Infertility

[Hail_Linus]

Thank you, Hail Linus. That is exactly the way I see it. I am struggling with infertility and am currently receiving treatments from a NaPro Technology doctor. I read that passage in the Catechism, and I was not insulted or saddened by it. It has nothing to do with me personally, but my condition. I agree that infertility is not an absolute evil, nor is the Cross of Christ.

Although my wife and I have become sterile as a result of an illness, we were able to have a child just in time and I would like to share how we did it in the chance it might help somebody.

My wife was 39 when we began trying. We even got one of those clear blue monitors. We noticed she never reached the egg symbol and were very disappointed. However, we read somewhere that what this meant was that her window of fertility was very short. We figured out her cycle using the clear blue to determine when the egg symbol should appear on the monitor. Since we knew her window of opportunity was very short we had to make sure my guys were present for that short window so we made sure to begin trying 3 days prior. Our theory worked and we had a son. Another suggestion is if lubricant is required that you use fem glide gel which is supposedly sperm-friendly.

I really wish I could have at least one more child. My son has a mild form of autism and it is causing me a lot of stress and anxiety. I love him like crazy and we are very bonded but I am 44 now and he is only six. When he is an adult I will be an old man. I wish he had a sibling to look out for him when I am gone.

 

[JacquesMaritain]

You are misinterpreting the Catechism. The “evil” of sterility has nothing to do with you. It is referring to the condition of sterility. When the Catechism states that it is not an absolute evil it means the condition of sterility is not necessarily a bad thing. Another way of looking at it is perhaps God wants you to bring love into the world another way, i.e. “adopting abandoned children or performing demanding services for others.” The Crucifixion of Jesus was evil but not an absolute evil since so much good came from it. Unite your cross with the Lord’s cross.

I am trying to cheer you up and I hope it comes across that way. I am truly sorry for your suffering.

Hi Hail Linus:

I am grateful for your concern, and am thankful others are looking out for us here. I note below you were fortunate enough to have a child eventually, so that is great news, I am glad for you.

Once again, here’s the “offending” (to me, anyway) passage from the Catechism: 2379 “The Gospel shows that physical sterility is not an absolute evil. Spouses who still suffer from infertility after exhausting legitimate medical procedures should unite themselves with the Lord’s Cross, the source of all spiritual fecundity…"

I had thought about interpreting the Catechism this way (it’s the condition that is evil, not you), but felt very uneasy about it. I think that’s because I am so very troubled by exactly what “evil” is. This is a philosophical dilemma, I think, one that the best minds have struggled with, and, unfortunately, not found satisfying answers. When the moral theology of Christianity (and other world religions) was developed, theologians had a very poor understanding of disease (in fact, I’d venture to say that they didn’t understand disease at all, attributing it to sin, not organic factors). You got sick because of something you did; it was your own moral failing that made disease happen (this seemed reasonable before modern hygiene and the germ theory of disease, both 19th century developments).

Let’s say we allow for this interpretation; that it’s the “condition” of sterility that is evil, not the person. Then who/what is responsible for the condition, then? Sterility caused by disease (or whatever) is the result of a bacteria, a virus, whatever…these organisms aren’t “evil” any more than a cat is evil for catching and killing a mouse…they are just doing what bacteria do, occupying and colonizing their human hosts (they have no moral agenda, and I can’t see any way they can do “good” or “evil”, as they have no Mind, no consciousness). Is their Creator, then, practicing “evil” by placing these organisms in their human hosts? The thought is conceivable, as He has the capability of doing otherwise, which would lead to “good” (conception and birth) rather than “evil” (infertility and sterility). If you have the capability of doing “good” but deliberately choose to do “evil” instead, what does that mean? As I said above, this is a very complicated philosophical problem, because if we accept that some evil is “moral evil” (caused by a conscious agent’s bad choices) and other evil is “natural evil” (caused by disaster, disease, and not a conscious agent, which I think is what you are doing, I’m not sure), then we have another circle to square: how can evil acts occur against the will of an all-powerful, all-perfect, all-good Creator, who we call God? This has bedevilled theologians since the beginning of time: none can provide an answer for it, because there really is no answer to it. I sometimes tell my students that “not all problems have solutions”; I suspect this is a good example of that. About all I can say is that I am deeply disappointed with the moral agent (whoever/whatever that is) that is ultimately responsible for our world today; they could have, in my opinion, done much better.

