An ART Success Story Ends With a Double Blessing

By Laura Mann

After a year of marriage, my husband Michael and I decided to start a family. We tried unsuccessfully for over a year, so I scheduled an appointment to see Kathy Hill, CRNP at Dr. John David Wheeler’s office. After some routine tests, they determined that Michael had azoospermia, or no sperm in the ejaculate. Then we saw a urologist who determined that we could have children with assisted reproduction. A friend who had been a patient of the ART Fertility Program of Alabama in Birmingham recommended them based on their expert and compassionate care. I scheduled our first appointment in 2002. They determined that we would have to do IVF (in vitro fertilization) along with TESA (Testicular Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

Several months later we began our first in vitro cycle. The entire cycle took about three months. The first month was pretty easy. Take a pill a day, and come in periodically for blood work and ultrasounds. The second month was a little more hectic. I was given a calendar that showed me day by day which shot(s) to take, which pill(s) to take, when to have sex, when to abstain, and when labs, ultrasounds, or procedures were scheduled. It was very precise. However, there was always a nurse available to answer my questions; I never felt abandoned during the whole cycle.

The last month was mostly a waiting game. You wait to see how many eggs were retrieved, how many embryos are developing, how many are ready to implant, and most importantly, the results of the pregnancy test. I had my pregnancy test at the satellite office in Huntsville. They took the blood and told me to go home and relax; they would call me by the end of the day. I went home, but I certainly didn’t relax! The call came and the tone of the nurse’s voice gave me my answer immediately. She said, “Hey Laura, the results came back, and I’m so sorry but it was negative.”

I assured the nurse I would be okay. Then I cried for a long time. It seemed really cruel. What happens for most people in the privacy of their home had been turned into a cold, sterile procedure that was unsuccessful. I had put my body (and my check book) through a lot without any compensation.

But we moved on and decided one day we would try again. Last year I got a call from my grandmother. She told me that if I was going to have a baby I better get to it, or she would be too old to rock! Michael and I decided to try again. Since it had been four years since we last saw ART, I had to do some of the preliminary stuff again. Everything was fine so we began our second IVF cycle.
When they found a cyst on one of my ovaries we had to wait another month. We started again in August, 2006. They implanted two embryos without a hitch. Then, on October 17, 2007, I got the best phone call that I have ever gotten: I was pregnant! A few weeks later we learned it was twins. In December Dr. Honea released me to the care of my Ob/Gyn. On June 6, 2007, Noah Michael and Lexi LaJoyce were born. They were both healthy and held a record for 2007 weighing in at 7 lbs. 13 oz and 7 lbs. 6 oz.

Overall it took us 7 years to have these babies. They were definitely worth the wait. The knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate staff at the ART clinic is amazing. I never felt like a number or an experiment. I would recommend Dr. Honea and the other staff at the ART Program of Alabama to any couple seeking help with reproduction.