My husband and I met via the internet March 1995 and then met in person in September 1995, when Brett visited the USA. Then we got engaged November 1995 and Jo decided to visit Australia from Dec 1996-January 1997. Then went back to the USA and came back to be married in May 1997. Click here to see in detail our romance.

During December 1997, I did not have my period. It wasn't weird because since I started getting my period in my early teens, its never been regular at all. In fact, my mother and I had a joke going about celebrating if and when I got my period. Brett knew this before we got married and we just put it down to stress and didn't think much of it. However, after not having my period for almost 3 years, I went and decided to get it checked out by our local general practioner. She sent me off to have blood tests and an internal ultrasound which were done early 1998. She told me it could be many things and to have a specialist gynocoloist look into it further.

We where then referred to Dr. Geoff McCallum, fertility specialist and gynocoloist. This was in a tiny town near us in Bornia Victoria. We got in to see him February 1998. We were asked if we wanted to try right then to have a child; however, with me being new in the country, we decided to hold off until we got settled down into a place of our own, a job for me and into some type of routine.

Because of this, we got put onto some birth control pills. These were called Diane 35ED from 1998 until 2001. Dr. McCallum said that he was about 90% sure that I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovaries) because of everything that he had available (exam of me, blood tests, and ultrasound). He said to come back to him when I needed a Pap Smear, refill of the perscription for birth control pills, or when we wanted to try and have a child. He also cautioned us against waiting a long time because of the problems that we might have trying to get pregnant. We told him that it was fine and we'd take that into consideration when we decided to start trying.

However, it was not to be. We went on until May and then admitted we where going to need help and went to see Dr. McCallum. He was more than happy that we were going to start earlier rather than later. He had me do more blood tests for different hormones to see what they were at at this point. He also wanted me to do blood tests at certain times to check other levels of hormones. I was go to back and see him in about 2 months for the results and to see what happens from there...unless we where pregnant before then. He also advised me to loose weight as this would aide with getting pregnant. Well, I did the blood tests, went on a low carb diet and kept trying. He also had Brett do a sperm analysis test.

Two months later, still not pregnant and the tests done. The sperm test had to be done twice because we didn't know you had to advise the clinic that we had the sample that had to be done then couriered to the other side of town. Then it was back Dr. McCallum again. We found that I just wasn't throwing up one of my levels of hormones and he thought with a bit of help, we'd get pregnant fairly easily. He also told me to keep on the diet because it was going down. He wanted me to start on Clomiphene or Clomid and in about 6 weeks get another blood test range done, so we could see how the medicine was reacting on me and to see if we needed to up it or not. He wanted Brett to do another sperm test because there was some possible problem of clumbing. We went away, and went onto the Clomiphene or Clomid, I was still sticking to my diet, and still trying like rabbits. Furthermore, Brett had the sperm test done again, and called into the doctor to see what the tests said and the results were that he was fine.

We went back and found that the Clomiphene or Clomid was working and all my levels were in the right limits. Dr. McCallum told us to continue on and hopefully soon we'd have some success soon. So, after that for the next 6 months, we continued on and still nothing happened. We went back after 6 months and he told us we could continue on or try some other things. Once again, he told me to loose weight and I told him I was still on a diet but it just wasn't coming off. He said to try harder. He told us again to go away, keep trying and hopefully we'd get some success. So in another 6 months (its not over a year since going on this medicine), we went back to him and still nothing. He told me to loose weight or else he'd strongly advise me to have my stomach stapled. I told him that I don't need to be adding to my health problems, so he can just stick that suggestion in my ear. He also told us to try Maybe Baby, take our temperture, and have me climax after my husband to get the sperm sucked up into my uterus. Again, we went away, still trying to loose weight, taking the medicine (which I was starting to get more side affects and brought this up to him but he just pushed it aside), and using OPK's (Ovulation Predicition Kits) instead of Maybe Baby (as this sometimes doesn't work for people with PCOS), taking our temperture, timing the intercourse when I was at my most fertile, and still nothing.