Jacques

 

[JacquesMaritain]

KZ2011 - I couldn’t have said it better myself But from what I understand, Jacques indeed is not interested in adoption, hence his opinion.

Jacques, I’m sorry if I got a bit defensive in my previous response. The point is, as I originally stated and you agreed - not everyone is cut out to adopt. People who cannot get past the biology and genetics are the first in line. I don’t know your age, but while you may not be eligible to adopt a newborn through an agency, there are older children, minority children, and children with special needs who still need permanent families. And independently birth mothers can choose adoptive parents of any age they choose, since there’s no law that says you can’t adopt past a certain age. Having said that, I do not recommend you adopt based on the hangups you have with adoption…

Hi anilorak31ska:

Thanks for this. As you said, our advanced ages pretty much put the kibosh on the idea anyway. Perhaps I am “hung up”, that’s certainly possible. I cannot say too much about that, as it would probably offend good manners and good taste, but I was forced to do some very unpleasant things after my wife had miscarriages, as she could not do it (regarding burials and such). If the child is “recognizably human” when she is buried, it probably affects the parents differently. I’m not sure about that, nobody seems to know.

As for the Catechism, I agree with you that it is not the best “literature” on infertility, certainly nothing to read to make you feel better about it. That’s why I don’t think using it to back up one’s opinion is the best choice. Infertility is a disorder like any other - there is something wrong with the physical body. We as Christians do not believe that disease or illness is a curse from God, so why would infertility be any different? It’s a cross to bear, for sure, but in no way does it diminish God’s love of you or your value as His child.

Thanks again for this; I’d much rather believe that the authors of the Catechism simply made poor choices in the language, because the alternatives suggested lead to impossible problems regarding the nature of evil, I think. I never believed illness (of any type) is evil, as its “cause” (the bacteria or virus) is just doing what it would normally do. This is nature red in tooth and claw, I suppose. There may well be evil in the human agents responsible for curing disease (our hospital, frankly, didn’t do a good job with my wife’s pregnancies; we were pretty much left on our own). There may even be evil in the supernatural agents that ultimately are responsible for everything on the earth. I don’t know what to think about that, because there are at least two major roads along this line of thinking; one is despair, the other is atheism. I have taken the first road thus far, but am still looking for a detour.

Thank you for the poem as well; it is very inspiring.

Jacques.

 

[JacquesMaritain]

Thank you, Hail Linus. That is exactly the way I see it. I am struggling with infertility and am currently receiving treatments from a NaPro Technology doctor. I read that passage in the Catechism, and I was not insulted or saddened by it. It has nothing to do with me personally, but my condition. I agree that infertility is not an absolute evil, nor is the Cross of Christ.

Hi sacredcello:

I will continue to pray for you, and I hope you gain success with the NaPro Technology doctor. Do not give up; I am sure many who read these posts but never contribute will be praying for you as well. There are thousands of readers for everyone who writes; who can imagine how much power is in all those supplications?

Jacques

 

[Hail_Linus]

Hi Hail Linus:

I am grateful for your concern, and am thankful others are looking out for us here. I note below you were fortunate enough to have a child eventually, so that is great news, I am glad for you.

Once again, here’s the “offending” (to me, anyway) passage from the Catechism: 2379 “The Gospel shows that physical sterility is not an absolute evil. Spouses who still suffer from infertility after exhausting legitimate medical procedures should unite themselves with the Lord’s Cross, the source of all spiritual fecundity…"

I had thought about interpreting the Catechism this way (it’s the condition that is evil, not you), but felt very uneasy about it. I think that’s because I am so very troubled by exactly what “evil” is. …

About all I can say is that I am deeply disappointed with the moral agent (whoever/whatever that is) that is ultimately responsible for our world today; they could have, in my opinion, done much better.

Jacques

I understand where you are coming from. I was an atheist for many years because I hated God for much of what you are saying. In fact I still constantly get angry and scream obscenities at him not only for my suffering but especially for others.

