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by Connie Matthissen
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Kellie Ellebracht
Home: San Diego, California
Child: Emma, 8 months
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It's never easy to face infertility, but it may be particularly difficult when you live at the Camp Pendleton military base in Southern California, where it seems every other woman is pregnant, and children burst out of houses up and down the block.
"It's overwhelming and heartbreaking, because you see all these other families and think you'll never have that yourself," says Kellie Ellebracht.
Kellie and her husband, Mark, a Marine who's been deployed to Iraq three times, began trying to get pregnant when she was 22 years old. At the time, Kellie was severely obese: At 5 feet 5 inches tall, she weighed 285 pounds. Doctors told her she needed to lose weight if she wanted to get pregnant. "They said, 'Eat less and exercise more.' I tried ten or 15 different diets and I exercised every night, but nothing seemed to make a difference."
Finally, Kellie went to a new doctor, who diagnosed her with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a complex condition caused by an imbalance in hormones. The condition can cause a range of symptoms, including acne, weight gain, and secondary problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. Infertility is another common side effect. Experts don't know what causes PCOS but assume that it has a genetic component, as it often runs in families.
"It's overwhelming and heartbreaking when you see all these other families and think that you'll never have that yourself."
Kellie's lifelong struggle with her weight was likely exacerbated by PCOS. Her mother had undergone gastric bypass surgery and was pleased with the results, so Kellie decided to try it, too. The procedure reduces the size of the stomach, so patients feel full more quickly and eat less food.
The surgery is expensive — it can cost as much as $30,000 — and it's risky in some cases. But for Kellie, it's been a life-changing experience. She's lost over 130 pounds since she had the surgery in May 2006.
"I have so much energy now, and for the first time in my life I can go to the store and find clothes that fit me," says Kellie. "My husband is happy about it, although he said he was happy when I was large, too. I think I'm a little less embarrassing now," she adds, laughing.
Because of PCOS, Kellie's doctor had told her that she probably wouldn't get pregnant without fertility treatments, so Kellie was astonished when, two months after her bypass surgery, she discovered she was pregnant. She was thrilled but also worried because women who undergo bypass surgery are advised to avoid pregnancy for a year, to give their body a chance to recover. She also fretted about her baby's health because she was losing so much weight so rapidly.
Kellie's doctor kept her under close observation throughout her pregnancy. It was a difficult ride: She vomited at least four times a day, either from morning sickness or because of her surgery. Finally, after a long, grueling labor, she had a c-section, and her daughter, Emma, was born.
"She's small — she was just six pounds when she was born — but she's perfect," Kellie says today. "We want to have a big family, in fact, we're trying again as we speak. I'm hoping to get pregnant again as soon as I can."
(information from babycenter.com - http://www.babycenter.com/fertility-success-stories-kellie)
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