Somewhere I never thought I'd be...

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Chronic ITP, shortly after our son was born. Luckily though, the condition is not so serious that I have to be on medicine and I do not have to have my spleen removed. (A common treatment in the more severe cases.) I have to go to my Hematologist every 6 months or so to get my platelet levels checked to make sure the condition isn't getting any worse. Just last week, I had an appointment and what occurred next was something Phil and I never thought we would have to be thinking about. 

Before I get into what exactly that is, I just want to make it absolutely clear that I love my children with all my heart. I would do ANYTHING for them, they are my absolute heart and soul and the sole purpose I was put on this earth. 

With that being said, Phil and I had discussed the issue of being done with having children or in several years, possibly trying for another one. If we never had another child, we most certainly would be perfectly content. We just didn't want to completely rule out the possibility. 

In talking to my Hematologist about this, he has advised that Phil and I don't have another baby. He says it will really affect my health since my platelets are low to begin with, and during pregnancy your platelets significantly drop anyway. He said I would have to either get on steroids or have bi-monthly IVIG treatments starting at about 5 months of pregnancy, which are $15,000 each!! Yikes! So basically he said we need to take very serious precautions about getting pregnant. I am on birth control, but every birth control is only 99% effective and honestly I have had friends who got pregnant while on birth control. 

Phil and I first talked about me getting a hysterectomy, but decided that was just too drastic. We then decided that Phil getting a vasectomy would be a better choice. But because I don't want to completely rule out the possibility of a future pregnancy, we may get his "swimmers" frozen first. Even though we probably won't decide to have another baby, I just hate the thought of the door being slammed shut. 

I never in a million years ever thought we would be at this point in our life. Researching Urologists and places that freeze sperm.