Episode 28: IVF, Persistence, and Paying it Forward when Battling Infertility
When you fall, you get back up again. Although it’s an old saying, it teaches a lesson about persistence, and it can be applied to almost any aspect of life. But it’s not always easy to just get back up, especially if you are struggling with infertility.
In this episode, we’ll learn about the power of persistence through Lynn and Drew Polin’s fertility journey. They went through multiple rounds of IVF, and a life-threatening pregnancy to have a baby. But they found out that this was just the beginning of their fertility journey when they started trying for baby number two. After experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions during her journey of infertility, Lynn was motivated to help others and started her a peer-led support group through RESOLVE and a fundraising campaign by organizing a Walk of Hope.
Guests: Lynn Polin and Drew Polin
Host: Jaime Ford, Claims and Billing Specialist at Progyny
For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page, RESOLVE, and Walk of Hope NJ.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.
Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.
Host
Jaime has been in the healthcare industry for over five years. She’s part of the Provider Relations department working alongside Progyny’s Patient Care Advocates to ensure members have a best-in-class experience by addressing any billing inquires and related issues. Previous to Progyny, Jaime was at Oscar Health and volunteered in the oncology unit at Montefiore’s Children’s hospital.
Guest
Lynn and Drew were high school friends who married nine years later. Six years into their marriage they agreed to grow their family yet had no success. After a diagnosis of bilateral hydrosalpinges (two blocked Fallopian tubes), Lynn’s only chance of conceiving was through IVF. In five years, Lynn experienced two rounds of IVF before conceiving their daughter, Kayla, who was born in May of 2014.
In an effort to expand their family, Lynn underwent eight additional IVF cycles, the final one being documented by a camera crew to show the “raw and real” of this journey. Altogether Lynn experienced ten rounds of IVF, five retrievals, sixty-one eggs retrieved, seven frozen transfers, four fresh transfers, one pregnancy loss, and one foster to adopt situation.
A third grade teacher by day, Lynn made it her mission to support others experiencing similar family building struggles and started her own peer-led support group through RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association. She later recruited Drew, the owner of a telecommunications consulting firm, to help her organize a DIY Walk of Hope to continue to validate those going through the journey while educating others. The Polin’s 2018 Walk of Hope was such a success that they were honored at RESOLVE’s 2018 Night of Hope with the Hope Award for Service.
Music From This Episode:
Artist: Lee Rosevere
Title: Thinking it Over
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_5/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_5_-_03_Thinking_It_Over
Title: What have you done
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/The_Big_Loop_-_FML_original_podcast_score/Lee_Rosevere_-_The_Big_Loop_-_FML_original_podcast_score_-_03_What_Have_You_Done
Title: Featherlight remix vocals by Heather Feather
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_2/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_2_-_17_Featherlight_remix_-_vocals_by_Heather_Feather
Title: Musical Mathematics
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_-_10_Musical_Mathematics
Title: Completely Lost
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/The_Big_Loop_-_FML_original_podcast_score/Lee_Rosevere_-_The_Big_Loop_-_FML_original_podcast_score_-_05_Completely_Lost
Title: Sad Marimba Planet
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_02_Sad_Marimba_Planet
Artist: TRG Banks
Title: Christmas lights
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/TRG_Banks/TRG_Banks_Christmas_Album/Christmas_lights
Artist: Monplaisir
Title: Brotherhood
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monplaisir/American_Dreams_Soundtrack/Monplaisir_-_American_Dreams_Original_Soundtrack_-_15_Brotherhood
Title: A good Start
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monplaisir/American_Dreams_Soundtrack/Monplaisir_-_American_Dreams_Original_Soundtrack_-_12_A_Good_Start
Artist: Rest You Sleeping Giant
Title: Leaving for Chicago
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rest_You_Sleeping_Giant/Songs_for_a_Sad_Guitar/Rest_You_Sleeping_Giant_-_Songs_for_a_Sad_Guitar_-_10_Leaving_for_Chicago
Artist: Philipp Weigl
Title: Even when we fall
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Philipp_Weigl/Sound-trax/Philipp_Weigl_-_02_-_Even_when_we_fall