| The day I discovered I couldn't bear children will | | | | than anyone else, understand why women are |
| remain embellished in my mind. It was raining and I | | | | desperate to have children. Such was the case of |
| was attempting to be punctual for my HSG | | | | Rajo Devi in India. |
| procedure so I drove a little faster than normal. After | | | | Devi and her 77 year-old husband were childless for |
| failed attempts to conceive during the past six years, | | | | over 50 years. They sought the help of Dr. Anurage |
| I opted to take a repeat HSG procedure to | | | | Bishnor of the National Fertility Clinic who helped Devi |
| determine whether my one remaining fallopian tube | | | | conceive through successful IVF treatments. Devi is |
| was open. I, like many other women, had a fibroid | | | | now the proud mother of an 18 month old son and |
| uterus that prevented me from having children. When | | | | still breast feeds. The National Fertility Clinic is |
| the fibroids were removed, a tremendous amount of | | | | considered "ground zero" for older women trying to |
| scar tissue developed and blocked one of my | | | | conceive and he successfully helped a 66 year-old |
| fallopian tubes. I could have lived with having one | | | | conceive triplets. |
| tube if I had successfully become pregnant - but I | | | | Some would argue that it is unethical to assist |
| didn't. | | | | women like Devi based on the risk factors for an |
| Although I arrived on time for my appointment, I | | | | older mom. Maria Carmen del Bousada was 67 years |
| remember feeling "rushed" as the technician ushered | | | | old when she delivered twins. Two years later, she |
| me into the procedure room. The infertility doc | | | | died from breast cancer leaving her children to be |
| babbled as he inserted the dye through my uterus | | | | raised by her nephew. Should IVF be offered to |
| and I recalled feeling a searing pain. "Both tubes are | | | | women after menopause? It depends. The life |
| blocked. Sorry," said the doctor and then he left. The | | | | expectancy of a "healthy" woman in her fifties is |
| technician advised me to dress quickly because there | | | | certainly different from a "healthy" woman in her |
| was another patient waiting. I didn't even have time | | | | seventies. |
| to process the information. | | | | A diagnosis of infertility can be devastating but so |
| I called my husband from the car sobbing hysterically | | | | can the side effects of IVF and complications of |
| in the middle of a down pour and still wonder to this | | | | pregnancy for older women. In the improbable quest |
| day how I made it home in one piece. So I, more | | | | towards parenthood; please tread wisely. |