Bryan & Rhonda

We met while working together in 2012. We were working in healthcare where we found a shared love of hockey and Disney, and soon our relationship blossomed. In 2015 we got married in Chesapeake Beach with the picturesque Chesapeake Bay sunset behind us on the pier. From there our bond grew stronger through lots of travel, sporting events, Disney trips, and family.  

Finding fertility care at SGF

After 5 years of marriage, a career change brought me to Shady Grove Fertility as the Frederick Office Manager. There, I was exposed to the world of fertility treatments and couldn’t help but think, should Rhonda and I take that step after struggling to conceive on our own? Then after a long day in the office and having a talk with Dr. Jason Bromer, I shared my thoughts. To which Dr. Bromer said if we ever wanted to talk about it “he knew a guy.”

This seemed to be the piece needed for me to convince Rhonda to come into SGF and explore the possibility of infertility treatment. After feeling instantly calmed by Dr. Bromer’s demeanor and realistic approach Rhonda’s worries were put at ease and she worked to set aside her fear of both doctors and needles to begin the process and journey to having a baby.

Waiting for our miracle

As we worked through our pre-screening, it was discovered that in addition to being a little older, Rhonda was working with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as irregular ovulations. This became clear when Rhonda’s first treatment cycle of an intrauterine insemination (IUI) took almost 45 days for her to trigger. This cycle ended up having a Christmas IUI. Despite the joyous tidings of the holiday season that year, we would have to wait a little longer for our miracle.  

Undeterred, Rhonda met with Dr. Bromer again and decided to switch to in vitro fertilization (IVF) for her next cycle. Hopefully optimistic that the new year and a new treatment plan would help achieve success for us, we were overjoyed after 11 eggs were retrieved. Unfortunately, though, only one would develop into an embryo.  

Keeping our hopes high, and on Dr. Bromer’s suggestion, the embryo was tested and found to be a healthy viable option. In April, we had our first transfer. Unfortunately, again a family was not the destiny for us at this time.  

However, surprised at the result of the fertilization, Dr. Bromer came back to us and felt that some additional testing should be done. He asked if he could do a biopsy on Rhonda and asked if I was willing to have additional tests run on me as well.  

This testing revealed that there may be a male factor as well. So, while Rhonda was continuing her treatment with Dr. Bromer, I began some of my own under the watchful eye of Dr. Paul Shin. Dr. Shin broke the news to me that there was an issue with my swimmers — that they were breaking down before accomplishing their goal. So, he asked me if I would be willing to have a TESE performed to help get the best potential sample. That June I went in for this procedure, which was another SGF success.  

With Rhonda’s corresponding egg retrieval, we had a bit more success this round, ending up with 6 fertilized eggs. Again, fortune was not kind to us as 3 embryos never fully developed. Always optimistic, we were happy three did and had high hopes.  

After celebrating our birthdays, Rhonda had her next transfer done that August. Things started looking good as we got a good news call from Rhonda’s first positive beta. But unfortunately, as time came to pass, ultimately the pregnancy we were hoping for still evaded us.  

Rhonda had two more transfers following that one and unfortunately, they all shared the same result. Time was starting to weigh on us. We started to lose some faith in the process. At times, I found it especially hard working at SGF where I will admit I was getting discouraged despite working with patients and helping them celebrate their successes. I began to question “why can’t that be us?” 

But Dr. Bromer was determined and asked Rhonda to undergo one more test. Dr. Bromer and the care team’s determination was all the motivation we needed. We knew they were destined to grow our family.  

So, after one more test Rhonda was ready for another retrieval. This time she got even more eggs and after their fertilization, we had 7 embryos. So again, that August, nearly 2 years after we began our journey, Rhonda had another transfer. Again, she got the news she was hoping for — a positive blood test. However, one more time her levels started to drop, and a DNC was needed.  

But this time, we took some time to pause and reflect a bit. We asked for another transfer and this time, we were all positive it was going to happen. So, on November 30, 2022, Rhonda went in for another transfer.  

While we were worried about getting bad news at the holidays, we remained positive this one was working. This was the time we were going to find our success story. On December 12, step one was to complete a positive HCG test, then again on the 14th, and again on the 16th. We got the best news yet. We were moving to our first ultrasound.  

A dream becoming reality

December 28 was the first day that Rhonda got to go in and see what she had been hoping for and praying for. The sonographer scanned her and there was that little “racecar” as she put it on the screen. Rhonda had never been very emotional in her life and started to well up and a few tears began to flow as the dream was becoming a reality. This time it was actually happening.

On January 11, Rhonda came back for her third ultrasound. I was called into the room by Dr. Bromer. We were finally getting what we had desired. After two and a half years, one IUI cycle, three egg retrievals, five failed FETs, two hysteroscopies, two D and Cs, and a male procedure, we were told we had a healthy growing baby boy and that we were graduating from SGF.

A family of three

Seven months later the fact that the journey took longer than expected no longer mattered as on August 4, 2023, we headed to Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville, not only to celebrate my birthday, but to welcome our son Jameson Bryan into the world. So impressed with the devotion and dedication of our team, we gave our son a name to recognize the team and their help. He would share his name with his doctor, Jason, and his nurse, Jamie. Therefore “Jamie-son” will always be a reminder of the journey we took to become a family of three.