Help Nick & Catherine with IVF #oneinaMellon

Hi, my name is Alyssa Dale, I am Catherine's sister. After a lot of thought, A LOT of prayers, and discussion with family, Catherine and Nick have decided to try IVF. Please read their "fertility journey" below.

 

        Our names are Nick and Catherine Mellon and we have been married for almost 13 years. Two years ago we felt it was the right time for us to start a family. My GYN in, Hickory, NC advised that if we had been trying to conceive (TTC) for at least a year and we weren’t successful, that we would look into other causes of infertility. Fast forward a year and we hadn’t been successful in conceiving on our own, so my MD decided to look into some things. This consisted of doing detailed labs, an HSG procedure (making sure that your fallopian tubes are working correctly), and many other things. After all of the above, I was started on an oral medication called Letrozole that can help when a woman is diagnosed with ovulation problems or unexplained infertility. A startling statistic is that one in eight couples in the U.S. struggle with infertility. On my second round of Letrozole we ended up conceiving and we were so excited! We told everyone the wonderful news, only to find out a few days later that it ended up being a biochemical pregnancy (very early miscarriage). We were so sad, and while we were grieving the loss of this pregnancy, we knew that we needed to see an infertility specialist at this point.

         In October of 2021, we had our first visit with my wonderful MD at Atrium Health CMC Women’s Institute in Charlotte, NC. After many labs, a SIS (saline infusion sonohysterography), detailed history and assessment, my MD was able to diagnose me with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). This would explain the issues that we were having with infertility. After making this diagnosis, we were able to get a detailed infertility treatment plan together and move forward on this journey to starting a family. After doing three rounds of Letrozole and Ovidrel, we conceived. Although, my HCG levels were going up appropriately, some other concerning symptoms continued and worsened, and on February 15, 2022, the ultrasound showed an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. Unfortunately, the pain only worsened, and I ended up having to have emergency surgery to remove my left fallopian tube.

         We so desperately want to start a family. We love each other, love the Lord, and would love a little child with all of our hearts. Due to our age, the fact that we have been TTC for over two years, and my recent history with an ectopic pregnancy, we have decided to move forward with IVF. We have decided to by-pass trying IUI because the chances of another ectopic pregnancy would be much greater. Our insurance doesn’t cover IVF and it is very costly. After a lot of thought, A LOT of prayers, and discussing with our families, we have decided that raising money for IVF would be our next step. We both greatly appreciate your prayers and any donation that you make, no matter how big or small, it is helping us make this dream of starting a family possible!

#oneinaMellon