Exciting News...

Before I get to my exciting news, you have to read all of the background information. And to forewarn you, it is pretty detailed.

Since I was in college my periods have been irregular. I could go for months and not have one. It bothered me, and whenever I went in to the doctor for my yearly they would just put me on the pill. However, that wasn't giving me any information about why it was happening. When Gail and I got married I starting worrying about being able to have children because doctors had always put me on the pill and that obviously doesn't help when you want to have a baby. We weren't ready so I just put it out of my mind. After being married for 3 years, I wanted to start our family, but he wasn't ready yet. I talked to my sister and Gail's sister about my worries. I told them that I figured I would have to do fertility treatments to be able to have a family. Both informed me that insurance companies would not pay for those treatments unless you have been trying for a year. Gail and I talked about it and decided that I should go to the doctor so that it would be "documented". She put me on a pill that was to regulate my period. Two months later, we were expecting. I still didn't have a reason as to why I was so irregular. We were shocked and overjoyed that we were going to be parents. The local doctor does not deliver babies so he gave me the option of staying with him until I was seven months along and then going to a different doctor, or just going ahead and going somewhere at that time. We talked it over and decided to go with Dr. Carr out of Kirksville. At my first appointment he did an ultrasound and found a cyst in my right ovary. At first I thought "Wait a minute. I'm not pregnant and it was just a cyst!!" However, I had both a baby and a cyst. He monitored if for several months and over time it grew from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a softball. It was a dermoid cyst (you'll have to look that one up) and could have been potentially deadly to the baby and myself if it burst. Plus, with it being inside my ovary, if I would have survived, the chances of having any more children would be slim to none. So, at just over 3 months pregnant it was removed. The rest of my pregnancy was smooth sailing and on July 1, 2007 (2 days overdue) little Lydia Eileen joined the world. What a wonderful day that was!! Three years later at my yearly check-up, Dr. Carr found more cysts in my ovaries. He ran some tests and I finally figured out the cause of my crazy cycle. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. I did some reading about the syndrome and realized that I had several of the symptoms: crazy cycle, being overweight, random hairs on my face, etc. I had a name!! Dr. Carr also told me that when we were ready to have more children he suggested I go on fertility treatments. That thought worried me because I did not want more than one child. I talked to Gail about it and decided to put it off for a year and see what happens because we weren't ready to start trying again. Well, in December we had the talk and decided to start trying. I wanted to go back to Dr. Carr and start treatments because I was afraid that it would take forever. Gail did not want the treatments. He talked me into waiting until the summer by saying that we should just try naturally for awhile and if it didn't work then I could start them. We tried for three months. January and February my cycle started. (I figured that it would come regularly for awhile because I had been taking the pill.) Then in March it didn't come. I took a test after "the first day of your missed period" and it was negative. I was heartbroken. I talked to Gail about wanting to get started on the treatments, but he didn't want me to. I was furious, but didn't want to do something that major without his agreeing to it. So I decided to just wait. Later that week, I had symptoms that it was going to start, but it didn't. Those symptoms continues the entire next week. I finally talked myself into taking a test (knowing that it too would be negative). I waiting until first thing in the morning when they say to take them, and praise the Lord it was POSITIVE!! We had done it!! I sat on the toilet and cried for about 5 minutes and then started wondering if it was a false positive. So, on the way to work I called my sister to tell her (she was the first person I told with Lydia) and I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought 2 more tests. Later that morning I took another test, and it was positive as well. After school that day I went all over Kirksville to find one of the "Going to be a Big Sister" shirts for Lydia as the way to tell Gail, but I couldn't find one anywhere. I couldn't wait to tell Gail so I have to come up with a new way. I had to pick him up somewhere when I got home so I just took out the 2 positive tests and showed them to him while I was driving down the road. He just smiled and said, "I told you so." I order the shirt that night on the Internet and that is how we told our parents. The due date is November 27, 2011. After I went to the doctor (Dr. Speak now because Dr. Carr retired) he found another cyst in my left ovary this time. At the appointment it was 1 cm and five days later it was 3 cm. I'm worried about it and the possibility of having to have surgery again, but I know that the baby and I are in God's hands. So, start praying for us!!