Nevertheless the evil is in the condition. I do not know why we have to suffer. In my case my wife and I did have a child. However, just as sterility is not an absolute evil I am not always sure that having my child was an absolute blessing. It was certainly a blessing but not an absolute blessing. As I stated earlier my child has an autistic spectrum disorder. Additionally, the pregnancy triggered a serious progressive neurological illness in my wife. My son came home from day care a couple of years ago with the stomach virus which I caught and it went into my heart and I went into cardiac arrest and now I have a heart condition. I love my wife and my child dearly and cannot imagine life without them. However, I am scared of what we will be facing in the future.

Although I was trying to cheer you up, I do get angry with God about these things. I don’t understand why someone like you can’t have one and some woman down the street will have three from three different fathers.

But the end of the Gospel of John always reminds me that loving Jesus can be very painful. In John 21 after Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves (probably related to the three betrayals) Jesus then says to Peter in John 21:18-19 “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.””

In other words by loving Jesus, Peter was accepting his own cross, knowing his love for Jesus would result in a horrible death. A death that God could have prevented. Just imagine all of the people who rejected Jesus living a normal life and Peter is rewarded with a gory death for not rejecting Jesus.

I still hope I cheered you up a little while simultaneously acknowledging that your feelings are valid and I am also angered that someone like you has to suffer.

I hope I made some sense here…I feel maybe rambled on a bit too much.

 

[stevesmith]

Hi,
Infertility can be treated. One should go to the doctor. Really I have experienced it…

 

[anilorak13ska]

Hi,
Infertility can be treated. One should go to the doctor. Really I have experienced it…

Please, do share. How do you treat Sertoli-only cell syndrome, a form of non-obstructive azoospermia (zero sperm count)? I am all ears. I have heard of NaPro Technology being very helpful for various forms of female infertility problems, but none for SOCS NOA. We have used medication (Arimidex/Anastrazole) as well as accupuncture (which is supposed to help SOMEtimes, but the accupuncturist certainly didn’t make any guarantees). Why would you assume that it hadn’t occurred to those of us on here who have experienced infertility to seek medical attention?

 

[JacquesMaritain]

I understand where you are coming from. I was an atheist for many years because I hated God for much of what you are saying. In fact I still constantly get angry and scream obscenities at him not only for my suffering but especially for others. Nevertheless the evil is in the condition. I do not know why we have to suffer. In my case my wife and I did have a child. However, just as sterility is not an absolute evil I am not always sure that having my child was an absolute blessing. It was certainly a blessing but not an absolute blessing. As I stated earlier my child has an autistic spectrum disorder. Additionally, the pregnancy triggered a serious progressive neurological illness in my wife. My son came home from day care a couple of years ago with the stomach virus which I caught and it went into my heart and I went into cardiac arrest and now I have a heart condition. I love my wife and my child dearly and cannot imagine life without them. However, I am scared of what we will be facing in the future

Hi Linus:

Well, I’m glad you finally did have a child. My wife’s difficulties ultimately led to hospitalization, and I did consider that a lot of the medical treatment we ended up receiving, quite frankly, did us no good. Medical science has done wonderful things (germ theory, hygiene, antibiotics) but i remain, I hope, properly skeptical of medicine, as the doctors here in Canada are chronically overworked, the hospitals are understaffed, and the wait times for surgery, major or otherwise, are unconscionable. I do not know how it is where you are; but I hope and pray things will work out.

Although I was trying to cheer you up, I do get angry with God about these things. I don’t understand why someone like you can’t have one and some woman down the street will have three from three different fathers. But the end of the Gospel of John always reminds me that loving Jesus can be very painful. In John 21 after Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves (probably related to the three betrayals) Jesus then says to Peter in John 21:18-19 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” In other words by loving Jesus, Peter was accepting his own cross, knowing his love for Jesus would result in a horrible death. A death that God could have prevented. Just imagine all of the people who rejected Jesus living a normal life and Peter is rewarded with a gory death for not rejecting Jesus. I still hope I cheered you up a little while simultaneously acknowledging that your feelings are valid and I am also angered that someone like you has to suffer. I hope I made some sense here…I feel maybe rambled on a bit too much.

Oh no, no problems there…I am always happy when others show concern for me. If you think you ramble on, you should see some of my other posts…some of them went on so long they ended up being broken down into multiple postings over different pages of a thread. I like to take an idea, a concept, a principle, say, and run with it…develop its twists and tails, figure out where it goes, what it implies, what it leads to, that sort of thing…so I often end up in weird tangents that go miles away from the topic at hand. I learn a lot from others, they make many good points…I hope I make a few good points too, as we’re all in this ship together, I suppose.

