Christmas 2007 rolled in with its usual merriment and festivities. I was starting to really consider having a baby on my own. I let a few girlfriends in on my thoughts, and they were amazingly supportive. We planned on having donor choosing parties complete with turkey basters and balloons!
In January of 2008 I went to Houston IVF for a consultation. I really liked Dr. McKenzie, and she had me do the Clomid Challenge to ascertain my ovarian reserve. At this point I don't remember my exact results, but I do know all was fine and she considered me able to move on in the conception process. I contacted the California Cryobank and received their packet of information which included the process for choosing an anonymous sperm donor. I perused the packet and started receiving information about possible donors. Reading their bios and hearing their audio interviews was weird to say the least. How do you choose someone to donate half their DNA to impregnate you that you have never met? It was mind boggling.
In the interim, Christian and I had begun emailing one another in early December. They were the usual emails of people who don't know each other and only spent approximately 12 hours together. In mid-March of 2008 I sent an email to him and mentioned that I had decided to have a baby on my own. I explained I was saving some money to do it artificially, needed to lose a bit of weight, get further along in my allergy shots and my plan was to start trying in September of that year. He wrote back so very excited for me, and was extremely supportive! Over the course of a couple of months we exchanged several more emails about our lives and all the goings-ons. Then in late May, Christian sent me an email which included a paragraph in which he offered to donate some of his DNA if I had not made my mind up about a donor. It was so sweet and generous, and I was shocked. It had never crossed my mind to have a known donor, let alone someone I didn't know at all except over the internet really. Though I had really come to cherish our budding friendship, this was something I just never expected.
By the beginning of June we had decided that we wanted to move forward with my having a baby and Christian donating.
Reading back through those emails is so precious to me now. Our feelings, thoughts, emotions, ideas, concerns, nervousness, excitement...all of it comes racing back to me. I remember that giddiness of the excitement of embarking on something so amazing. That Tate is here with me now is just unbelievable.
1 comment:
I never even considered doing that... and think it is so cool that you did!! That's great. Thanks for sharing your story.
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