In December, we were hit with the news we’d been dreading: our fertility journey might be at an end unless we found a surrogate. The IVF provider we’d worked with for three years delivered that verdict – and then offered no real guidance, no next steps, and no support.
So we did what we’ve learned to do best by now: we started researching. Frantically.
That’s when we discovered that one of the top surgeons for Jess’ condition (Asherman’s syndrome) has an office in Naperville, Illinois – the same place Jess went to college and lived for nearly a decade. It felt strange and familiar at the same time, like the universe quietly nudging us.
We spoke with him on the phone last week, and for the first time in a long while, the conversation felt hopeful. After hearing our story, he was genuinely optimistic. Shortly after, we officially became patients of Dr. Charles Miller.
Yesterday, we made our first trip down to his office. During the exam, it took him about 15 seconds to identify a major missing piece of the puzzle: Jess has a T-shaped uterus. We honestly don’t even know how many ultrasounds, scans, and procedures she’s had over the years, and somehow this had never been caught. A quick Google search suggests it can be associated with Asherman’s and recurrent adhesions, which suddenly makes a lot of things click.
Dr. Miller explained that there’s been some success reshaping the uterus in cases like this, and he’s willing to try – potentially as soon as next month. For the first time in a long time, we feel like someone is actually connecting the dots.
We’ll also be brainstorming ways to afford another egg retrieval through his office. After everything we’ve learned and experienced, it’s hard not to feel like we’re finally in more capable hands.
Immediately after our appointment, we headed to a hospital just down the road to visit Jess’ mom before her major abdominal surgery. It was one of those days that holds everything at once – hope and fear, relief and exhaustion, gratitude and worry.
What a day. Full of ups and downs!
