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Monday, September 13, 2010
Update
Tonight will be my 5th Lupron injection. No bad side effects other than feeling a little tired, bloated, and some soreness and bruising at the injection sites. Today was also my last day of birth control! Thursday I go for blood work and U/S in the morning and will start my stims that night. This should all be happening in the next 2 weeks! I am beyond ready! I am so hopeful. Sometimes I feel so sure that it will work, and sometimes I'm sure it will fail. At this point we have tried for so long, that it is hard for me to imagine actually being pregnant. All that I can do at this point is pray and hope that it is God's will for me to conceive this time.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
1st day of Lupron
Kenny just gave me my first Lupron injection. I have to say I was nervous at first, but he did great! It barely hurt! Next Thursday we start the stims, so he will be giving me a total of 3 injections per night until the egg retrieval. Then we will do the HCG shot like before, and then I start the progesterone. Things are moving along and we are so excited!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
This is what $1900 worth of medication looks like...
Over the next month, all of this will be in me! Forgive me if I am acting a little crazy!!
I start the Lupron next week, and the others the week after. There are also antibiotics so that I don't get an infection after the egg retrieval. 5 of the meds are injecatable! I guess now is a good time to get over my fear of needles:p
Monday, August 30, 2010
Mock Transfer
I had my Mock transfer today and everything looked good. Basically he measures the cervix and Uterus so he knows exactly where to put the embryos when it is time for the real transfer. It wasn't too bad, but I am having some mild cramping. Luckily I took the rest of the day off to rest.
With the start of September comes the actual start of the IVF cycle. We are excited,nervous, scared, and about a million other emotions! We pray about it daily, and all other prayers are more than welcomed! Here is what we have to look forward to over the next few weeks.
8/20 Started Birth Control Pills (they made me kind of sick for the first few days, but that wore off once I got used to them.)
8/30 Mock transfer, ordered meds
8/31 IVF orientation
9/9 Ultrasound and Blood work, Start Lupron
9/13 Last day of Birth control!
9/16 Ultrasound and Bloodwork, start stims
9/19 Ultrasound and bloodwork
9/22-9/26 Daily Blood work and Ultrasounds until egg retrieval, Transfer 3-5 days later...Then...WE WAIT!
With the start of September comes the actual start of the IVF cycle. We are excited,nervous, scared, and about a million other emotions! We pray about it daily, and all other prayers are more than welcomed! Here is what we have to look forward to over the next few weeks.
8/20 Started Birth Control Pills (they made me kind of sick for the first few days, but that wore off once I got used to them.)
8/30 Mock transfer, ordered meds
8/31 IVF orientation
9/9 Ultrasound and Blood work, Start Lupron
9/13 Last day of Birth control!
9/16 Ultrasound and Bloodwork, start stims
9/19 Ultrasound and bloodwork
9/22-9/26 Daily Blood work and Ultrasounds until egg retrieval, Transfer 3-5 days later...Then...WE WAIT!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Update on the IVF
We are still on for September!
We had a little scare a couple weeks ago. Kenny had to do ANOTHER semen analysis. No big deal, just part of the testing process, or so we thought. His count came back as "0"!! We were devastated:( You don't need many sperm for IVF, but you do need SOME. The Dr. told us to come back for a repeat and said that if there were sperm in this sample he would freeze it. This time we got a hotel, so that Kenny could relax, rather than having to give a sample on the spot at the clinic. Thank goodness his sample came back low, but at least had some sperm in it. The last one was evidently a fluke. They froze it and will use it as back up in case he has a zero count on the day of the egg retrieval. The worst part is that the freezing was ANOTHER expense that we weren't counting on. This stuff is getting expensive! So...What's next? Today I applied for financing, which we will hopefully get, or we'll be screwed! In the next coupled weeks I will start my cycle, and go back for a few more pre-screening tests (mock transfer and cervical culture) and I will start my birth control pills. After that things will start moving more quickly and I will soon be starting the process of the egg retrieval and transfer. For now I am going to focus on the new school year, and hope that this time next year I will be on maternity leave!!!