By now, it was getting to be routine. I didn't want to go back on the medication anymore, but Brett really wanted to keep on it and the doctor was really pushing as well. I caved in and said fine but I didn't like it. Again, we went away and did everthing we could to get pregnant. After a further 6 months (July 2003), we went back again. And he decided to do a laparoscopy, dye, D&C, and, as one nurse put it, almost everything a woman could get checked out I'm getting done. I agreed with her. It was a morning process (in at 6am and out by about 1pm) and it took about 3 days to get over the pain. I went back to him 6 weeks after the procedure and he told us to keep going. There was nothing blocking my tubes, my uterus looked normal, and he did some cleaning up of my ovaries (I think he meant ovarian drilling). He told us that there's no problem as to why I shouldn't be pregnant.

And so on we went. Then in October 2003....

In late October 2003, we went back to see Dr. McCallum once again. I was a two days late and I was never late. I took an home pregnancy test and it had a very light line. When we went into see him, we told him that it looked like we might have gotten a strike. He gave me a form to get a blood test done for pregnancy, but didn't want me to get it done until Monday (which was 5 days later). He wanted me to get it done early in the morning and then call him in the afternoon. I did ask if this was a false alarm, what we to do, and he replied that we'd continue on as we have been. This I didn't like but held off because I wanted to see if I was pregnant or not.

So on the 27 October 2003, I went in and had a blood test at 8am. At 3pm, I rang Dr. McCallum but he wasn't in yet, but left a message for him to call me back. He did call back, and told us congratulations we're pregnant and to see him in about 2 weeks time. We went in, got all the paperwork for the hospital, seen the doctor, had him tell us the Expected Due Date (EDD), get forms for blood tests and ultrasounds. He asked me a bunch of questions and told me that I should be on Folic Acid. I was feeling fine but tired and my boobs ached a bit. I made sure I was drinking my milk, eating lots of veggies and fruits.

Then 4 days after my visit to the doctor, I went out for my normal walk, and came home and found that I had a brownish spotting when I went to the bathroom. I immediately laid down on the couch and didn't move until I went in to the bathroom or getting something to drink. I did grab the phone and called Brett to tell him at about 3pm as I knew he'd be busy most of the day. He picked up something for dinner and I spent the rest of the night and weekend in bed or couch. We did go over to a friend's house but I just sat and rested. On Saturday, I got up and did have one tiny light red dot of blood but then it all stopped. Again I rested and by Monday everything was back to normal. I went out with my father in-law to get things for Thanksgiving, but he made sure I didn't lift anything at all unless you count toliet paper and paper towls. After he left, I called to let Dr. McCallum know about what happened. He wasn't in but when his nurses found out I was "spotting", they called him and he had me to directly to the hospital. I called Brett to let him know he wanted me to go in just as a precaution.

I got to the hospital, and sat there. When I found out I was to have an ultrasound, I called Brett to come there. At about 4:30pm, I was told to go down to the ultrasound room. I did this and went in and had an internal ultrasound. When the tech couldn't see a sac, she asked me if I had the pregnancy confirmed and I told her I had. She went looking and finally found something. It was an ectopic pregnancy which was in the finger part of my tube. This had to be taken out ASAP because if the tube ruptured, my life would be at risk. So immediately I was put in the hospital, and at about 10pm on 17 November 2003, our child Jamie Sweetpea Fitzgerald was taken along with 1/3 of my right tube (fimbrial - fingers of the tube - see drawing for diagram). I was in the hospital for just under 2 days. I came out with an ultrasound film of Jamie, missing 1/3 of my tube and baby, and a scar for all our troubles. Only, when I asked the doctor about my tube, he said that he was able to say that he could save it. It was only a few days later when I asked Dr. McCallum about it that he talked to the doctor who performed the surgery and was told that I had lost 1/3 of my tube. I was to go in and see Dr. McCallum in 4 weeks time so he could see my scar and to make sure everything was healing nicely. Only that the first 2 times that I tried to see him, once he wasn't in and his midwives were and the other time he got called out and cancelled his office hours for the rest of the day. The third time was 4 days later when we were told he was called into the hospital and we had to wait...we ended up going to the shopping centre and we where to go in and see him once they rang us ASAP. Everything was fine and we where told to keep trying to have children.

