It's difficult to express in words the impact Alejandro and Kelsey have had on our lives.  I came to see Alejandro in the summer of 2006, after more than a year of trying to conceive under the care of a reproductive endocrinologist.  We had comparatively little difficulty conceiving our first son, but by the time we sought out fertility treatment to have a second child, we found ourselves faced with bad news at every turn.  My FSH level skyrocketed to a level much higher than it should for a woman in her mid-thirties and our numerous attempts at IVF were a complete failure.  In one cycle, I failed to produce enough follicles to even attempt a retrieval; in another, none of the few eggs retrieved ever fertilized; and in a third, two eggs successfully fertilized but by the following day had failed to divide and grow and the embryo transfer was cancelled.  We were told we had less than a 5% chance of conceiving through IVF and would be better off considering using an egg donor or adopting a baby.  I was 36 years old and totally devastated.

When I first met Alejandro (and later Kelsey,) I found a reason to be hopeful, for the first time in a very long time.  Alejandro did not dwell in the impossible odds my doctors had given me.  In fact, he almost disregarded what I had been told.  He told me that my body knew what to do; I had a baby before, and I could do it again.  He listened, no matter how long I talked or how many questions I asked.  He and Kelsey treated my whole person, focusing on my spirit as well as my body.  I made drastic changes in my diet, came for treatments twice a week, and spent a lot of time in quiet reflection, coming finally to the realization that everything would be alright.  (It may not mean I would get pregnant, but I believed and prayed that God would grant me the understanding for why everything had happened as it did.)  By the summer of 2007, I was ready to let it all go.  I was still open to ways we could have another child in our lives, but was no longer predicating my whole happiness on being pregnant and risk missing the amazing little person our first son was becoming with each passing day.  I was still doing acupuncture, but focusing on my overall wellness and not any specific goal. We had gone to one of the egg donation agencies for information and had talked to friends who had successful adoption stories to tell, but by that point, we were financially and emotionally exhausted.  Finally, it was time to rest.  In June of 2007 I didn't get a period.  My doctor told me it could be a result of the last and final treatment I had done and to call back in a month if I had still not gotten it.  By July, I had still not gotten it but just assumed I may not be getting a period anymore; clearly I was careening towards menopause much faster than a woman my age should.  You can probably guess how the story ends.  I found out in July of last year I was almost 7 weeks pregnant.  We were dumbstruck.  I had moments when I thought that I couldn't possibly carry a baby to term (after all, I was told my eggs were no good,) but Alejandro, Kelsey and Rebecca never did.  And really, I found that I was still at peace, and everything would be as it was meant to be.  In March of 2008, we welcomed a beautiful son who has filled our home with incredible joy.  Our son is now a brother, and our family is complete.   We are eternally grateful to Alejandro and Kesley, who became like family to me, and to Karen who was always so wonderfully kind on the phone and as I sat waiting for my appointments, and finally to Rebecca who has been a great addition to The Art of Natural Healing.   I believe we are where we are today because of you, and we are forever grateful to you all.

J&J