{"id":17729,"date":"2018-03-22T07:27:39","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T07:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/?p=17729"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:14:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:14:53","slug":"heather-brandon-update-their-fertility-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/fertility-journeys-project\/heather-brandon-update-their-fertility-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Heather og Brandon opdaterer os p\u00e5 deres fertilitetsrejse"},"content":{"rendered":"

After nearly ten years trying to build their family, Heather & Brandon are well on their way to becoming parents. They\u2019ve selected their egg donor, received the amazing results of their egg donor\u2019s retrieval and are getting ready for Heather\u2019s transfer. We catch-up with the latest exciting steps in their journey.
\nHeather writes\u2026<\/strong><\/span>
\nSelecting an egg donor has been an eye-opening experience for me. Like for so many women with fertility journeys similar to mine, this process was a totally new concept for us and we wanted to identify an egg donor who would be the perfect fit for us. We didn\u2019t know quite what to expect, but having tried two IVF cycles unsuccessfully in the past using my own eggs, we were determined to find an egg donor who we felt resembled me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
\nWe\u2019d been advised that there are in general fewer available egg donors of minority ethnicities and that our search may, therefore, take longer. As both Brandon and I are light-skinned and of black heritage, we were hoping to find an egg donor of similar background.
\nWhen it was time to start looking the advice was correct and there was only one currently available donor of black heritage. She was beautiful, smart and well educated but as she was dark-skinned we were worried that a child from her donor egg and Brandon\u2019s sperm would not resemble us, both of us being lighter skinned. Additionally, her genetic screening was not as good of a match for us so we politely declined matching with that donor and kept looking.
\n\"Heather
\nWe kept an open mind, kept looking and were considering other egg donors who had more features associated with people of colour but who were not of black heritage. We were leaning towards one in particular, but we were struggling to make a decision. While she had a wonderful profile, I didn\u2019t feel that connection I was hoping for.
\nCoincidentally enough, around this time I was scheduled for a consultation with one of ORM\u2019s genetic counsellors, Gena, to discuss the statistics associated with our planned procedure. She went through the success rates for one embryo and a two embryo transfer with me by phone.
\nWhile we spoke casually towards the end of the call, I voiced my concerns that I hadn\u2019t made a selection yet of an egg donor. I told Gena how I was finding it difficult to find an egg donor who I felt looked like me and who I connected with.
\nWithout hesitation, Gena shared that a new egg donor had joined the ORM program. I immediately logged on to the egg donor portal while Gena guided me through the process over the phone of finding the new egg donor. As soon as I saw her I immediately began to cry.
\n\"Heather
\nThis egg donor was beautiful. She looked like me. She had a wonderful smile and she had so many goals that were very similar to the goals that I set for myself at her age. She is a selfless giver, adventurous, determined to educate herself and persistent. She talked about how whatever goals she sets for herself, while it may take time and hard work to achieve them, she will reach those goals. As I read that statement from the question and answer section of her application, I said to myself, \u201cI have found my match!\u201d
\nPersistence has been one of my most important attributes and I found myself strongly connected to this woman who was coming to the aid of people like me who are in need of the ultimate gift, a donor egg. To add to my strong connection to her, she said she loved seafood. Seafood is my favorite!
\nI contacted ORM\u2019s egg donor matching coordinator, Corby, right away to tell her that we\u2019d found our donor! Corby happily agreed to set the wheels in motion!
\nWe\u2019d been saving for our retirement, but we took some of these funds to cover our egg donor\u2019s compensation and travel expenses so that our donor could start her preparations. We figured that the investment in building our family was more than worth it!
\nOur treatment coordinator, Christina, shared our egg donor\u2019s calendar with us. I\u2019ll always remember our egg donor\u2019s retrieval day, January 21st 2018. I had been praying all day that she was having a good day, feeling well, feeling encouraged about helping someone else. Fortunately, my prayers were answered.
