Tony Troxler and Susie’s long journey to conceive ended in “a miracle”
After almost a decade of struggle, Susie Troxler (a licensed psychologist in High Point, North Carolina) became a mother at the age of 50.
Susie says to TODAY Parents, “I don’t even know the words. It’s surreal.” It’s still unbelievable to me. It was so hard to be me first and then a wife. I still find it amazing to be a mom.
Susie Troxler, now 61, and Tony Troxler (61), welcomed their first child, Lily Troxler. She weighed 5 lbs 12.8 oz. on September 29, 2021. It was a long road that led to this moment. The couple had not yet realized how difficult it was to conceive.
Susie says, “We didn’t even know there was a fertility problem when we got married. We were just doing the couple thing.” He was working and I was busy. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, 9% of men and 11% of women will experience fertility problems.
Susie claims that after five years, Susie and her husband had not been able to conceive. Susie also says they began to wonder why. Susie brought her concerns to her routine OB-GYN appointment. Her physician referred Susie to the Carolinas Fertility Institute in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“My doctor said, “You know, I would wager money that you had fibroids.” Susie says that it was true. “I had a lot of fibroids.”
Uterine fiboids are benign growths of the uterus. According to the Mayo Clinic. Susie was also diagnosed as having endometriosis , a painful condition in which the endometrial-type tissue is removed from the uterus. Tony had other medical issues that could have a negative impact on their chances of conceiving.
“Between us, we had an Abraham-Sarah thing going on,” Susie says. Susie also adds that there is a Biblical parable in which God grants Sarah her first child at the tender age of 90.
Tony and Susie remained determined to continue their efforts. Susie stated that her doctor was open and honest with her about the difficulties she would have in conceiving and carrying a healthy pregnancy. Her doctor shared with her the possible risks of getting pregnant later in life. According to the Mayo Clinic some of the risks include premature birth, gestational diabetes and fetal abnormalities.
She explains that “He was very clear that it was going to be an uphill struggle from the beginning.” “I had fibroid operation January 2019, and went through the healing process. Then they took egg after egg. I had to go through many rounds of egg retrieval, insemination and all of that took forever. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”
Tony and Susie decided to try egg donation. After another egg insemination, they were left with two viable embryos. Susie was able to undergo a new embryo transfer in late 2019. However, the embryo failed. Tony and Susie had one viable embryo left after Covid-19 spread to the United States. This was what they considered their last chance.
Susie says, “It wasn’t going to happen.” “There wasn’t supposed to have been a baby.”
Susie and Tony were positive and upbeat, which Susie attributes to their shared mental state. They didn’t think they were “less than” because they weren’t parents. Nor did Susie believe she was somehow failing as a mother for not having given birth.
She explains that she wasn’t expecting her joy to come once they had children. “We were in a position where even if we didn’t have children, it would not have been an issue. But, we would have felt at peace.”
The couple still had a chance to try and conceive. They decided to give it one more shot.
Susie says, “We had that second embryo frozen and we knew we wouldn’t leave it frozen forever.” “So they performed an embryo transfer. We are now parents.
Susie claims that although her doctors closely monitored her pregnancy, her and her daughter’s deliveries were uneventful. Susie was aware that she would need a C-section due to previous fibroid surgery. This was to be performed on September 29, 2021, exactly six months after Susie’s birthday.
Susie says, “It’s what i call divine irony.” “So, I knew that this was going to her day.”
Susie and Tony are now parents for two months. While Susie admitted that the couple don’t sleep very often, she is loving every moment of motherhood.
Susie said, “You just have to accept it because it’s so worth it.” “Those moments at three in morning when I’m rocking her and she looks at me with bright eyes, not the slightest bit sleepy, are the ones that I treasure. You can’t get them back.”
She adds that she is determined to enjoy sleep deprivation because it almost never happens.
