Our Journey to Addison--Part 2

Wayne went to see the urologist on a Wednesday in March 2005. Dr. Honea had explained that some men have an issue with veins that causes issues with fertility and that is the worst we were expecting. Since it was just supposed to be an ordinary visit and I had missed a good bit of work due to the many appointments I had, I didn't go to the doctor with Wayne. I remember him calling me as he was leaving the doctor's office late in the afternoon. He explained that when they did an ultrasound, the technician saw a couple of unusual spots. The doctor said there was a chance it was caused by an infection, but the more likely explanation was cancer. Never in a million years was that what I was expecting to hear. The doctor put Wayne on a strong antibiotic hoping that it was just an infection and told him to come back the next week. That was a terribly long week, but we are truly blessed by wonderful family and friends who lifted us up both physically when we needed it as well as lifting us up in prayer.

Of course I was there for the next appointment. Unfortunately the spots had not changed whatsoever. So, the doctor explained that the likelihood of these spots being cancerous was very high. He explained the process of surgery and follow-up treatments if they were needed. He explained that a biopsy was not an option because it would likely cause the spread of cells in the spot which could expose other body parts to the cancerous cells. He also explained that possible side effects could include total loss of fertility. So, he strongly urged us to consider using the cryopreservation service offered by our fertility program before the surgery. This was a suggestion we followed.

Wayne's surgery was scheduled for April 15th--the 10 year anniversary from our first date. Thankfully the surgery went very well. I was blessed to have a waiting room full of family and friends there to keep my mind occupied during the surgery. The doctor told me it would take a few days to get the pathology report back, but he definitely felt it was cancer and he thought they were able to take all of it out. After the pathology report came back, we found out it was cancer, but it was the slowest growing form of cancer found in that location and it had not spread into the lymphatic system. The doctor still recommended 4 weeks of daily radiation treatments, but felt Wayne's outcome would be very good. So, every day for 4 weeks, Wayne left work early and went to Brookwood for his radiation treatment. He took some heavy duty nausea medication daily which helped to prevent nausea, but his appetite was terrible and he was tired all the time. He was seen by the urologist and oncologist weekly during that summer. At the end of summer, he was given the "all clear"--no signs of cancer remaining. He continued to see the urologist and oncologist monthly for a few months and still continues to see them every six months even now. He is over 3 years past his initial diagnosis and chances of recurrence now a very slim. Praise God!!! This is just another example of God's hand working through our infertility. Wayne had no signs of the cancer when it was diagnosed and this type of cancer is usually diagnosed only after it has spread to another organ or system. At that point, the outcome is not as positive. So, if we hadn't been struggling with infertility, chances are Wayne's cancer would not have been diagnosed so early and he may not be the health man I'm married to now.

Through the process of trying to make sense of Wayne's cancer, I convinced myself that his early diagnosis was the reason we were having trouble getting pregnant. So I was convinced that as soon as we were able to try again, I would get pregnant. We had to wait 6 months after Wayne's last radiation treatment to get started back with the fertility treatments. Although his fertility was affected somewhat by the surgery and radiation, we still had the possibility of getting pregnant. It was just going to be a little more challenging. I was put on a new combination of oral medications and we tried IUI a couple more times. This just lead to another few months of disappointment and no baby. We met with the doctor again who suggested trying another combination of medications, but this time one of the medications would be injectable. This meant giving myself a shot in the stomach each evening for about a week every month. Before this new treatment plan could be approved, I had to demonstrate to the nurse that I could give myself a shot. So, I was given instructions on how to do it and then I had to give myself a shot of sterile water before I could leave the office with the prescription. I was able to do it despite my shaking hands and upset stomach. I left the office with the prescription for the injectables in hand and cried all the way to the specialty pharmacy to have it filled.

This was just the first in a long series of injectable medicines. Thankfully God gave me the strength to give myself the shots when I needed them. I also have a wonderful mother who was able to give me the hip shots that I wasn't able to reach myself. I hate to even think of the number of needles I have stuck into myself over the past 3 years. I know I filled up 3 sharps containers. But every single stick was worth it now that we have our little Addison on the way.

Nursery update: Our schedule has been very busy over the past couple weeks, so the nursery isn't quite as far along as I had hoped it would be by now. Wayne is determined to make it perfect, so every uneven surface has been smoothed and sanded before it is painted. I'm excited to report that he spent the day today painting and has now finished up the priming and painting for the walls. He's cleaning up the paint rollers now. All that is left should be the trim if those 2 coats of paint covered up that awful green sponge-painting.

We go Wednesday for the 4-D ultrasound and my next appointment with the OB. I'll try to post pictures on Wednesday.

Wednesday is also a big day for one of my co-workers, Daphne. She is in the process of adopting a little boy from Ethiopia and his court date is scheduled for Wednesday. Please pray that all goes well for her and little Ben.

Until next time,
Rebecca