The beginning

Hi all!  As most of you know, Chad and I were chosen as scholarship recipients from INCIID (The International Council on Infertility Informations Dissemination, Inc.) for a donated cycle of invitro fertilization.  For those of you who aren't aware, I will begin from the start.

Shortly after Chad returned home from an overseas deployment to Iraq in 2010, we found out that to have biological children that IVF (invitro fertilization) would be necessary.  This was heart breaking news because of the price tag associated with the process.  Its usually costs between $8,000 to $12,000 depending on what medications you are prescribed and which doctor you choose.  

A friend from high school who I reconnected with on facebook had posted some information about the scholarship that she had received from INCIID.  I emailed her and asked for more information.  She directed me to their website (www.inciid.com) and to the "from INCIID the Heart" Scholarship application.  We decided to apply for the scholarship with the July 31, 2010 deadline.  The paperwork was tedious and I had help from so many people.  One in particular is Mimi Wilson.  She was so helpful with our letter to INCIID.  Also, Liz & Lydia Zeller's mother notarized it at a moments notice so that we could get it in the mail before the deadline.  What a life saver!!!!

Months went by with no word from INCIID.  We had also decided to become foster parents in the hopes of adoption.  So, August through September we attended our parenting classes.  We completed our classes and were in the line up for a home study.  At the end of October, we received an email late Sunday night that we had received the scholarship!!  We were/are so excited to be blessed with this privilege.  We knew that, if selected, we had a fund raising commitment of $3500 to INCIID.  This money goes to the everyday operation of INCIID.  They have physicians who donate the cycles to couples like us and there is a drug company who donates some of the medication.

Anyway, we had some fund raising to do!!!  We wrote letters and sent them to everyone that we know.  My cousin Tracy Silver organized a very successful spaghetti dinner where we raffled off a quilt made by mother.  All of our family and friends were so generous!!   We can not thank you all enough for your support through all of this.  We received notification that our fund raising was officially completed February 1, 1011.  Now, we were in a holding pattern waiting to be matched with a donating clinic.  There are none in Tennessee.  So, we knew that this would be an adventure!!!  Oh, if we only knew!!  LOL

We were still trying to become foster parents while waiting.  Due to a paperwork technicality, we were in a stalemate with DCS.    In late July 2011, we were matched with a donating clinic in Wisconsin!  Yup, Wisconsin!  We were excited and nervous all at the same time!!  They scheduled us for our initial consultation visit in August.  Here we go!!!

We began our journey to Wisconsin in the evening after Chad had gotten off work.  We drove twelve or thirteen hours to a rest stop near our destination and slept for a couple of hours.  Then, we finished the drive to the hospital for our consultation.  We cleaned up the the hospital lobby bathroom.  I can only imagine what people thought of us coming out of the bathroom with all our bags.  What a sight!! We had our eight hour consultation appointment.  We went over questions and schedules.  It was a little overwhelming but exciting at the same time.  We scheduled our cycle for January 2012.  Now, I believe we are all up to date.  Haha!