Stephanie Koslowski’s fertility journey began with a hopeful heart at a Wisconsin clinic in 2019. When oral medication didn’t yield the results she and her husband, Dustin, were hoping for, she underwent a series of ultrasounds, CT scans, and sonohysterograms to check for any blockages, but nothing appeared. It wasn’t until a laparoscopic procedure that she discovered the real issue: Stephanie had had stage 4 endometriosis.
“My appendix was removed mid-surgery as the endo had completely deteriorated it. I also had endo in my bladder, on both of my ovaries, and my intestines. I had to complete injections once a month for 6 months to remove any microscopic pieces that were left. I started oral medication again to see if anything would’ve changed but it didn’t.”
It was at this point Stephanie’s doctor suggested she consider in vitro fertilization (IVF) at AFCC. She and Dustin embarked on this new stage in their journey in April 2021, with Dr. Michelle Catenacci.
“We were pretty well prepared going into our treatment plan. Nurse Crissy explained everything very, very well! Dr. Catenacci also explained in detail at our consult what would happen, what we might experience, and that we could always contact the team if we needed anything.”
During Stephanie’s first IVF cycle, two eggs were retrieved, both were fertilized, but only one made it to transfer day, and unfortunately, it didn’t implant. Stephanie underwent a second round of IVF in June 2021, but this time the cycle turned into an intrauterine insemination (IUI) due to only one follicle being found during monitoring. Another attempt in September ended in disappointment when Stephanie’s body didn’t respond to the stimulation medications, leaving her with no viable follicles.
Faced with these challenges, Stephanie and Dustin decided to take a break from infertility treatments for a few months. During this time, they explored the option of using an egg donor through AFCC.
Stephanie described their decision to use an egg donor as one of the most challenging aspects of her fertility journey. “Looking at the bios and pictures of the individuals…[we were] trying to pick what we thought would be best. We wanted to find someone that had similar features, which was a bit tough.”
Finally, having secured a donor and purchased six eggs, the third chapter began. During her summer break, Stephanie traveled every Tuesday from Appleton, WI to AFCC’s Gurnee location for lab work and monitoring appointments.
Out of the six eggs, four were fertilized, and two made it to transfer day. Both embryos were transferred, and finally, one implanted successfully.
“After 230 injections, we were finally blessed with our miracle. Everything that I went through for 3 years was totally worth it in the end!”
Stephanie and Dustin’s long and arduous journey brought them Olivia Koslowski, the joy they had been dreaming of. “Seeing her smile and laugh every day has been a blessing.”