We had a little scare a couple weeks ago. Kenny had to do ANOTHER semen analysis. No big deal, just part of the testing process, or so we thought. His count came back as "0"!! We were devastated:( You don't need many sperm for IVF, but you do need SOME. The Dr. told us to come back for a repeat and said that if there were sperm in this sample he would freeze it. This time we got a hotel, so that Kenny could relax, rather than having to give a sample on the spot at the clinic. Thank goodness his sample came back low, but at least had some sperm in it. The last one was evidently a fluke. They froze it and will use it as back up in case he has a zero count on the day of the egg retrieval. The worst part is that the freezing was ANOTHER expense that we weren't counting on. This stuff is getting expensive! So...What's next? Today I applied for financing, which we will hopefully get, or we'll be screwed! In the next coupled weeks I will start my cycle, and go back for a few more pre-screening tests (mock transfer and cervical culture) and I will start my birth control pills. After that things will start moving more quickly and I will soon be starting the process of the egg retrieval and transfer. For now I am going to focus on the new school year, and hope that this time next year I will be on maternity leave!!!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Moving on to IVF...
I have been putting off blogging about the last IUI, mostly because I have been too heart broken. Kenny's count was at an all time low. The other problem with the infection cleared up, but his count hasn't gotten better, it has actually gotten worse. I looked up the chances with his count and they are about 2.5%. Not good odds at all. So, now the Dr. has told us that our only chance for conceiving is IVF (in vitro fertilization). Before you even ask, because I know you were going to (some already have)...No, I am not worried about higher order multiples!!!! IVF at my clinic has a little over a 50% success rate, (the Dr. says we have a little better chance because we have male factor only) 25% twin rate and 0% chance of Triplets. This is because when you do IVF the Dr. only puts a certain number of embryos in the uterus. If you only put two, you can only get two babies at the most. So what went wrong with Octo-mom? She didn't have a wonderful and smart Doctor like I have. Her Dr. implanted 6 embryos (two of which split into identical twins), well above the norm, which is 2-3, 3 being the number they transfer for older woman with unhealthy eggs or low ovarian reserve, or if after fertilization the embryos are of low quality.
My biggest worry, other than it not working, is the price tag. The financial coordinator called me this afternoon with prices and I almost fell out of my chair! Added to the thousands that we have already paid we could own a small island! But, a baby is better. If there was ever anything that was so worth the money it would be this. Becoming a Mommy is my number one goal. Everything else is secondary. We will have to cut back our spending A LOT, but I don't mind at all. We will obviously have to finance...unless anyone out there has about 13 grand they would be willing to part with:p
The process...
Step 1: Birth control
BIRTH CONTROL! Yes, you heard me right. I will have to be on Birth control for a cycle before they start to stimulate my ovaries. This is kind of the calm before the storm. They want the ovaries to be calm for a cycle because they are going to get their butts kicked in the next cycle, that is, if ovaries had butts to kick. It also helps to time things so that we can start the next cycle at a time that is convenient for the us and the Dr. At the end of this cycle they will give me a drug called Lupron, which will keep my body from releasing any eggs, which I will be on until they are ready to retrieve my eggs (a self administered daily injection of course)
Step 2: Stim Start
This is the start of the stimulation phase. During this time I will take daily hormone injections called gonadotropins which will stimulate my ovaries to make lots of follicles, rather than just one. At the end of this cycle they will give me progesterone in either an injection or vaginal suppository (never thought I would prefer a suppository) which will make the uterine lining nice and thick for an embryo to implant itself in.
Step 3: Egg retrieval
This is by far the hardest part of the process. The eggs have to be harvested surgically in an operating room, under anesthesia. Basically the Dr. will use a sonogram to guide a long thin needle through the vaginal wall, pierce the follicles on the ovaries and draw up the fluid and egg, which are contained in the follicle.
Step 4: The embryos
The embryologist will inject a single sperm into the each mature egg. (we are paying an extra $1,200 for this procedure, usually they just combine them in a dish and let them fertilize, but since we have low count, we are doing this process known as ICSI). The embryos that make it will then be transferred 3-5 days later. If we have extras, which I am REALLY hoping for, they can be frozen and used at a later date. This would be our only opportunity to have more children, because I will not do this process again. I may change my mind down the road, but for now I only see myself doing this once, unless we don't conceive, then I would do it again as soon as we could afford to.
Step 5: The Transfer
This is similar to the IUIs that I have done in the past and involve a catheter through the cervix, they then transfer the embryos into the uterus.