Also, I told Brett when I was in the hospital that I wasn't going back on Clomiphene or Clomid again either. I didn't care what we had to do, but I was now putting my foot down and I wasn't going back on it again. Then there were the appointments that had to keep getting switched and cancelled. Along with the weight issue and the doctor and I constantly fought over things, I just had enough. I told Brett that we'd keep trying but without the medicine. He agreed. The doctor wanted me to go back onto the medication and to see him in 6 months. I was just so amazed that he'd say that after everything I've read about the medication.

Then in February 2004, I was feeling strange again. I did a home pregnancy test and it had a light line. I was going to see the doctor once it was a strong line. I tested 3 days later and it was about the same. Then a 3rd test after that which the line got fainter, but still no period. I called Dr. McCallum and he said that if I didn't have a period in another 2 weeks to come in and he'd give me something to "bring it on". This really made me mad as I've just had positive tests but he didn't want to believe me. He hung up on me, and I just shook my head and called my local GP. He had me in there later that day and took a blood test. I went in the next day and got a negative result. I expected this because I started to cramp the day before and my period had started but I had started miscarrying. I wanted to make sure nothing was in my good tube, so he went and had me do an ultrasound just to be ok. This was our Feb Baby.

When I went in to have the ultrasound done, they had found that I was pregnant but miscarried it. Also, the egg came from my right side and down my left tube, but just didn't take for some reason. At least this proved that I could still get pregnant!! It was a step in the right direction. However, we had to do something about a doctor as I didn't want to go back to Dr. McCallum as I didn't want a doctor who faught with me, didn't believe me when I said something, and just kept going on the same track without getting anywhere. I just had no confidence in the doctor anymore.

New RE & Fertility Specialist

Then on 13 Febrary 2004, I went and did some research about doctor's who work or treat people with PCOS. I wanted someone who knew about the syndrome and who can assist me in dealing with it. I finally found someone local and someone that could take us through all the fertility advancements as well as treat my PCOS. Her name is Beverley Vollenhoven. I went to my GP and had him do a referral to her. I finally got booked in and seen her 29 April 2004. We sat down, along with Brett to get what tests we've had done, what we haven't done, and our health histories. She couldn't get over that I was on the Clomiphene or Clomid for over 2 1/2 years. She wanted me to redo all the hormone tests, plus tests for HIV, Rebella, Hep C, small pox just to name a few. I had just had the ultrasound done so we weren't going to do one again. Brett had to get a sperm analysis and sperm antibioties test as awell as HIV, Hep C and some other tests. And she wanted me to see her dietician. The dietician's name is Claire and her website is Eat Well Nutrition & Dietetics. We were to get all these done and see her in 8 weeks.

I went to see the dietician, and Claire was just great. Claire went to Beverley Vollenhoven as well and had gone through IVF to have her son. She gave me some tips and options about weight loss. She wanted me to give it a shot and get back to her in about 6 weeks.

We've done all the tests, went to see Beverley Vollenhoven, and she said that I can get pregnant but something's just not happening correctly all the time. She said that we could stop the Ovulation Prediction Kits (believed that they were a waste of time and money), temping was just more stress on people, and that if we had sex at least 3 times a week then it was more than good enough to get pregnant. She said that the next step would be either IUI with ovulation induction or IVF. On the IUI's on the maximum side she'd only have 3 done because after that the % drop and its not worth the money. Or we could go straight to IVF, and give that a shot. The decision was up to us and to give her a call on what we decide.

