IUI and IVF
Juliana’s story:
When my fertility specialist gave me Angela’s card, I was a little dubious about whether I wanted to mix modern with alternative medicine, not to mention whether we could afford to spend more on what was already an expensive IVF treatment.
We needed IVF primarily because of a “plumbing problem” with my husband. But I had also been diagnosed with endometriosis 10 years earlier and was nervous that with two fertility problems, we’d be looking at round after round of unsuccessful treatment.
As we approached the beginning of the cycle, I found some medical articles online showing higher success rates in patients who had adjunctive acupuncture. I suddenly felt I had nothing to lose—and everything to gain—so I made an appointment with Angela.
I thought I was coming in just for acupuncture (which I had never had before). I had no idea Angela would assess and treat my entire mental and physical health. Because Angela understands conventional medicine’s approach to fertility treatment, everything she did to me and everything she suggested I do at home worked with the IVF clinic’s drugs and procedures. She gave me clear advice on diet, dietary supplements, and meditation, and she suggested ways for my husband and me to create and maintain a connection during the IVF process to first my eggs, then our embryos, and, perhaps most importantly, each other.
What surprised and delighted me most was that Angela immediately became a loving supporter of me on my fertility adventure.
I didn’t know I needed it, but having her with me the whole way helped me keep grounded and strong. With my specialist concentrating on my eggs, my husband on his sperm, and the clinic on our embryos, it meant a lot to know that Angela was there specifically for me. In this sense, every visit was truly therapeutic.
The IVF worked. I am now 16 weeks pregnant. The reason I hesitate is that I would be recommending Angela either way. There is no question that she is a skilled acupuncturist, but she is so much more. Angela treats the whole person, an experience you don’t often get in modern medicine. I left every appointment feeling more grounded and strong, and I have made some permanent dietary changes that have greatly improved my body’s ability to get the most out of everything I eat (extra important now that I am nourishing another life inside me!). I was never big on alternative medicine, but I now appreciate the healing power of both meditation and acupuncture, and I will use both again. Angela really is a professional carer, and you can only help yourself by allowing her to help you.