Jacques

 

[JacquesMaritain]

Hi,
Infertility can be treated. One should go to the doctor. Really I have experienced it…

Hi Steve:

Welcome. If you’ve experienced it, then yeah, you know how difficult it can be. There’s a lot of great information on the thread, it is extremely lengthy and unwieldy, and helpful details often get lost in the sea of overlapping posts…but I suppose that anything valuable by definition is hard to find. I don’t know if you’ve done this, but I think it’s worth the effort to start at page 1 and slowly work your way all the way to here (that takes several hours, but wow! When I did it I learned a great deal about all the people on here). My story is brief: my wife and I had many miscarriages/stillbirths/lost pregnancies, and the doctors were unable to treat us, and eventually we aged so much that it didn’t matter anymore. So we are permanently infertile. Well, her sister hatched a bizarre idea for me to have a child with her, but seeing as she is pregnant again by her own husband, I think that’s a non-starter…plus I suppose it’s a form of polygamy (which by itself is a fascinating subject, but really part of another thread. St. Thomas’ words on this are really counterintuitive, not what you’d expect at all).

Expect some fireworks here. Many here are really, really frustrated (I am beyond frustration and am basically in despair mode), but many are quite helpful too.

Jacques

 

[umichstudy]

Hello,
I am a doctoral student at the University of Michigan researching Catholic women’s experience with infertility. I am looking for Catholic infertile women to interview and hope that you will contact me if you would like to share your experience- of course, your identity will remain confidential. I would be happy to conduct interviews over the phone/skype if you are not in the Michigan area. You will receive a $20 gift card upon completion of the interview.
For more information, or to volunteer, please contact me:
Danielle Czarnecki, PhD student
Dept. of Sociology, University of Michigan
dczar at umich dot edu

This study has been reviewed and approved by The Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Boards (IRB-HSBS)

 

[Serene_37]

Hi everyone

I have come to this forum with a message of Hope to those who struggle spiritually with infertility and I invite you all to read all threads and posts made by me in the Family Life Forum catalogueing a spiritual journey culminating in the miracle of my baby being born.

I hope that this will give hope to all here.

God Bless You

 

[JacquesMaritain]

Hi everyone

I have come to this forum with a message of Hope to those who struggle spiritually with infertility and I invite you all to read all threads and posts made by me in the Family Life Forum cataloging a spiritual journey culminating in the miracle of my baby being born. I hope that this will give hope to all here. God Bless You

Thanks Serene:

It is too late to be of any help to me, but maybe it can inspire others. The threads (Parts 1-6) plus supplementals are sliding down the forum and may be in the back pages by the time people read about it. So here they are:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581269

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581282

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581303

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581343

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581470

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581472

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581474

Jacques

 

[titi920]

Thank you for posting the individual threads-I would not have found them all as easily on my own-and it’s so nice to finally find a post that fits what I was originally looking for when joining a Catholic Infertility Forum:

Serene-

Thank you SO much for taking all the time to post your journey! Congratulations on your beautiful baby.

I can’t tell you how wonderful and inspiring it is to read a story like yours…I too have “chosen nothing” to align myself with God’s will. Although in my heart I now know that it is never “nothing” as God’s true will for me is always “Not Now or Something Even Better”…

I rarely post or find support or inspiration in this forum because the majority of the time, even though it is a Catholic forum I came to-the answers are still the same as all the non-catholic forums I’ve joined-like you say “Get IVF and confess” “Get IVF and don’t tell anyone”…or even worse just a bunch of arguing back and forth of why IVF is or isn’t wrong.

I am Catholic because I believe and strive to follow the teachings-not the other way around…so this was a wonderful, lovely, inspirational story!

Thanks again and may you continue to be blessed.

 

[crazzeto]

Thanks Serene:

It is too late to be of any help to me, but maybe it can inspire others. The threads (Parts 1-6) plus supplementals are sliding down the forum and may be in the back pages by the time people read about it. So here they are:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581269

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581282

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581303

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581343

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581470

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581472

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=581474

Jacques

Thanks for sharing, I have a plot now to copy that into a single document so that I can have something good to share with infertile people whom I know or become aquainted with.

 

[FootballFan93]

I’ve been going through this as well, bless all.