We took some time out, and decided to do IUI in late June 2004.

On the 28th June we had our first IUI appointment to discuss, how to insert the needle, what drugs we where going to use, what would happen from there. Earlier that morning, I took our dog JR into the vet's as he wasn't feeling too good and kept getting sick. I was awake most of the night with him. The people at the IUI/ovulation induction, wanted me to come in before my period as I would start treatment on the first to third day of my period. I was expected to get my period any day.

On Saturday July 3, 2004, the vet had called first thing in the morning to let me know that JR had died during the night. Not soon after, I started to spot for my period as expected. I called the rooms for the IUI and Ovulation Induction first thing Monday morning to go in to see them. They called me back and I was in for blood work and an ultrasound at 8:50am that morning, which was on day 2 for me. Day 1 is considered day 1 when you are bleeding regularly all day or before 6pm. I called in during the afternoon, to find that they wanted me to start my injections at 75UI that night and keep at it until they tell me to adjust my injections or stop. I was to go back again on the Friday that week, and again Monday. They said that it was looking good and one follicle was a cyst on my left side, but there were other follicles which could be promising. I was to go in on Wednesday, 14 July to see if they had grown anymore. I had 16.5mm, 2X16mm on the right side and a 12.5mm on the left side, with lining of 12mm. I was told to use the trigger shot later that night at midnight, which meant that I was going to O within the next 2 days. My IUI was held on the 16th July at 10am. Brett had to give his sample at 8:15am in the clinic rooms so the sample would be fresh and they could wash it and put it in a vital with our names on it. At 10am, we went and collected the sample, went to the rooms, and a plastic tubing was inserted into my uterus. Then the sperm was injected into the top of my uterus. I was to lay there for about 10 minutes. Then, I could get up and just had to take it easy for the next few days. On the 21st, I had to go in to have blood drawn to make sure I had ovulated and to check my progesterone. I called in later that day and was told that I had ovulated and my progesterone was just fine. I was to go in on Friday 30 July for a blood beta test, only to get my period on the morning before. I called them and told them that I wouldn't be going in as I got my period.

We decided to take a few months off trying to conceive at this point. We both took this rejection very hard and just didn't have the mental strength to make a good decision.

Well, we took the time off. We did thinking on our own and then when we went out for dinner for my birthday in September, I brought up what we wanted to do. We both came to the same conclusion. In order for us to get pregnant, we were going to do something drastic. We needed to take alot of the things out of the equation and make sure that it wasn't just us having problems. We didn't know how good my eggs were or if they were being released (with ultrasound confirmation), and to know that my eggs were ok, and that they got into the right spot or the sperm were getting to them because of having only one tube. The only certain way, would be to go through IVF. I didn't want to go this far, but there was no other way. After trying for about 2 weeks to get in contact with the doctor's office (the doctor went on vacation/holidays), I finally found the doctor was back on the 4 October 2004. I rang and asked the doctor some questions about IVF and my situation. She said we had to go in and see her to continue with IVF. We were lucky enough to get an appointment for the 5 October (the next day!) at 9:15am.

We found that our clinic have people do the following steps:

Step 1:
Consultation with a Monash IVF Specialist and a referral from your GP. We did this back in Feb 2004.

Step 2:
Preliminary Investigations which include:
Blood tests for both partners Did this back in March 2004.
An ultrasound for the female Did this 12 October 2004.
A semen analysis for the male Did this back in March 2004.

Step 3:
Registration to Monash IVF. This includes a year's subscription to "IVF Friends" newsletter. You will also get an information packet with information to read about IVF within it. You will also get a card which tells you which nurse you will be dealing with and all information to contact the person. Do not contact this person until your doctor says to.

Did this 5 October 2004.

Step 4:
Counselling for both partners. This is a requirement by law here in Victoria. It is not to mentally assess you at all. This is to inform you of the procedure, what your responsiblities are and the legal aspects of the process.

Did this 29 October 2004.