After a childhood filled with surgeries, it would be ten years before I had another surgery. Once I stopped growing, the problems with my osteochondromas faded. Instead, a whole new set of problems presented itself.
I met my best friend and soul mate at the age of fifteen. Jamie was the lead singer and guitar player in a Christian punk band called Third Alliance. Oh my word, he was so cute! We met online; in an age few people did that.
Though I saw my husband on a youth group’s website after his band was in a Battle of the Bands contest, I used his email to find his AOL screenname. Whether it was accident or providence, I will forever be grateful to the circumstances that brought us together!
We connected immediately. Something had drawn me to him for a reason, of that I am sure. I had a few friends that attended his school, and they told me he was real and very nice (I had to check first, I’m not stupid!). We met up at a track meet that both of our schools were participating in.
The funny thing was, I am not athletic and was not on the track team. I simply had no license, which meant no way of getting to the track meet. But many of my friends were on the track team and convinced the coach to let me ride the bus with them. After school, the girls gave me a makeover in the locker room, and we rode the bus, excitement filling the air.
Jamie had musical practice, so he would be late. I talked to a few of his friends, introducing myself as someone he had been “talking” to. The rest of my time was spent waiting.
There are certain moments you don’t forget. I will never forget this moment. I sat on a grassy hill, friends surrounding me, and without reason looked to my right. It was as if time was moving in slow motion. Jamie and his friend, who I had previously introduced myself to, were walking toward me. In high school, it was the fad for everyone to wear black, but not Jamie. He wore bright Hawaiian shirts, a mirrored reflection of the beautiful personality within.
There he was, his Hawaiian shirt blowing in the wind, looking like a movie star! I stood, and we stared at one another, speechless. This was what we had been waiting for, and we were too shy to say anything.
I tried to introduce my friends but forgot a few names. My mind was completely blank. All I saw was him. As we walked with our friends, he reached for my hand, and my heart completely melted.
Jamie and I have been through a lot in our years together. We dated five years before we got married and have now been married thirteen years. Our life has been one adventure after another, a life I am forever thankful for.
Jamie was the first person who did not look at my scars with disgust. He understands me, and loves me the way I am.
He was finishing up college the year we got married. We wanted to wait to have children until after he graduated. The moment he graduated, the birth control pills went in the trash. We were going to have kids!
I cannot help but cry as I write this. If you have not experienced it, the feeling of taking pregnancy test after pregnancy test and the result always being negative, it is simply heartbreaking. My periods were always late and irregular, causing us to think this time it finally happened, only for our hopes once again to be dashed.
We finally sought help, a few years later, at a fertility clinic. The doctor was amazing! I described my symptoms. I had always had irregular and painful periods. They would be so painful I would beg my mom to pick me up from school. She could only pick me up so often, so I had to learn to deal.
The doctor decided to run some tests. It was learned that I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or basically a ton of cysts on my ovaries. This alone can cause problems when trying to conceive, as well as in your menstrual cycle.
It was also when I learned I had Endometriosis, leading to my very painful periods and sometimes painful sexual intercourse.
There was something else troubling the doctor, though. It looked like I had something called a Bicornuate Uterus. Basically, a bicornuate uterus is a uterus shaped like a heart instead of a pear (which is how a normal uterus looks like). This can put you at a higher risk of miscarriage.
I had a laparoscopic procedure, and sure enough, the doctor’s fear was confirmed. I did, indeed, have a bicornuate uterus. It was very interesting, though, because I got to see color photos of my organs. The doctor said I had a great liver! At least that is one thing in my body that is normal!
I look back on my life and see how every event is just one puzzle piece connected to another. If we had not found out about my fertility issues, we never would have found out about Jamie. It was what happened next that profoundly changed our lives…(To Be Continued)
Have you or someone you know ever dealt with infertility? What was your experience like? Don’t forget to comment or reach out to me on:
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Stories of Petey 
Sorry to read about your problems but a lovely heartwarming love story.
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Thank you so much! Our life has been an adventure but we have learned to enjoy each moment for what it is😊
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Good for you, always continue to look on the bright side.
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