\nOn the retrieval day, we heard that 38 eggs were retrieved. Incredible! About three weeks later after fertilisation, development of the embryos in the lab for 5 days, chromosomal screening, and freezing we got the most amazing news.
\nWe had 14 normal embryos (6 male and 8 female) to work with! Having had so many disappointments in the past, receiving such great news on the number of embryos was an absolutely phenomenal feeling.
\nNow in preparation for my transfer, it\u2019s been my turn. I have a calendar with daily medication dosages and times to take all dosages plastered around my home to ensure that I don\u2019t miss a beat. ORM sent me a package with all the medications I would need up until the transfer and this has lessened my stress level quite significantly.
\nOn two occasions during past cycles, I was rushing to pharmacies before they closed and dealing with the panic of not knowing whether the pharmacy would have enough of the required medications for me to finish my cycle. With this experience at ORM, the stress of the pharmacy has not been a concern.
\nI recently completed my first calendar request for blood work to monitor my hormone levels with great results. I have more blood work and scans to come before it\u2019s time to get on the plane back to ORM in Portland. I\u2019m determined to follow the calendar to the letter.
\nI am also eating well, and doing 20 minutes of yoga and guided meditation every day to try and keep calm and not over analyze this process as my transfer day approaches.
\nWe are hopeful, grateful and full of faith that this journey is headed in the right direction towards our goal of becoming parents! Next stop Portland!
\nDr Barbieri comments on Heather and Brandon\u2019s journey<\/strong><\/span>
\nIt is always a joyful occasion when we are able to give our patients such wonderful news as Heather and Brandon have received regarding the number of normal embryos they have from their donor egg cycle.
\nPicking an egg donor is a very personal choice, and it is important for patients to feel comfortable with their selection. As in Heather\u2019s case, ,any time patients tell us that they knew instinctively when they had found the right egg donor.
\nAt ORM our egg donor profiles contain a comprehensive set of information including: adult and childhood photos, physical characteristics, education and career, interests, personal qualities, prior egg donation experience and outcomes, reasons for donating, compensation and travel reimbursement (if any required), openness to contact (anonymous, semi-open via the Donor Sibling Registry, or open), general health history, reproductive health history, family description and family health history.
\nIn addition, our patients are provided an egg donor\u2019s genetic disorder carrier screening results and a comprehensive Genetic Information and Family Tree (GIFT) summary, which is unique to ORM and is prepared by one of ORM\u2019s genetic counselors. This assessment helps patients interpret the genetic risks present in a donor\u2019s family history. This also provides a record of the donor\u2019s family medical history that can relied-upon in the future if needed.
\nHeather is now preparing for her transfer. She\u2019s being diligent about her medications protocol while continuing to look after her general health and diet, as well as her mental well-being.
\nAn optimistic outlook makes such a positive difference in our patients\u2019 experience. Heather and Brandon have every reason to be optimistic and I am confident that they will have the best possible chance for success in building the family they hope for.
\nThe entire team at ORM is so looking forward to having Heather and Brandon back in Portland for their upcoming transfer!
\nMORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE OREGON REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE WEBSITE<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Efter n\u00e6sten ti \u00e5rs fors\u00f8g p\u00e5 at skabe en familie er Heather og Brandon godt p\u00e5 vej til at blive for\u00e6ldre. De har valgt deres \u00e6gdonor, modtaget de fantastiske resultater af deres \u00e6gdonors udtagning og er ved at g\u00f8re sig klar til Heathers opl\u00e6gning. Vi f\u00f8lger op p\u00e5 de seneste sp\u00e6ndende skridt p\u00e5 deres rejse. Heather skriver ... At v\u00e6lge en [...]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":17734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2019-07-23T16:46:19Z","apple_news_api_id":"c5a21178-2e9a-448f-9393-7c45344c0490","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2019-07-23T16:46:20Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AxaIReC6aRI-Tk3xFNEwEkA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[68],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17729"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74181,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17729\/revisions\/74181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fertilityroad.com\/da\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}