Update: 33 Weeks

I know it has been a really long time since I have posted an update. I have just been so busy holding my breath and trying to get things ready for Everley. I guess I haven't wanted to jinx how well things have been going either.

So, as the title of this post says, I am 33 weeks pregnant. Around 20-24 weeks, Everley was measuring a little small and she had me pretty worried because that is simply what I do best ;) and that is just what you do when you have gone through all that we have. But, by our next growth scan at 27 weeks, Everley had caught up for the most part and the maternal fetal medicine specialist that we were seeing released us because Everley was doing so well. I am going weekly for appointments with my regular OB doctor and for non-stress tests to keep an eye on Everley's heart rate and my uterus. Everley does not always like to cooperate for her non-stress tests so that makes my visits longer some days, but she is doing great, just keeping us on our toes!

Dr. Duffy, the reproductive endocrinologist that did my uterine surgery last May, has been keeping a check on me through his nurse, which is so nice! I actually got to talk to him this past weekend and he really helped to ease my mind about some things. I can't say it enough - I love Dr. Duffy! He is just the best!

We are so thankful for everyone's continued love and support. We have been blessed and comforted by your prayers and thoughts - please keep those coming! There are always two missing pieces, Jonah and Harper...and that is something we are troubled by on a daily basis. These last several weeks are sure to be filled with anxiety for us, even as we trust God with our precious Everley...we just can't believe we have made it this far, as this is the farthest we have ever been. We cannot wait to hold Everley in our arms!

I will leave y'all with a picture of Everley Carolina Willis and her precious lips and nose!

Surgery

I had surgery a few weeks ago to correct my septated uterus. Dr. Duffy had told me that the only way to be sure that my uterus was septated and not bicornuate would be to have the laparoscopic/hysteroscopic surgery. And thankfully, my uterus was indeed septated. Dr. Duffy removed 90-95% of the septum and he also removed some endometriosis while he was in there. For different reasons, my surgery lasted about three and a half hours instead of 45 minutes like we thought. So, I felt rough for a solid two weeks. Dr. Duffy left a balloon catheter in my uterus for four days following surgery, to help make sure my uterus started to heal up properly and once it was removed I felt a little better but I honestly felt sore, drained, crampy and bloated for two weeks. 

I went back to Dr. Duffy recently for a checkup and everything looks really good via ultrasound. But, this is just the first step. I have been on lots of estrogen since the surgery and after my appointment Dr. Duffy also put me on progesterone for a little while. After all of this medicine is over, I will be on birth control for several months as my body adjusts and gets back to a normal cycle. We have quite a bit ahead of us before we can try for a baby, but I still can't believe that it is possible. Please pray that my body continues to heal and that God will prepare me me and Aaron for whatever lies ahead. Also, if anyone who reads this blog (even if it is 10 years from now) ever has any questions about the surgery and all, please message me or email me and I will gladly answer any questions I can. One of the purposes of this blog is to help others who may find themselves in a similar situation and there is not much information out there, believe me, I've searched!

I'm so thankful the surgery is behind me and I am so very thankful that God led me to Dr. Duffy! 

What Is Next

So, I went a couple weeks ago to Jacksonville and had a Saline Sonogram done by Dr. Duffy. He wanted to look for himself at my uterus and he told me that this type of ultrasound would tell us much more than just a regular ultrasound. During the procedure, Dr. Duffy showed me, after looking for quite a while, that it appears to him as if my uterus is septated. He then looked at the images from the MRI that I had done in 2012 with me and Aaron and he showed us on those images why he thinks my uterus is septated and not bicornuate.

If you are confused, maybe this will help: If my uterus is bicornuate, the surgery to correct it is controversial at best and it will still not make it to where I can carry a pregnancy on my own, which is why we have been pursuing IVF with a gestational carrier, Kristi. We were doing this because this was the only way we could have our own child since surgery was not going to help. If my uterus is actually septated, this changes everything. Surgery to correct a septated uterus is done laparoscopically and vaginally so it is not as invasive. So, recovery is quicker and surgery is not quite as scary. On top of that, correcting my uterus (if it is septated) will make it possible for me to carry my own child and change my pregnancy outcomes to that of a normal 27 year old woman with a normal uterus. Like I said, this could change everything.

These days, from what Dr. Duffy has told me, 3D ultrasound is considered the gold standard when trying to distinguish between a bicornuate uterus and a septated uterus. The clinic I go to does not have the 3D equipment to do a 3D ultrasound though. But, Dr. Duffy was trying out the equipment in his office last week with the help of some sonographers and he invited me to come so that he could get a really good look at my uterus. So, me and Aaron went and Dr. Duffy was so thrilled with this new technology and the clarity the pictures provided. After the 3D ultrasound Dr. Duffy is certain that my uterus is septated, not bicornuate. And all hope is not lost.

I will be having surgery to correct my septated uterus. We are still working on the details of when. I have wrestled with thoughts of how all of this will sound to people. I have wrestled with thoughts about all that people have done for us and given to us so that we could do IVF four times with Kristi. But I have come to this conclusion: not one bit of any of it has been a waste. Not one dime. Not one minute of this IVF journey. We have met so many people and shared our story of hope and longing with so.many.people. We have seen over and over how much people care about us and every bit of help we have received has blessed our hearts and helped us get to this point. We have gotten to know all the nurses and lab techs at the FIRM in Jacksonville. They have all watched us smile through the tears and the hurt over this past year and I hope that the way we have lived out all of this, thus far, has done nothing short of point them to Jesus Christ and the hope that only He can give. We have gotten to know Eric and Kristi and their beautiful family over the past year and we are so grateful for this friendship. We will always be grateful for how Kristi has sacrificed so much over the last year to help us.  Kristi holds a special place in our hearts, and she will forever.

We are being cautiously optimistic. We are looking forward to surgery because of the hope it brings, but it will be no walk in the park. We do not know how long the healing process will take, as we are still sorting through all of the information and scheduling the surgery. So, we don't know when we will be able to start trying on our own to get pregnant. Typing this makes my heart skip a beat and sink at the same time. I never thought I would be able to try to get pregnant again. And while it is amazing to hear, it is terrifying. 

So, please keep praying for us. Please pray for Dr. Duffy as he will be doing my surgery. Please pray for me and Aaron because the days are long and too much sometimes, even despite the encouraging news of a septated uterus instead of a bicornuate one. 

What a journey this is.