Sunday Morning:
Jonathan, Mom, Dad, and I got in the car around 10:30 to leave my sister and her family in Columbus, Georgia to head to the airport in Atlanta. My poor mother had woken up throwing up that morning and on our way to the airport, she threw up again. My heart was hurting for her...she felt REALLY bad. So we had to stop off at a Love's to get her showered off and changed after that whole incident. Then by the time we finally made it to the airport, we only had 50 minutes before our flight left. THEN when we got to the security checkpoint there are literally 300 people there. From that point I knew it was going to take a miracle to get us on that 1:20 flight. I said a prayer right then (and come to find out Jonathan and my mom were saying the same prayer). I said, "God, I really need a little bit of an endorsement here. I can't go into this appointment tomorrow feeling like *maybe* it was you who was throwing these roadblocks in our way. If this is something you are truly wanting us to do, I need you to give me a blatant thumbs up in some way...". Through the security checkpoint we go...WORST experience ever. Had to be held back from slugging a TSA agent, my poor sick mother was giving them a piece of her mind, and Jonathan was having to keep the both of us calm while keeping himself from strangling one of them. So by the time we finally get through the line it is 1:22. Our flight led at 1:20. We briskly walk to the gate fully expecting to have to rebook flights. And lo and behold...the plane for our 1:20 flight is STILL AT THE GATE!!! It's 1:27 and they have just announced that there are "3 standby seats available" until we come running up to the gate with our boarding passes. We are the last 3 people on that flight. It should have already left. And for me, that was all the "thumbs up" I needed. It was all the endorsement I needed! The three of us couldn't sit together, but once we landed we all reconvened and had spent that 2 hour flight marveling at the miracle that was us making this flight. We met my dad back in the Dallas airport and he and my mom prayed over us before we caught our flight to OKC. Jonathan and I were both just in awe of how things had played out. Jonathan just kept saying, "I just have a really good feeling about all this now." We made it safely to OKC!
Sunday Night:
Starting around 4:00, I started getting a literal FLOOD of texts, emails, phone calls, Facebook messages, etc. SO many people sending us love and prayers and encouragement for our appointment on Monday morning. I was floored. To say that my cup was running over is the understatement of the century. God was saying, "Rachel, here's your endorsement." Left and right and all through the evening, Jonathan and I both continued to get words of encouragement from so many people. Bernice and Charlie had also replaced my "family bracelet" (the bracelet that all of us Womacks wear alike...mine had been swiped at the Dominica airport on our way home...) and they gave it to me over dinner to remind me that they were all with us. I went to bed that night full of peace. I just knew it was going to be ok...
Our Monday Morning Appointment:
Our appointment was at 9:00 so we got there around 8:45. Hand over our paperwork and sit in the waiting room. I kept staring at the glass door that said OU Physicians Reproductive Medicine and having to pinch myself...we were finally here! They called us back and I swear this office staff was once of the best medical office staffs I've ever dealt with. All of them made us feel like our case was their one and only priority. They made us feel loved and comforted. They took my vitals and then Dr. Hansen came in. He was such a warm and inviting man, but SO very focused and knowledgable. He was so calming to talk to. He said, "You know, I've dealt with many couples in your situation and I normally suggest lots of diagnostic testing and some 'less invasive procedures' first. But I see that the two of you have pretty much been through the gamet already and it sounds like you are ready to pursue IVF. Am I right?" Of course we said YES! And he said, "You both seem like you are going into this fully aware. It sounds like everything I'm telling you are things you already know. You guys know what you're doing here. So I'm ready to help you get there." Did you get goosebumps?? Just wait! I have been stressing about that stupid hysteroscope/laproscope procedure for months now. Dr. Hansen, however, doesn't automatically do either of those unless other testing reveals problems!! AND he is not requiring us to have another HSG done! He said the likelihood of something new developing there since my last one is pretty low and even if for some reason my tubes are damaged or closed, it doesn't matter. We're bypassing them anyway! So he will do a sonohystogram in a few weeks and *if* he sees something there, he will do a hysteroscope to go in and get it. But he said that 9 times out of 10 *if* he finds something, it's just a uterine polyp. The removal of which doesn't hinder our timeline at all. So basically we are pretty much cleared for take off! I had lots of blood drawn for hormone testing and genetic testing. Jonathan will go in on Monday for his IVF workup. We are off and running! THEN Connie, Dr. Hansen's nurse, comes in to say "Alright Rachel, when you start your period this week you need to call me immediately. I don't want to miss this period...we want to get started RIGHT now!" Once again, something I'd been hoping and praying for. Word for word, she said what I had been hoping they'd say. We are getting things started THIS cycle! So here's the loose timeline for now:
Thursday-ish 6/19-I start a normal period and start Birth Control
Monday 6/23-Jonathan goes in for his IVF spermie work up
Week of 7/3-ART Screening (Assisted Reproductive Technology...I'll explain that a little later)
Thursday-ish 7/17-Day 1 of our first IVF cycle!
Saturday 8/9-Our "start date" (which just means that's when I will start the ovarian stimulation drugs)
Week of 8/18-Egg Retrieval will be scheduled
Week of 8/25-Transfer will be scheduled
Week of 9/1-We find out if we are PREGNANT!
It's all very exciting and VERY real now. I mean, in the next 10 weeks we could take a positive pregnancy test again for the first time in over 5 years! Keep those prayers and words of encouragement coming, y'all. We are just overwhelmed with all the love and support. God is working mightily through all of you to remind us of His presence and of His purpose. Here's hoping this whole process goes as well as the first step has gone. If so, 2014 might just be referred to as our "Year of Miracles"...
Here we go...off on our Great Adventure!
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