Humbled

Just when I thought I was an expert in infertility, I have learned that the world of infertility and treatment is even bigger than even I had anticipated.  I have learned that we have basic infertility which is treated with basic treatments.  One more lesson learned...another reason to be grateful. 
In Canada we are very limited by the laws surrounding reproductive technology.  We cannot pay for sperm or egg donors nor can we pay someone to be a gestational carrier (surrogate mother).  These laws are a lot different in the US.  At one point during our treatment our doctor suggested donor sperm.  We knew from the very beginning that we were never going to be secretive and that our kids would always know how they came to be.  I think that "dropping the bomb" when they are older would be hard on them so they already know as much as they can comprehend and that knowledge will improve as they get older.  We had a hard time figuring out how we could explain donor sperm to a child.  And we didn't want to be forever haunted by the question of who he or she looked like.  Lily doesn't look like us and Jack does.  It's a lot more simple.  But anyway...the point of all that is that donor sperm is an option in Canada, but I think it is less common due to the inability to compensate donors for their donation. 
But back to the point at hand.  I have recently learned of much more complex cases of infertility that have ended in success.  My eyes have been opened up to the world of chromosomal testing, pre-genetic diagnosis, donor eggs, donor sperm, and surrogacy.  While the Calgary clinic is the best in Canada, I have now learned of an amazing clinic in the US that can help those couples who are "unhelpable" in Canada.
While I am humbled by the fact that I now know much less about infertility, I am incredibly excited to learn of new hope.  Up until now I have looked at basic IVF as the last option in treatments.  I have had so many people say to me, "This is our last chance.  What if this doesn't work?" and I have thought that exact same thing myself.  Now I know of more options for creating families.  While it is much more expensive and much more time consuming....it's impossible to put a price on family.


Colorado Centre for Reproductive Medicine - Making Dreams Conceivable