 

[NancyTulis]

My husband and I were never able to have children, although we tried for many years. Eighteen years ago we adopted a daughter, and seventeen years ago we adopted a son. We are truly blessed and thank God every day for our children. We truly believe that the reason we were unable to have children is because we were supposed to have our son and daughter. If we had our own biological children, we would have never adopted the children we were supposed to have.

Do not wait until the money is there - if you do that the time will never come. You will have to pay off education, or a car, or get ahead on the mortgage - something will always come up. If God’s plan is for you to adopt, He will provide the financial means. Don’t try to work it out yourself.

It is true, because of the cost of the adoptions we will never be rich in money, but we are millionaires in love and that is what counts.

 

[LittleDeb]

My husband and I were never able to have children, although we tried for many years. Eighteen years ago we adopted a daughter, and seventeen years ago we adopted a son. We are truly blessed and thank God every day for our children. We truly believe that the reason we were unable to have children is because we were supposed to have our son and daughter. If we had our own biological children, we would have never adopted the children we were supposed to have.

Do not wait until the money is there - if you do that the time will never come. You will have to pay off education, or a car, or get ahead on the mortgage - something will always come up. If God’s plan is for you to adopt, He will provide the financial means. Don’t try to work it out yourself.

It is true, because of the cost of the adoptions we will never be rich in money, but we are millionaires in love and that is what counts.

:extrahappy:

 

[crazzeto]

My husband and I were never able to have children, although we tried for many years. Eighteen years ago we adopted a daughter, and seventeen years ago we adopted a son. We are truly blessed and thank God every day for our children. We truly believe that the reason we were unable to have children is because we were supposed to have our son and daughter. If we had our own biological children, we would have never adopted the children we were supposed to have.

Do not wait until the money is there - if you do that the time will never come. You will have to pay off education, or a car, or get ahead on the mortgage - something will always come up. If God’s plan is for you to adopt, He will provide the financial means. Don’t try to work it out yourself.

It is true, because of the cost of the adoptions we will never be rich in money, but we are millionaires in love and that is what counts.

What a wonderful perspective, thank you so much for sharing!

 

[onthisrock]

On the original Infertility thread b4 the forums went down I introduced myself. DH and I have been TTC a little over 2 years now. We have never been pregnant.

We are beginning to look into adoption after 2 years of TTC using NFP, Fertility Care and Creighton. Does anyone know the age limitations that adoption agencies place on couples? A friend of mine who adopted said that our local Catholic Social Services considers people over the age of 35 old they do not adopt to people over 35. Have any of you experienced similar issues? DH is 36 and I will be 32 in Dec.

3 more questions…
How emotionally taxing was the the adoption process for you?
Was it as emotionally difficult as the monthly ups and downs you experienced while TTC without any success?

Also, I am 100% convinced about adoption, DH is still fearful of being able to love a child that is not his own as much as a biological child. How did you or your spouses overcome this fear?

Thanks in advance!
Pumpkin

I have been struggling with infertility for over two years as well…I started the Creighton Model 6 months prior to marriage, so we new there would be problems. I was referred to a physician who trained under Dr. Thomas Hilgers. Well experience goes a LONG way as my surgery was very complicated, leaving with a wound vac for about three months. My husband and I were looking into adoption, but they get so in your business, and it can be from $25-40,000 for one baby. There are home studies, criminal background checks, letters from your doctor…you name it you have to do it. Well, we decided to continue with the charting due to the adoption invasivness…maybe you are strong enough to tell a social worker everything that has happened in your life from conception to what you had for breakfast today (exagerating…but only a little) I contacted the Pope Paul VI Institute and wrote a cover letter telling my story, about 6 months of my charting and a check for $100.00 for Dr. Hilgers to review and decide if he would take my case. I received a letter within 20 days that he would take me, and that I will need to come to Omaha for 7-10 days while he does a laperoscopy, hysteroscopy, and selective hysterosalpingogram, and ultrasounds. I am currently getting a comprehensive hormone panel and thyroid dysfunction panel. I will send my next two months of charting, and the blood work should comeback in about a month. It’s a long process since he’s so busy, but I’m willing to have THE doctor who created Naprotechnology, and not someone who has practiced about a year. they are very kind and even sent me a book of 50 women with infertility issues who were healed to pass the time. I don’t mind the wait since I need to lose some weight around the belly…so it will be easier to operate, plus increase my fertility chances as obesity is a cause. For your concern about age. the drop off that we cam across was 40 but with excellent health. Just know that many feel your pain…everytime I’m in church people ask when will we start our family…I say we started over two years ago…maybe in your face, but so is the nerve of asking people you hardly know about intimate matters. If you think having your own baby is the thing you’ll never rest over, I suggest since you’re already using Creighton NFP you go on www.popepaulvi.com All I know is, I’m going to be 38 next month, having a baby is what I’ve always felt I’ve NEEDED. If he says he can’t help, after 30 years of healing woman, and after our pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Philomena in Italy next month then I can be at peace with a baby not being in God’s plan for me. I’ll pray for everyone here.

