensive surgery with a long recovery. I was told that endometrial tissue had not only adhered to my reproductive organs, but had grown extensively throughout my abdomen including my intestines and bladder. My hope of ever carrying a child was squelched when I was told that the only step in removing the remaining endometriosis would be through a hysterectomy. I cannot put into the words the intense pain that we felt at those words.

At my post—surgical check-up in Madison, we were told that intra-uterine inseminations might be successful. After a year of long commutes to Madison and many failed IUI’s, we felt there was nothing more we could do. It’s difficult when you commit to something, when you care so deeply, and you are left feeling hopeless. It’s as if the roller coaster we were on kept stopping short of the crest of the most thrilling hill; not allowing us to see or experience what was just over the top.

We had been on our roller coaster for over four years when we began contemplating IVF. Did we really want to go through this? We were frightened. We knew IVF would be our last chance. I was 35 and felt my hopes diminishing as my endometriosis advanced. We hoped that if we chose IVF, it would take us over the largest hill on the roller coaster…and up, down, around, and through every exciting twist, turn, and loop that having a child offers.

It was at this point that I put in the path of a wonderful nurse practitioner in Green Bay, Wisconsin who shared what would turn out to be the most remarkable information and advice imaginable. She told me her own story of infertility and how her and her husband had chosen IVF. But, the most wonderful thing she shared was a photograph of her daughter. There was hope! She advised me on my future medical care and put us in contact with the physicians who would help.

After meeting with Dr. Ricardo Castillo from Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Associates in Woodbury, Minnesota, we knew we could be parents. He explained the IVF process. Within months of first investigating IVF, I had begun my first stimulation cycle using Repronex and Gonal-F. Every few days I had a follicular ultrasound and blood work to monitor how I was responding to the stimulation. The egg retrieval went smoothly and two days later, five long years after dreaming of being parents, Dr. Castillo transferred two embryos into my uterus. We found out that we would not have any embryos that could be frozen. Now it was time to wait and pray.

I will never forget when I was called a week and half afterward with the test results. I won’t keep you in suspense. I was going to be a mother! My husband was going to be a father! We were going to be parents! Thirty-four weeks later on June 16, 2005, our son Lance was born by cesarean section. With no frozen embryos and having ended up on best rest with pre-eclampsia, my husband and I decided that we would be a one-child family.

But our ride doesn’t end there. Our heart told us that Lance needed a sibling. We met with Dr. Castillo again. This time I was going to be using different stimulation medications: Menopur and Bravelle. Mixing and administering Menopur and Bravelle in a single injection was much easier than having to draw up medication from ampules or having to do the multiple injections that were necessary with our first IVF cycle!

With use of Menopur and Bravelle my ovaries stimulated beautifully with no signs of hyperstimulation. The process had gone ever more smoothly this time. Again, Dr. Castillo transferred two embryos into my uterus. Eighteen months after the birth of our son, our daughter Erin was born on December 12, 2006. We were so fortunate to have again had success on our first IVF cycle!

Now we see a part of ourselves each time we gaze into our children’s beautiful, smiling eyes. Whether it is the precious moments spent rocking them, singing silly songs, or even kissing away their tears, each moment has been a thrilling part of the roller coaster we are so happy we got on. This ride gets more exciting with each passing day! I can’t imagine if we had allowed fear or uncertainty to redirect us. The IVF process was perfect for our situation.

We will be eternally grateful to everyone who helped us realize our dreams. Our hearts are filled with a joy we could never have imagined possible.