OK, this is turning into an infertility blog, without any explicit intent for it to turn out like that. I guess it's unavoidable, infertility being the biggest battle of my life and the thing I think about on an almost daily basis. I'm not even sure who follow this blog, but I apologize in advance for the barrage of infertility issues discussed here. If you'd like to read more about my journey with it, then read on. If not, feel free to close this page.
Anyway, we're off to HK this evening to try out this therapy that my new friend (and fellow infertility warrior) D introduced me to. It's called Arvigo therapy and it's a ancient Mayan massage and therapy technique primarily intended to realign the uterus. The main principle of Arvigo is based on the assumption that the uterus is the 'center' of the female body and from it emanates all other conditions and issues, such as infertility, painful periods, endometriosis, etc. A tilted or displaced uterus refers to any position of the uterus other than the vertical one that's ideal. Mine is retroverted, which means it faces my spine. It can also be anteverted, like in the case of my sister-in-law, or even folded in half (if you can picture it). This can be caused by a variety of reasons, like your pelvic muscles were born a bit on the weak side so they are unable to support the uterus and keep it in place. Other reasons can be a pretty hard fall when you were little, or lifting heavy things before or during your period (which from my recollection, I think I am guilty of). Anyway, Western medicine has always told me that a retroverted uterus doesn't cause infertility and besides, even if it did, there's nothing I can do or get done to correct it. This is what prompted me to check out this therapy because it claims the opposite and gives me the power (or at least the chance) to correct my tilted uterus, get some pain alleviation during periods and hopefully (of course, this would be the mother of all benefits) get us little Baby Chan. The idea also is that a tilted uterus does not allow optimal entry of sperm and its access to the fallopian tubes where the egg would be waiting. Hence, logically, it should contribute to why we're having a hard time.
Also, there's a second reason we're checking out this therapy. It can also be used on men to alleviate prostate problems. As I mentioned before, Dennis has prostatitis, which is essentially the infection of the prostate which causes its enlargement. The prostate is the control center for men and from it emanates almost everything that makes a man healthy, strong and happy (hormones-wise). So a healthy prostate is a must. Ever since I found out the diagnosis, I've been worried about this and been on the lookout for anything that can help. So here we are, off to HK.
The therapy is a bit on the expensive side.. heck, who am I kidding, it's VERY expensive, at 1,500hkd per session (yes, that's almost 10 grand pesos), and we both will get 2 sessions each for this trip. So, yes, add the hotel and airfare and you have the priciest HK trip I've ever been on, and that's still counting the time I went with my mom to get my dowry items. Intense!
But I guess, after all is said and calculated, at the end of the day, I don't want any regrets. Wherever this journey takes us, I want to be able to face my own conscience and know that I tried everything there possibly is. I've done the treatments, I've read the research, I've taken the pills, I've done the injections, I've seen the doctors, I've exhausted all possible options. More than anything, yes even more than Baby Chan, what I want is peace -- peace of the mind and of the heart. And the way to achieve this would be to do everything in my power and make all the necessary sacrifices and make all the wise choices. No desperation though. Just a careful analysis of our situation, good research to back up our choices and have the courage and strength to follow through, even at great personal cost. This way, no matter how this ends, I know I did my best and that I did right by our dream.
Speaking of, my new friend D has gone through 2 IVF sessions and both were unsuccessful. While I had only just met her and we've only been talking for a little while about our experiences, I felt saddened for her yesterday morning when she messaged me that the second IVF didn't turn out well. I know how tough it can get, and I can only imagine how it feels to have the most aggressive procedure done and still not come out happily on the other side. Prayers to D.
The other thing I have to think about is the US trip in May. My family had initially planned to go attend a cousin's wedding in NYC in May, and afterwards take a short trip around NYC and trek up to DC on a family vacation, also to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. The wallet damage for me and Dennis to join this trip would roughly be around 400k-500k, inclusive of our plane tickets, our share in the accommodations and some pocket money. Given that this Hk trip would already be costing us somewhere in the US$2,000+ level, and the therapist did mention needing at least 3 months (meaning 3 trips) to be able to see results (which means we'll need budget to fund 3 HK trips), we have a BIG challenge facing us. I want to be able to join the trip, but also need to be responsible and set aside budget to fund this more important quest. What to do, what to do.... :-/
So there. Wish us luck, in all forms possible! :P
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