 

[sacredcello]

I have been struggling with infertility for over two years as well…I started the Creighton Model 6 months prior to marriage, so we new there would be problems. I was referred to a physician who trained under Dr. Thomas Hilgers. Well experience goes a LONG way as my surgery was very complicated, leaving with a wound vac for about three months. My husband and I were looking into adoption, but they get so in your business, and it can be from $25-40,000 for one baby. There are home studies, criminal background checks, letters from your doctor…you name it you have to do it. Well, we decided to continue with the charting due to the adoption invasivness…maybe you are strong enough to tell a social worker everything that has happened in your life from conception to what you had for breakfast today (exagerating…but only a little) I contacted the Pope Paul VI Institute and wrote a cover letter telling my story, about 6 months of my charting and a check for $100.00 for Dr. Hilgers to review and decide if he would take my case. I received a letter within 20 days that he would take me, and that I will need to come to Omaha for 7-10 days while he does a laperoscopy, hysteroscopy, and selective hysterosalpingogram, and ultrasounds. I am currently getting a comprehensive hormone panel and thyroid dysfunction panel. I will send my next two months of charting, and the blood work should comeback in about a month. It’s a long process since he’s so busy, but I’m willing to have THE doctor who created Naprotechnology, and not someone who has practiced about a year. they are very kind and even sent me a book of 50 women with infertility issues who were healed to pass the time. I don’t mind the wait since I need to lose some weight around the belly…so it will be easier to operate, plus increase my fertility chances as obesity is a cause. For your concern about age. the drop off that we cam across was 40 but with excellent health. Just know that many feel your pain…everytime I’m in church people ask when will we start our family…I say we started over two years ago…maybe in your face, but so is the nerve of asking people you hardly know about intimate matters. If you think having your own baby is the thing you’ll never rest over, I suggest since you’re already using Creighton NFP you go on www.popepaulvi.com All I know is, I’m going to be 38 next month, having a baby is what I’ve always felt I’ve NEEDED. If he says he can’t help, after 30 years of healing woman, and after our pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Philomena in Italy next month then I can be at peace with a baby not being in God’s plan for me. I’ll pray for everyone here.

Thanks for sharing your story! I, too, have a devotion to St. Philomena, as we have been TTC for 2 years now. I had a laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, HSG in October with a surgeon trained by Dr. Hilgers. He diagnosed and removed Stage III endometriosis from my ovaries. Unfortunately, while removing the bad tissue, some good tissue also had to be removed. As a result, I went into pre-menopause after the surgery with annovulatory and LONG cycles. Now, I am on Menopur injections. I went in for an ultrasound on Monday and I have three follicles growing and was told that it looks promising. I go in again tomorrow morning for another. We are currently residing on the opposite coast from our home in California because my husband has a one-year appointment. If we are not pregnant by the end of the academic year, we will look into adoption when we return to California. However, I am now 41 (will be 42 in June) and my DH is 50, (we met and married late in life), so I’m not sure that our chances are good for adoption.

Thanks for taking our intentions to the Shrine of St Philomena. She is a lovely and powerful saint. She is praying for God’s will to be done in your life. My husband and I were married on her feast day, January 10, so I feel a special connection. And, I was able to attend a special event at the new national shrine in Phoenix, AZ last month and was able to venerate her relics and I was given some oil from the lamp at her shrine in Italy. I say her chaplet regularly and wear the red and white cord.

I have that book that you mentioned, also. The stories are very inspiring. I feel very blessed to be in the care of a fine NaProTechnology physician. St. Gianna is another saint for infertility, as she was a physician and mother herself. God bless!