So there ya have it. Our next step in this crazy process of becoming parents. There have been so many tears shed already, and I know there are more to come. IVF is a long, painful process, both physically and emotionally, but I think I am ready. The Birth control cycle will more than likely be in August and IVF in September. If I seem crazy over the next few months you can be sure it is either emotions, or hormones, or both. It is going to be a long hard road which may, or may not lead to a baby, but we had to try it. We are out of options and want a baby so desperately. If you are reading this and have children go into the other room and give them a big hug and kiss. You are blessed and don't ever take it for granted. Please keep Kenny and I in you prayers. XOXO
My biggest worry, other than it not working, is the price tag. The financial coordinator called me this afternoon with prices and I almost fell out of my chair! Added to the thousands that we have already paid we could own a small island! But, a baby is better. If there was ever anything that was so worth the money it would be this. Becoming a Mommy is my number one goal. Everything else is secondary. We will have to cut back our spending A LOT, but I don't mind at all. We will obviously have to finance...unless anyone out there has about 13 grand they would be willing to part with:p
The process...
Step 1: Birth control
BIRTH CONTROL! Yes, you heard me right. I will have to be on Birth control for a cycle before they start to stimulate my ovaries. This is kind of the calm before the storm. They want the ovaries to be calm for a cycle because they are going to get their butts kicked in the next cycle, that is, if ovaries had butts to kick. It also helps to time things so that we can start the next cycle at a time that is convenient for the us and the Dr. At the end of this cycle they will give me a drug called Lupron, which will keep my body from releasing any eggs, which I will be on until they are ready to retrieve my eggs (a self administered daily injection of course)
Step 2: Stim Start
This is the start of the stimulation phase. During this time I will take daily hormone injections called gonadotropins which will stimulate my ovaries to make lots of follicles, rather than just one. At the end of this cycle they will give me progesterone in either an injection or vaginal suppository (never thought I would prefer a suppository) which will make the uterine lining nice and thick for an embryo to implant itself in.
Step 3: Egg retrieval
This is by far the hardest part of the process. The eggs have to be harvested surgically in an operating room, under anesthesia. Basically the Dr. will use a sonogram to guide a long thin needle through the vaginal wall, pierce the follicles on the ovaries and draw up the fluid and egg, which are contained in the follicle.
Step 4: The embryos
The embryologist will inject a single sperm into the each mature egg. (we are paying an extra $1,200 for this procedure, usually they just combine them in a dish and let them fertilize, but since we have low count, we are doing this process known as ICSI). The embryos that make it will then be transferred 3-5 days later. If we have extras, which I am REALLY hoping for, they can be frozen and used at a later date. This would be our only opportunity to have more children, because I will not do this process again. I may change my mind down the road, but for now I only see myself doing this once, unless we don't conceive, then I would do it again as soon as we could afford to.
Step 5: The Transfer
This is similar to the IUIs that I have done in the past and involve a catheter through the cervix, they then transfer the embryos into the uterus.
So there ya have it. Our next step in this crazy process of becoming parents. There have been so many tears shed already, and I know there are more to come. IVF is a long, painful process, both physically and emotionally, but I think I am ready. The Birth control cycle will more than likely be in August and IVF in September. If I seem crazy over the next few months you can be sure it is either emotions, or hormones, or both. It is going to be a long hard road which may, or may not lead to a baby, but we had to try it. We are out of options and want a baby so desperately. If you are reading this and have children go into the other room and give them a big hug and kiss. You are blessed and don't ever take it for granted. Please keep Kenny and I in you prayers. XOXO
Friday, July 2, 2010
Follicle Scan/blood work
Today I had blood work and a follicle scan. I only had one mature follicle, which was a little disappointing because last time I had two at this point. I did have LOTS of smaller ones. The 3 largest were 19mm, 14mm, and 12mm. Last time they were 19mm, 18mm, and 14mm (18mm is considered mature, only mature follicles will release an egg) I felt a lot better about it after getting the results of my blood work. Last time I was about to ovulate and had the IUI done the next day. This time I was not quite ready, which is why the follicles are not that big. So, I will do my HCG trigger (a shot that releases the eggs form the follicles and makes them grow) tomorrow night and will be inseminated on Monday. I am PRAYING that it works this time! The bad news is Dr. Storment is going on Vacation this weekend, so I will have to see a different Dr. this time. I just knew I would ovulate over 4th of July weekend!
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