Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Origin Story

A little about me (me, me).  I’m a professional in my early thirties living in the Midwest.  My husband and I started our (in)fertility journey a few years ago. 

We started trying to get pregnant in 2008, when I was in my late twenties.  We thought it would be sooo easy.  (Oh to be young and naive!)  For the six months or so, we were not super "serious" about it.  (Again, anyone who's gone through this knows what I'm talking about... the time before ovulation predictor kits, basal body temperature thermometers, business trips cut short for "booty calls," etc.)  We even actively stopped trying for a while after I switched jobs.

In April 2009, when we were still in our not super serious phase, my period was late.  Excited, we (okay, I was the one peeing on a stick, but he was around!) took a home pregnancy test.  Negative.  A day later, still no period in sight, we took another one.  Still negative.  The next day, period.  Light period, but I counted it and moved on.

Over the next few weeks, I became increasingly uncomfortable.  Cramps in my back.  I got what I thought was my next period early, but it lasted much longer than usual.  During that time, I went to a friend's wedding, had a teeny bit too much to drink (I've always loved sparkling wine!) and ended up throwing up before dinner was even served (in a bathroom, not in the grand ballroom) and spending the entire night in bed.  My husband and I discussed the next day how very extreme my physical reaction was to what would usually have been just enough social lubricant to make me a good dancer.  Anyway, my physical state got worse and worse over the next couple of days and my period threatened to last as long as the great flood, so finally a friend convinced me to call a doctor.

When I called my doctor's office the nurse said, "oh, it sounds like you're having a miscarriage."  No, I explained, I had failed two home pregnancy tests and was currently on my second period of the month.  [Cut to me looking into the camera while filming an episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.]  She convinced me to go take a home pregnancy test.

The last few times I'd taken home pregnancy tests, I'd splurged on the really nice ones.  You know, brand name, digital read-out, tells you if you're pregnant 15 minutes sooner, leather seats, etc.  This time I bought the cheapest one at the pharmacy a block from my office and took the test in my office bathroom.  Positive.  Immediately.  I cried, mourned my until that moment unknown pregnancy, and called my doc's office to let them know.  They wanted to check me out immediately, so I went to the hospital. 

After a very stressed out ultrasound tech spent a long time looking around inside my... you know... and anxiously demanded that I not go anywhere until my doctor talked to me, I was informed it was an ectopic pregnancy.

I'd never even heard of an ectopic pregnancy before that day.

And so began our (in)fertility journey....

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