Huffington Magazine Issue 17 | Page 42

HUFFINGTON 10.07.12 MIRACLE BABIES blocked fallopian tube, not necessarily enough of a hindrance to make pregnancy impossible, but enough for Cortney to be put on Clomid, a pill that induces ovulation. She tried two rounds of the medication; neither worked. By then Cortney was moving along a treatment trajectory familiar to many of the 7.4 million women in the U.S. who have used some form of infertility services in their lives. She was referred to a reproductive endocrinologist and tried three rounds of IUI, all failures. In November 2005, Cortney began preparing for her first round of IVF. Cortney found out she was pregnant on December 21, but seven days later her hormone levels had dropped. “At that point, in doctor’sspeak, it’s called a ‘chemical pregnancy,’” she said flatly. “But it’s a miscarriage.” Cortney’s next two rounds of IVF were also unsuccessful. One was canceled because there weren’t enough ovarian follicles to retrieve, the next because none of her eggs had fertilized. Her fertility doctor said there was nothing more he could do and suggested she try a more pioneering out-of-state clinic. At that point, SHOULD WOMEN FEEL BETRAYED? ELATED? CAN THEY MUSTER ANY SENSE OF TRUST IN THEIR OWN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS? she had spent more than $12,000 out of pocket on co-pays, medications and anything her insurance didn’t cover. In September 2006, Cortney took a medical leave from her job and flew to Las Vegas where she spent three weeks shuttling between various hotels and the Sher Clinic, part of one of the largest networks of infertility clinics in the U.S. She left Las Vegas hopped up on her highest dose of medication yet and the maximum number of embryos Sher’s doctors were able to transfer. She was certain she was