Susie and Tony Troxler’s long fertility journey ended in “a miracle.”
After nearly a decade of trying, Susie Troxler, a licensed psychologist living in High Point, North Carolina, became a mom for the very first time — at the proud age of 50.
Susie and her husband, Tony Troxler, 61, welcomed their first child and daughter, Lily Troxler, weighing 5 lbs and 12.8 oz., on Sept. 29, 2021. The road that lead the couple to that joyous moment was long, and started long before the couple recognized they were having a challenging time conceiving.
The Troxlers had tried to have a baby since marrying 13 years ago, but were never able to naturally conceive.
Susie Troxler said that for both she and her husband, seeking fertility help was not something they considered, simply because they did not know what options existed.
“When we got married, we just assumed we’d get pregnant, and then it didn’t happen,” she said. “But we’re both very old-school, and when we grew up, nobody even talked about or discussed IVF [in-vitro fertilization]. It wasn’t even a thing.”
That changed around three years ago, when Susie Troxler went in for her annual exam.
The reproductive endocrinologist diagnosed Susie Troxler with fibroids, which are usually benign, muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus.
Susie Troxler underwent surgery in January 2019 to remove the fibroids, but was told she and her husband would still not be able to get pregnant naturally, both because of her age and because of health complications on her husband’s side.
The Troxlers underwent several rounds of IVF, but after not being able to produce a viable embryo, they turned to egg donation.
Susie Troxler underwent the first embryo transfer in late 2019, but it did not take. Several months later, in spring 2020, the coronavirus pandemic emerged in the United States and put their plans for a family on hold for nearly one year due to pandemic restrictions.
In February, the Troxlers decided to try their last viable embryo, a frozen embryo, which they considered to be their last chance.
Several weeks later, they learned Susie Troxler was pregnant.
Now the Troxlers are in the middle of the sleep-deprived first months of being new parents, an experience they said they wouldn’t change for the world.
Source:
today.com, goodmorningamerica.com
