Miracle a deux

Beth has endured much in her 32 years, but her ordeals have been tempered with tremendous joy.

In 1988, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and was in and out of the hospital for nearly two months. Beth at one point hemorrhaged profusely and almost died. She ended up in emergency surgery, during which her entire large intestine was removed. Two years later, Beth underwent a proctectomy. For the next few years, things went well medically, and by 1993, she and her husband, Brian, started trying to get pregnant.

"I was on fertility drugs. We did intrauterine inseminations. Nothing worked."

At one point she underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy to explore the condition of her ovaries and pelvic region.

"The doctor immediately closed me back up. It was such a mess in there - scar tissue everywhere. He couldn't even see my ovaries."

Disappointed, Beth and Brian nevertheless continued their quest to have a baby.

"It was always on my mind. Month after month we tried. It was an emotional roller-coaster."

In April 1996, Beth began to experience pain when she walked and sat. The pain persisted for months and she was referred to a gynecological oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital who diagnosed her as having severe endometriosis, an enigmatic condition in which the endometrial cells lining the uterus are found outside the uterus, often causing inflammation, scarring and pain. Beth was treated for endometriosis and her left ovary was removed.

Through it all, the Leary's remained committed to getting pregnant. She was referred to the MGH Fertility Center where she received immediate attention. “I was shocked that a physician would come so quickly to see a patient. It made me feel special. After all these years of dealing with doctors and going in and out of hospitals, I finally had people who listened to me. It was the first time."

As a prelude to in vitro fertilization, her fertility doctor started Beth on a regimen of fertility drugs. Twice a day, Beth injected herself with medications. From day 10 of her cycle, she drove into Boston every other day to undergo ultrasound testing, which helps determine the right time to retrieve the eggs. When the ovarian follicles reached the proper size, her fertility team retrieved Beth's eggs and mixed them with her husband's sperm. Eighteen hours later, they determined that the eggs had fertilized and subsequently transferred them to Beth's uterus.

After one cycle of in vitro fertilization, the IVF team was successful. Beth received a call at work with the good news.

"I was so stunned, I had no reaction." A few weeks later an ultrasound revealed she was carrying twins.

"We saw two tiny heartbeats. We cried with joy. I didn't think I would ever get pregnant, and now we had two. Every single person there was wonderful. They all listened to me. They never stopped trying to give me the best. I never believed in miracles, but I do now. I love being a mother. I can't imagine my life without our son Keegan and our daughter Kelsi. Even with everything I've been through, I'd do it again."